End of year brings flurry of restaurant closures and more from Atlanta’s dining scene
The final weeks of 2025 brought news of multiple restaurant closures around Atlanta, many of which shuttered on the last few days of the year, including Daddy D’z BBQ Joynt, an Atlanta institution that announced it would close Dec. 31 after more than 30 years on Memorial Drive.
Southern Proper Hospitality Group closes several restaurants
Atlanta-based Southern Proper Hospitality Group has shuttered two locations of Tex-Mex restaurant Tin Lizzy’s Cantina in Dunwoody and Avenue at East Cobb, Tomorrow’s News Today first reported. It has also closed neighboring concepts Chido & Padre’s and the Blind Pig Parlour Bar in Buckhead, a representative for the group confirmed to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“It’s been a privilege to be part of this community and to host so many celebrations and everyday moments over the years,” according to a statement from Southern Proper Hospitality Group. “The Blind Pig will be closing at this location, but as a concept built on pop-up energy and reinvention, we’re exploring possibilities for where it might appear next. We’re staying connected with our team members and helping them navigate opportunities within our Southern Proper Hospitality Group restaurants.”
The group’s other restaurants, including three remaining locations of Tin Lizzy’s Cantina, Gypsy Kitchen, the Southern Gentleman, Milton’s Cuisine and Cocktails, Ocean & Acre and the Big Ketch, will remain open.
Other items of interest
Roshambo, the Buckhead restaurant that opened with an upscale diner menu, has pivoted to more general, modern American fare, according to the restaurant’s social media. The new menu offers lighter choices that are more “health conscious,” per Roshambo’s Instagram. Opened in 2022 by Unsukay, the hospitality group behind Local Three, Muss & Turner’s and MTH Pizza, Roshambo gained immediate acclaim, including a three-star review from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. But the restaurant didn’t catch on with its own neighborhood, co-owner Ryan Turner told Atlanta magazine. With this pivot toward a less indulgent menu, Roshambo will attempt to become a more regular dining option for Buckhead residents. Its new offerings include smoked trout dip, black bean hummus, a selection of salads and grain bowls, sandwiches and even a bucket of fried chicken available as a family-style meal.
2355 Peachtree Road NE, Atlanta. 404-835-7373, roshamboatl.com
Virgil’s Gullah Kitchen will reopen soon in College Park, the restaurant announced on social media, more than a year after it was damaged by a kitchen fire. No one was hurt in the fire, but two other restaurants were damaged: Johnny’s Chicken & Waffles and the Real Milk and Honey. Though the restaurant has not specified a reopening date, the announcement was paired with a hiring notice, indicating that Virgil’s is already adding staff.
3721 Main St., College Park. 404-228-4897, virgilsgullahkitchen.com
Restaurant announcements
Piastra Italian Restaurant on Marietta Square has announced it is closing its restaurant concept after 10 years of business to renovate and relaunch as Asher & Rose Modern Grocers, a cafe and grocery concept, according to a news release. It will reopen Jan. 19 with a focus on locally grown, raised and made products. Guests can still find popular offerings from Piastra’s menu as well as fresh bread and baked goods, cuts of meat and fish, dry goods, fresh produce and dairy and cheeses from the North Georgia region. The bar program will remain.
“This temporary closure allows us to make some exciting updates that will allow us to bring an entirely new experience rooted in the legacy hospitality that the Marietta Square is historically known for,” owner Greg Lipman said in a prepared statement.
45 W. Park Square, Marietta. 770-425-9300, piastrarestaurant.com
Smalls Sliders, a cheeseburger slider chain based in Atlanta, is breaking ground on its second Georgia location in Marietta. It will offer a menu of sliders, waffle fries and milkshakes like at its Stockbridge location.
2355 Windy Hill Road, Marietta. smallssliders.com
Tuesday Coffee + Shoppe, a coffee shop in Marietta Square, is expanding beyond its modest space into the unit next door, according to a social media post. It will take over Lush Cakery’s space, which closed at the end of December after eight years of business. The coffee shop’s new space will include indoor seating, a food program and more retail offerings.
137 Church St., Marietta. tuesdaysinmarietta.com
Restaurant openings
Trattoria Lucia, a sister restaurant to tapas and cocktail bar Vesper, has opened across the street from Vesper in Glenwood Park with an Italian menu. Reservations can be made online from Vesper’s website.
925 Garrett St. SE, Atlanta. vesperatl.com
Siena, a Mediterranean and Italian fusion restaurant, has opened in Alpharetta. It has taken over the former Gormania and Seven Seas Mediterranean Cafe spaces. Siena’s menu features tapas-style small plates, full entrees and a cocktail program. Expect dishes from executive chef Baba Estavillo like whipped feta and burnt honey, sweet potato falafel cake, Moroccan market chicken, golden oxtail and honey-lavender lamb chops.
124 Devore Road, Alpharetta. 404-488-3399, sienaatl.com
Switchman Hall, the food hall inside the Peoplestown development Terminal South, has opened several of its food stalls. The food hall was first announced in 2023. The stalls currently open include Jamaican restaurant Perfect Seasoning, sandwich and acai bowl eatery Staxx, Jase’s Lemonade, Gangster Ramen, the Cream Bubble Lab, Tiger K Hibachi and K Chicken Factory, according to a social media post. More stalls will open throughout the month.
1161 Ridge Ave. SW, Atlanta. terminalsouth.com
Restaurant closures
Battle & Brew, a video game and restaurant concept, closed its location at the Battery on Dec. 22 after two years in business, according to an announcement on social media. Its Sandy Springs location will remain open.
925 Battery Ave., Atlanta. battleandbrewbattery.com
Falling Rabbit, a seasonal fine dining restaurant in Duluth, has closed after five years of business. The announcement did not cite a reason for its closure. Chef Chuck Woods opened the restaurant at the end of 2020 in mixed-use development Parsons Alley.
3580 W. Lawrenceville St., Duluth. fallingrabbit.com
Taverna, an Italian restaurant from Lombardi Family Concepts, has closed its Buckhead Village location after around eight years of business, Tomorrow’s News Today first reported. The Texas-based restaurant group operates several locations of Taverna in Texas and Akumal, Mexico, but this was the group’s only Atlanta eatery.
280 Buckhead Ave. NE, Atlanta. tavernabylombardi.com
Bully Boy, a Japanese fusion concept near the Eastside Beltline from Concentrics Restaurants, closed on Jan. 1 after seven years of operation, according to a social media post.
“While it became a beloved destination for many and earned enthusiastic praise from guests and critics alike, the reality is that the business never reached the level of sustained momentum needed to continue long term,” according to a statement from the restaurant.
Concentrics still operates Old Fourth Ward restaurant Two Urban Licks, which has been open since 2004.
828 Ralph McGill Blvd. NE, Atlanta.
About the Authors
Henri Hollis is a reporter and restaurant critic for the Food & Dining team. Formerly a freelance writer and photographer with a focus on food and restaurants, he joined the AJC full-time in January 2021, first covering breaking news. He is a lifelong Atlantan and a graduate of Georgia Tech.
Olivia Wakim is a digital content producer on the food and dining team. She joined the AJC as an intern in 2023 after graduating from the University of Georgia with a journalism degree. While in school, she reported for The Red & Black, Grady Newsource and the Marietta Daily Journal.
