New restaurants coming to Atlanta airport and more from the metro dining scene
In this week’s metro Atlanta food and dining news, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport announces new dining concepts, a popular Atlanta pizza restaurant will sell frozen pizzas at Costco, a Caribbean-inspired restaurant chain is closing all of its locations and more.
New dining options at ATL airport
Multiple new dining options will land at Hartsfield-Jackson in the coming months in anticipation of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, including a celebrity chef-backed takeaway counter holding its opening celebrations this week.
Food Network star Duff Goldman will hold a ribbon-cutting at Duff’s Deli + Market on Feb. 11. The restaurant, which first opened in December, serves both savory and sweet food items in Concourse C.
Airport restaurant operator Paradies Lagardere also announced several new concepts planned before the June start date of the World Cup. The new openings will include well-known local pizza chain Antico Pizza Napoletana, which also debuted its line of frozen pizzas at retail stores this week (more on that below).
Paradies Lagardere shared few details about the other restaurants planned, but they will include Southern Farms Market, Local Green and a new Starbucks location.
More new restaurants planned at Atlantic Station
Atlantic Station announced two additional restaurants coming to its lineup this year, joining the highly anticipated new location of classic soul food restaurant Busy Bee Cafe.
The first newly announced restaurant to open will be Gocha’s All Day, from local hairstylist, restaurateur and TV personality Gocha Hawkins. Hawkins, a star of WE TV’s Bold & Bougie, already runs two locations of Gocha’s Breakfast Bar and a food truck called Gocha’s Tapas Bar.
Gocha’s All Day will combine the two concepts under one roof. The new restaurant’s signature dishes will include chicken and waffles, shrimp and grits and a selection of tapas-style menu items. The restaurant will also have a full beverage program.
The second new restaurant coming to Atlantic Station is planned for the summer: Atlanta’s next location of Playa Bowls, the health-focused, fast-casual franchise. It will be the 14th Georgia location for the chain.
Other items of interest
Antico Pizza Napoletana, Atlanta’s popular Neapolitan pizza restaurant, has launched a frozen pizza line available in Costco stores across the Southeast. “Antico Casa” will be available in more than 80 stores including Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee and North Carolina, according to a news release. Antico Casa uses the restaurant’s same methods and ingredients to create its margherita two-pack, which can be baked and ready in eight minutes.
Chloe Muse, a Marietta native and lead cidermaker at Atlanta Hard Cider, was awarded the 2026 Peter Mitchell Award for Educational Excellence by the Cider Institute. The award “recognizes an individual who demonstrates exceptional dedication to professional growth, technical excellence and leadership within the cider industry,” according to a news release. Muse began her career behind Atlanta Hard Cider Company’s taproom bar before moving into production and eventually leading cidermaking operations.
“Chloe has a rare ability to combine technical skill with creativity,” Ariel Hunter, production manager at Atlanta Hard Cider Company, said in a news statement. “She pays close attention to the smallest details, asks the right questions, and isn’t afraid to innovate.”
Restaurant announcements
Xocolatl, an Atlanta-based small-batch chocolate company, will open its second retail location at forthcoming indoor farmers market Upper West Market, according to a social media post. Elaine Read and Matt Weyandt first opened Xocolatl in Krog Street Market in 2014 after they became enamored with single-origin chocolate while living in the jungles of Costa Rica. Upper West Market is set to open this year in west Midtown with a full-service restaurant from Anne Quatrano and vendor stalls for farmers and local purveyors.
1385 Collier Road NW, Atlanta. upperwestmarket.com
Chops Lobster Bar, the steakhouse from Buckhead Life Restaurant Group, will open a second Georgia location in downtown Atlanta’s Centennial Yards development later this year. Read more about it here.
85 Centennial Olympic Park Drive NW, Atlanta. chopslobsterbar.com
Restaurant openings
Paris Baguette, a South Korean bakery chain, will open its eighth Georgia location in Vinings on Feb. 12. It serves a menu of cakes, tarts, sweet and savory pastries, sandwiches and coffee drinks.
4687 South Atlanta Road, Atlanta. parisbaguette.com
Salted Melon Market & Eatery, a Charlotte-based restaurant, will open its first Georgia location in Buckhead on Feb. 11. The counter-service eatery will offer a menu of salads, bowls, sandwiches, smoothies and specialty coffee and teas. The 2,740-square-foot space includes indoor and outdoor seating, according to a news release.
56 E. Andrews Drive NW, Atlanta. saltedmelon.com
Yava Kitchen and Brewhouse, a brewery and restaurant, will open in Cumming on Feb. 17. The 8,000-square-foot restaurant will seat up to 300 guests, and it offers a menu of small-batch beers brewed on site, cocktails and a seasonal menu.
3001 Market Place Blvd., Cumming. yava-us.com
Taffer’s Tavern, a bar and restaurant from Paramount’s “Bar Rescue” host Jon Taffer, will open in Midtown on Feb. 10. The bar offers a modern take on an “Old-World tavern,” according to a news release, with comfort food, spirit-infused sauces and cocktails like the browned butter bourbon. This will be the third Taffer’s Tavern location since it debuted in 2020 in Alpharetta.
1382 W. Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta. 404-975-3047, tafferstavern.com/taffers-tavern
PopUp Bagels opened its first Georgia location on the Eastside Beltline on Feb. 6. Read more about the viral bagel chain here.
661 Auburn Ave. NE, Atlanta. 858-230-6162, popupbagels.com
F1 Arcade opened Feb. 6 in the Interlock development in west Midtown. The Formula 1-inspired “eatertainment” venue offers a global menu, cocktails and F1 driving simulators.
1115 Howell Mill Road, Atlanta. 404-737-3131, f1arcade.com/us/atlanta
Restaurant closings
Darden Restaurants, the Florida-based operator behind several chain restaurants, has announced it will close and replace all of its Bahama Breeze locations. In a news release, Darden said it had determined Bahama Breeze is “no longer a strategic priority.” It will close 14 locations by April 5, and the other 14 will be converted into other Darden brands in the next 12-18 months. The Bahama Breeze in Duluth at 3590 Breckenridge Blvd. will close permanently, while the outpost at 755 Earnest W. Barrett Pkwy in Kennesaw will be converted into a different brand.
Suite Food Lounge, a restaurant and nightclub in downtown Atlanta, has announced on social media it is closing after more than 12 years of operation. It did not share a reason for the closure or an official closing date in the statement. “We are devastated that this chapter is now coming to end, but we are endlessly grateful to all of our customers over the years,” it said.
375 Luckie St. NW, Atlanta. 404-577-2500, suiteatl.com
About the Authors
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.
Henri Hollis is a restaurant critic and food reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, where he covers Atlanta’s restaurants, chefs and dining culture. As part of the AJC’s Food & Dining team, he reviews new restaurants, reports on industry trends and explores metro Atlanta’s culinary scene through the neighborhoods and people that shape it.
