Funwoody celebrates 5 years and more from metro Atlanta’s dining scene

This week in the metro Atlanta restaurant scene, Funwoody shared its five-year birthday party plans, Pat LaFrieda beef comes to town, a Statesboro seafood chain lands in Duluth, El Tesoro adds brunch in South Downtown and more.

David Abes, founder of DASH Hospitality and Funwoody Restaurants. (Courtesy of Funwoody Restaurants)

Funwoody turns five

Next month, Funwoody Restaurants will celebrate its five-year anniversary as a major community hub in Dunwoody, the hospitality group announced this week.

The concept began in 2019 in Dunwoody Village, where a drab courtyard sat unused thanks to longtime vacancies in the commercial development, according to a news release. David Abes, founder of DASH hospitality and Funwoody, saw its potential as a community gathering place.

The Dunwoody Village courtyard in 2019 before Funwoody Restaurants. (Courtesy of Funwoody Restaurants)

The project began with a renovation of the development’s courtyard, adding outdoor seating, a huge outdoor video screen and a live performance stage. In 2021, the first Funwoody restaurant opened: Barn Booze N Bites, which served flatbreads, charcuterie, cocktails and more. Morty’s Meat & Supply came next, combining Southern barbecue and New York deli themes in one space. Message in a Bottle, an upscale seafood restaurant inspired by the famous beach destinations on Florida’s Scenic Highway 30A, expanded the group’s range, followed by the ice cream and soda shop Good Vibes.

The stage in the Dunwoody Village courtyard, which was transformed by Funwoody Restaurants. (Courtesy of Funwoody Restaurants)

Earlier this year, Funwoody took over the former Steak & Grace space to introduce Stable Comfort Food N Cocktails. Over the course of five years, these five restaurant concepts have transformed the once-sleepy Dunwoody Village.

“In many ways, the restaurants have become the infrastructure for a community that didn’t previously have a central gathering place,” Abes said in a statement. “We were trying to create a place where people could come together in an approachable way with their kids and enjoy socializing again. But what has happened since my original thought has been bigger than myself and my team could have ever imagined. The restaurants are notable, but the real success is seeing the community make this place its own.”

The patio bar at Stable Comfort Food N Cocktails. (Courtesy of Funwoody Restaurants)

Funwoody will celebrate its milestone anniversary with a Halloween-themed party with live music, costumes and drink specials, beginning Oct. 30 at 7 p.m.

Funwoody Restaurants. 5521 Chamblee Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody. 470-545-0409, funwoodyrestaurants.com

Other items of interest

Pat LaFrieda beef will soon be available in Atlanta.

Local restaurant supply company Inland Foods has partnered with the famed New York butcher Pat LaFrieda Meat Purveyors to bring the company’s steaks and burgers to the city, according to a news release.

The LaFrieda family established its butcher shop in 1922 and now operates two USDA-inspected facilities that supply about 2,000 restaurants across the country, the announcement said. Inland will initially offer LaFrieda filets, rib-eyes, New York strips, porterhouses and specialty bone-in cuts, as well as the Original LaFrieda Burger.

The announcement did not say which restaurants would begin serving LaFrieda meats, though it did quote chef Todd Ginsberg, partner at the Rye Restaurants group, which operates Fred’s Meat & Bread, the General Muir, Wood’s Chapel BBQ and Yalla.

“Pat LaFrieda has built a reputation among chefs for a reason,” Ginsberg said in a statement. “There’s a level of quality and craftsmanship behind the product that you can see in the cuts and, ultimately, taste on the plate. Having access to that kind of program here in the Southeast — through a distributor we already know and trust — is something I think a lot of chefs are going to be excited about.”

Inland Foods. 1651 Montreal Circle, Tucker. 404-350-5850, inlandfoods.com

El Tesoro, a Mexican restaurant, sits nearly full with customers in Atlanta after the Spain vs Cabo Verde World Cup game on June 15, 2026. (Estela Muñoz/AJC)

El Tesoro in South Downtown Atlanta will begin serving an all-you-can-eat brunch buffet this Sunday, the restaurant announced. The buffet will include a variety of Mexican-themed brunch items including chilaquiles, enchiladas and a taco bar, as well as non-alcoholic drinks. The buffet costs $36 and $16 for kids under the age of 10. El Tesoro’s regular menu will not be available during Sunday brunch hours, which lasts from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

171 Mitchell St. SW, Atlanta. 404-239-2188, southdowntown.eltesoroatl.com

Twin Oak Farms in Douglasville is raising money to expand its property thanks to the success of its food-growing workshops, according to a GoFundMe announcement. Founded by urban farmer Niya Brown Matthews, the farm focuses on empowering people to grow their own food through hands-on workshops. The fundraiser said the farm has been forced to turn potential participants away as demand for its workshops has exceeded the number of spaces available. The farm’s goal is to expand and create a learning hub that would allow the organization to offer more workshops.

twinoakfarmsga.com

Giving Kitchen, the nationally renowned nonprofit that supports food service workers in crisis, will partner with the Atlanta Hawks to transform the floor of State Farm Arena into the city’s largest dining room for a second year in a row. The Forkside Seats event will take place Sunday, Nov. 1, and include food from some of Atlanta’s most iconic restaurants and well-known chefs. The dinner has space for 640 guests, with tickets starting at $250 and VIP tickets at $550, which include expanded access, a gift bag and more.

Nov. 1. 1 State Farm Dr., Atlanta. givingkitchen.org/forksideseats

Toastique opened in West Midtown's Brickworks development Sept. 12. (Courtesy of Toastique)

Restaurant openings and announcements

Toastique, a gourmet toast chain based in Washington, D.C., will opened a location in West Midtown’s Brickworks development Saturday. The first 100 customers at the new restaurant will get $50 worth of Toastique rewards.

1000 Marietta St. NW, Atlanta. 404-925-6741, toastique.com

Paris Baguette will open a new location in Alpharetta on Wednesday, the company announced this week. The bakery cafe will be the 10th Paris Baguette in Georgia, and the chain has more than 4,000 locations worldwide. The new Alpharetta outpost will be operated by Layne Alkaasamani, a Brazil native who attended culinary school in Switzerland, according to a news release.

4119 Lake St., Alpharetta. parisbaguette.com

JuNi, a new Japanese restaurant offering sushi, omakase service and noodles in Midtown, will open soon, the business shared on social media. A new concept from chef Yuki Tanaka of Circle Sushi, the new restaurant is on the corner of Juniper and 12th streets. An official opening date has not been set, though the restaurant’s recent social media posts have featured photos of food items and a new valet parking stand in front of the space.

1081 Juniper St. NE, Atlanta. 770-998-7799, juniatlanta.com

Luga, a contemporary Italian restaurant from chef Robbie Pacheco, will open in downtown Decatur later this year, according to a social media announcement. The menu will focus on handmade pastas and seasonal ingredients; the modern space can be found on the ground floor of the Modera Decatur building on Commerce Drive.