Bon Ton closes this week and more from metro Atlanta’s dining scene

This week on the Atlanta restaurant scene, community members mourned the imminent closure of Bon Ton, Mule Train announced it would soon open and a Buckhead steakhouse announced its first location outside the Perimeter.

The bar at Bon Ton in 2017. (Henri Hollis/AJC)

Bon Ton’s last days

Midtown Viet-Cajun restaurant Bon Ton will close Wednesday, the restaurant announced earlier this month. The fun-loving restaurant known for fried seafood and well-made cocktails on Myrtle Street opened in 2017.

Bon Ton’s social media announcement about the closing accumulated hundreds of comments mourning the loss. In the near-decade the restaurant was open for business, which included surviving the COVID-19 pandemic, its casual atmosphere, serious cocktails and relatively late hours developed a loyal following in Midtown.

Restaurant representatives have not publicly shared a reason for closing, but did share their gratitude for the upwelling of support.

“Seriously speechlessly thankful for this community,” Bon Ton posted on Instagram this week. “The love is real, and we’re missing you already.”

674 Myrtle St. NE, Atlanta. 404-996-6177, bontonatl.com

Photo shows the site of Medley, mixed-use development, Wednesday, January 15, 2025, in Johns Creek. The $560 million town center project aims to redefine suburban Johns Creek’s city center with a new hotel, office space, hundreds of housing units and a variety of shops and restaurants. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)

A Buckhead classic plans Johns Creek expansion

Chops Lobster Bar will open a second new location next year in the Medley at Johns Creek development, the Atlanta Business Chronicle reported this week. It will be the first Atlanta-area location outside the Perimeter and the second announced this year. Previously, a new Chops location was announced at downtown development Centennial Yards.

Medley is a new 43-acre mixed-use development in Johns Creek that will be anchored by a luxury hotel, which will also be home to the new Chops. The hotel has been developed by Mainsail Lodging & Development, which also created the Trilith Guesthouse in Fayetteville and Midtown’s Epicurean Atlanta.

2140 Medley Blvd., Johns Creek. medleyjohnscreek.com

A partially complete restaurant space at Woodstock Mill District. (Courtesy of Conolly)

Woodstock Mill District announces restaurants

A forthcoming development in Cherokee County called the Woodstock Mill District will be home to several new restaurants when it opens in 2027, developer Connolly Realty announced this week.

The new development near downtown Woodstock will host a locally owned coffee shop called Sydel’s Coffee as well as Super Chix Chicken & Custard and Three Dollar Cafe. An existing development next door, which is being renovated, is set to open a new location of Tin Drum Asian Kitchen.

That development is already home to the Blue Ghost Arcade and Maxwell’s Cigar Bar.

connollyrealty.com

Former UGA football players Drew Butler (left) and Jake Fromm filming their podcast, "Punt & Pass Podcast." In honor of the podcast's 10th anniversary, Creature Comforts created a limited-run Punt & Pass lager. (Courtesy of Creature Comforts)

Creature Comforts launches Punt & Pass lager

Athens brewery Creature Comforts launched a new, limited-run beer this week in celebration of the 10-year anniversary of the UGA football podcast Punt & Pass, hosted by former players Drew Butler and Jacob Fromm.

Punt & Pass Lager will be available for a limited time at the brewery’s Athens taproom, and the launch was accompanied by a live taping of the podcast Thursday, according to a news release.

The beer is a classic lager inspired by Germany’s Helles style with 5.1% alcohol by volume, the announcement said. UGA will take on the Oklahoma Sooners on Saturday in their first SEC home game of the season.

271 W. Hancock Ave., Athens. 706-410-1043, creaturecomforts.co

Sun shines through the dining room at Mule Train in Atlanta on Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026. Mule Train is a Southern restaurant opening in South Downtown by married couple, Mike and Shyretha Sheats. (Abbey Cutrer for the AJC)

Restaurant openings & announcements

7 Brew, the fast-growing drive-thru coffee chain, opened its latest metro Atlanta location in Lawrenceville on Tuesday, the company announced. Customers can get a free T-shirt Saturday with the purchase of any large beverage, the announcement said.

905 Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road, Lawrenceville. 7brew.com

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams will open a new location in The Avenue East Cobb development later this year, the company shared on its website.

4475 Roswell Road, Marietta. jenis.com

Mule Train, the highly anticipated new restaurant from the couple behind the Plate Sale pop-up, will open in South Downtown on Wednesday, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution exclusively reported this week. Read more about the new restaurant from chefs Mike and Shyretha Sheats.