Part of the team behind popular Atlanta Italian restaurants Storico Fresco, Storica Vino and Forza Storico are poised to open a fourth concept in Buckhead next week.
Yeppa & Co is set to open Feb. 27 at 306 Buckhead Ave., in the Buckhead Village development where Storico Vino is also located. The space was previously home to Biltong Bar before it closed last year.
The bar-centric Yeppa & Co will be “focused on interpersonal connection and food, wine and cocktails, many from Rimini in the Emilia-Romagna region,” according to a press release.
The restaurant’s name “is an expression that describes an existential vision,” according to the release. “It is the ability to live life passionately and intensely, where one seeks and accomplishes highly gratifying ideas.”
Co-owners Stephen Peterson and Pietro Gianni said they wanted to provide an enjoyable dining experience for guests discouraged by traditional sports bars.
“This is not a sports bar, but when there is a big event on, like a Formula 1 race, hidden TVs will be turned on for guests to watch,” Gianni said. “Yeppa & Co is a way to connect with sports and other significant events while still building personal connections.”
The menu, developed with chef from Remini, will include a variety of regional items along with imported delicacies from the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. Ingredients incorporated into the dishes include ragù alla Bolognese, prosciutto di Parma and balsamic vinegar.
Dishes include antipasti including fried lasagna bites, beef hache carbonara and polenta fries; boards with meats and cheeses and a variety of focaccia; a variety of salads and focaccia paninis; and several focaccia pizzas.
On the heartier end, pastas include cacio e pepe, mafaldine pasta with tuna and cherry tomatoes, and tortellini with pork, ricotta and prosciutto. Guests will also find main dishes like grilled branzino and garlic and rosemary-marinated T-bone steak.
Yeppa is considered a “chefless” restaurant, “meaning there is true teamwork,” the press release said.
The beverage menu offers Italian beers such as Birra Viola and all Italian wines such as grechetto and sangiovese from Enio Ottaviani. The vineyard collaborated with Peterson and Gianni to create P’s Rosé Please Don’t Touch.
Credit: Courtesy of Yeppa & Co
Credit: Courtesy of Yeppa & Co
The 7,000-square-foot space features low wood ceilings with light off-white shiplap walls “to honor the beach town feel and colorful artwork lightens up the vibe,” according to the release. “Furnishings have been repurposed to offer a wide variety of seating options, string lighting provides a warm, intimate glow and Italian photographs adorn the restaurant’s walls and ceilings for an intimate look at life in Rimini.”
The space is divided into four zones:
- The main dining room is centered around a large U-shaped bar where guests can order small bites and antipasti. This central area offers bar stools, high-top tables and booths along with several smaller television screens set inside the furniture for viewing American and international sporting events.
- The Corner, which is located across from Buckhead Village’s Fetch dog park, offers takeout such as focaccia pizza, panini and salads along with coffee and juice. This dog-friendly area is open all day and features patio seating.
- An indoor/outdoor patio is accessible from Buckhead Avenue and serves as Yeppa’s front entrance.
- Dryver Bar, a Formula One-themed cocktail bar is connected to the main dining area via garage doors. The bar includes a 2023 Formula One full-size replica mounted on the ceiling, televised Grand Prix races and a seperate cocktail menu from Jose Pereiro.
To nurture the connection between Italy and Atlanta, Peterson and Gianni have purchased a villa on Enio Ottaviani’s vineyard in Rimini and created Yeppa Viaggi, a travel entity, to host culinary and motor racing tours, weddings and corporate events at their venue Villa Yeppa.
Once open, Yeppa & Co willbe open daily for lunch and dinner, and Dryver Bar will be open 5-10 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays from 5-10 p.m., and on Sundays during Formula 1 season.
Peterson and Gianni opened Storico Vino in 2021, while Storico Fresco has been open in Buckhead since 2016, and Forza Storico debuted in West Midtown in 2019. Chef Michael Patrick, who remains a co-owner of those restaurants, will not be involved in Yeppa & Co. as he “persues other interests,” according to a representative for the restaurant.
In addition to Yeppa & Co and Storico Vino, Buckhead Village is also home to several retail concepts and more than a dozen food and beverage concepts including Shake Shack, Le Colonial, Le Bilboquet and Gypsy Kitchen.
306 Buckhead Ave. NE, Atlanta. 404-941-7487, yeppaco.com.
Scroll down to see the full menu for Yeppa & Co:
Credit: Yeppa & Co
Credit: Yeppa & Co
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