The Municipal Market on Edgewood Avenue is adding a new counter to its lineup. MattChews, a quick-serve concept from chef and operator Matt Scruggs, is set to start serving at the Sweet Auburn market on April 1, 2024.
The idea behind the menu comes straight from Scruggs's own story. He draws on two culinary traditions at once: the Southern cooking of his roots and his Vietnamese background. Rather than splitting the menu between the two, MattChews blends them, which places it in the Asian-fusion category while keeping a distinctly Southern accent.
Diners can expect a menu built around sandwiches, wings and fried rice dishes, with other items rounding out the board. As a quick-serve operation, it is set up for ordering at the counter rather than a long sit-down meal.
Scruggs points to craft as the thing that sets his food apart. He told the source outlet that the restaurant's strengths begin with food and sauces made by hand, and that care goes into every batch. For a fast-casual counter, handmade sauces are a meaningful detail, since they shape the flavor of nearly everything that leaves the kitchen, from wings to fried rice.
The market itself has a long history behind it. It was founded in 1918 as an open-air market and today houses dozens of vendors and eateries under one roof in Sweet Auburn.
The arrival of MattChews is tied to a broader push to renew the landmark and bring new life to it. New food concepts like this one are part of how the market is carrying out that ongoing effort.
Executive Director David Bennett said the market is glad to have MattChews on board. He added that the team looks forward to supporting Scruggs as he works toward his goals, and that the new stall should help bring new customers through the market's doors.
For regulars, the opening adds another food option to a building already home to dozens of vendors. For Scruggs, it is a chance to introduce his mix of Southern and Vietnamese flavors at a downtown market with more than a century of history.
Original reporting by Libby Allnatt for What Now Atlanta.
