Metro Atlanta's dining landscape experienced significant shifts as the new year began, marked by restaurant relocations, closures, and openings across the region.
The most notable transition involved beloved restaurants El Tesoro and Eats. Wild Heaven Beer announced it would revive the Eats brand at its West End taproom, requiring El Tesoro to vacate. The Mexican establishment found a new home elsewhere in the Lee + White development, moving into an 8,600-square-foot space previously occupied by Best End Brewing, with a planned March opening.
Ponce City Market saw rapid turnover when chef Guy Wong's restaurants Miso Ko and Ton Ton Ramen closed. Their spaces will be taken over by chef Sean Park and co-owner Justin Lim for new locations of Norifish and Okiboru. Downtown also experienced a transition as McCormick & Schmick's closed after New Year's Eve, making way for Mastro's Ocean Club, both properties of Houston-based Landry's.
Chef Ali Lemma opened Ruki's Kitchen, an Ethiopian restaurant housed in the newly debuted Switchman Hall food hall in Peoplestown. After nearly two years operating pop-ups, Lemma established his brick-and-mortar concept serving traditional Ethiopian fare including tibs alongside injera and vegetable sides. Meanwhile, Yumbii — the Korean-Tex-Mex fusion concept that evolved from food truck to three-location chain — listed all locations for sale at $200,000 each.
Upcoming openings include Ikara, an Indian fine dining restaurant at the Twelve Midtown Hotel; F1 Arcade Atlanta launching February 6; Rosetta Bakery opening its second location January 19; and Haraz Coffee House debuting January 17. The Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta also hired French chef Christophe Truchet for its Brasserie Margot and Bar Margot restaurants.
Source: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
