The Upper Room, a cafe serving coffee, wine, small plates and cocktails, is now open inside Citizen Supply on the second floor of Ponce City Market.
The concept “embraces the intimate hospitality of a grandmother’s living room,” according to a news release. The menu includes teas, coffee, matcha, smoothies, wine, and cocktails made with a focus on spirits from Black-owned brands.
Bites include Parmesan popcorn, jerk plantain patties, salmon patties, salads and sandwiches.
The cafe offers coffee cuppings, tea parties, wine tastings and cocktail-making classes. Cocktail classes, held every Friday, allow guests to learn the history behind a featured cocktail brand and create cocktails with guidance from bartenders.
Credit: Courtesy of Jamestown
Credit: Courtesy of Jamestown
The Upper Room comes from Kelsey Maynor and Shakirah DeMesier. Maynor has more than 15 years of experience developing hospitality concepts, while DeMesier is a Haitian-American storyteller, marketing strategist, writer, director and actor.
Opening hours are noon-7 p.m. Wednesdays-Thursdays, noon-9 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays and noon-6 p.m. Sundays.
This isn’t the first time that Citizen Supply, which sells products from local makers and vendors, has served as a home for a second business. Previous concepts include listening bar 2ndbdrm, plant shop the Victorian and pop-up bar Excuse My French.
The Upper Room joins several other food and beverage concepts inside Ponce City Market’s Central Food Hall, including the newly-opened La Metro, Atrium, Ton Ton, Umbrella Bar, LaRayia’s Bodega, Pancake Social and Bibi. Boom Boom Bao, Lime Tiger and Uwu Asian Dessert Co. from the team behind Vietvana, are set to open in the coming months.
675 Ponce de Leon Ave. NE, Atlanta. upperroomatl.com
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
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Credit: Wendell Brock
Credit: Wendell Brock
Two food and beverage concepts have opened in the Buckhead Landing development at 3300 Piedmont Road in Buckhead.
Mediterranean restaurant Aviva by Kameel debuted its third location, which joins the original eatery at Peachtree Center and a second in the Collective food hall in Midtown.
The restaurant’s Halal menu, which mirrors offerings at the other two Aviva by Kameels, includes traditional fare including falafel, shawarma, hummus and salads. The Buckhead location is the first to offer beer and wine.
The 2,500-square-foot counter-service eatery has interior seating as well as a small outdoor patio.
Nas Srouji owns and operates Aviva by Kameel with his father, Kameel, who came to Atlanta in 1981 and operated several other restaurants before opening the first Aviva by Kameel in 2012. The restaurant is named after Kameel’s sister, Aviva, who he grew up cooking with.
The Buckhead location’s opening hours are 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays and 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays.
In addition, Boston-based Burton’s Bar & Grill opened its first Georgia location in the development. The restaurant, which has locations in states including Florida, Massachusetts, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia, serves a variety of appetizers, soups, salads, bowls, burgers, sandwiches, steaks, seafood and specialties including braised short ribs and chicken piccata. The eatery also has a full bar.
Other food and beverage concepts set to open in Buckhead Landing in the coming months are the first Georgia location of Ohio-based Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream, and a second location of Michelin-starred Omakase Table. They’ll join currently operating restaurants including Piu Bello and Urban Wu.
Buckhead Landing will also be home to a 55,000-square-foot Publix, set to open later this year.
The development, slated to be completed in 2025, is one of seven properties in Buckhead owned and operated by shopping center developer Regency Centers.
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New Jersey food truck Bro-ritos has opened its first brick-and-mortar location and its first Georgia location at 756 W. Peachtree St. NW in the Collective food hall in the Coda development. The stall, which takes over the space vacated by El Burro Pollo, serves a variety of burritos, tacos and quesadillas.
Other food and beverage concepts in the Collective at Coda include Humble Mumble, By Weight and Measure and Aviva by Kameel.
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Ohio-based Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream is set to open its first Georgia location at 11 a.m. Nov. 14 at 931 Monroe Drive in the Midtown Promenade development.
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Italian restaurant Millie’s is set to open at the Forum Peachtree Corners in February 2025. The restaurant comes from the Politan Group, the group behind the Politan Row food hall that’s also set to open in the Forum development in the coming weeks.
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Credit: Courtesy of Boca
Credit: Courtesy of Boca
Jonathan Arzola, the new chef at Summerhill restaurant Boca at 39 Georgia Ave. SE, has made several changes to the regular lunch and menu, including enmoladas (chicken or cheese mole enchiladas), tempura shrimp tacos, and tacos dorados with chicken tinga. He also added a weekend brunch menu featuring dishes such as chilaquiles, tres leches French toast, and chorizo shrimp and grits, along with brunch cocktails.
New operator Josh Diaz, previously of Mexican restaurant Habitat in Buckhead, developed a new drink program for Boca, and refitted the restaurant with a small DJ booth and couches to create a small cocktail lounge in the space.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
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Atlanta institution the Colonnade, which was recently purchased by regulars Paul Donahue and Lewis Jeffries of Lingering Shade Social Club, is now open from noon-9 p.m. on Saturdays, starting today. The restaurant stopped serving lunch on Saturdays several years ago, and was only open from 5-9 p.m.
The Collonade, which serves Southern staples like fried chicken, turkey and dressing and salmon croquettes, is located at 1879 Cheshire Bridge Road. It’s been open in Atlanta for almost 100 years.
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Self-pour taproom Brews & Hops is set to open early net year at 5255 Peachtree Blvd. in Chamblee, What Now Atlanta reports.
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Garrett Popcorn and Sugar Daddy Cookies have closed in the Lenox Square shopping center in Buckhead, Tomorrow’s News Today reports.
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Seafood restaurant Shuckin Shack Oyster Bar is slated to open early next year at 9 S. Main St. in Alpharetta in the former South Main Kitchen space, What Now Atlanta reports. Rob Schryver launched the brand in 2007 and has since expanded to 18 locations in six states, including one in Cumming.
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This is It Southern and Kitchen and BBQ at 2853 Panola Road in Lithonia is being forced to close because the Georgia Department of Transportation wants to use the land the restaurant sits on to improve traffic in the area, WSB-TV reports.
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Altona Burger & Beer Garden is planned for 3975 Holcomb Bridge Road in Norcross in the space formerly occupied by Clean Eatz, What Now Atlanta reports. The menu will include burgers, rotisserie chicken, salads, sides like fries and more than 15 craft beers.
More metro Atlanta restaurant news
Kitchen + Kocktails by Kevin Kelley opening in Dunwoody
Cocktail bar Tiger Sun opening in Dunwoody
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