Beloved Southern restaurant Mary Mac’s Tea Room has announced it will reopen Wednesday in Midtown Atlanta following two months of repairs and updates after its roof collapsed.
Housed in a building more than a century old, Mary Mac’s was forced to close March 6 when a structural failure caused its roof to cave in under heavy rain. No one was injured in the overnight collapse, and “the vast majority of our beloved restaurant was not impacted,” according to a statement released by the owners.
The restaurant will reopen Wednesday with its normal operating hours, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
“We can’t wait to welcome you back for a taste of your favorite dishes,” restaurant representatives said in a statement. “We also have a special surprise for you — during our temporary closure, we took the opportunity to make some much-needed updates to the restaurant.”
Representatives of Mary Mac’s thanked the engineers and contractors who worked on the project, as well as the City of Atlanta for approving the reopening of the restaurant. They also thanked supporters in the local community and further afield.
“Your warm wishes and kind words have kept us moving during this difficult process, and we look forward to sharing our incredible Southern food and hospitality with you again soon,” the statement said.
Mary Mac’s is the last of more than a dozen so-called “tea rooms” opened in Atlanta in the aftermath of World War II, when entrepreneurial war widows sought to make a living from their culinary skills but felt opening a full-fledged restaurant went against propriety. The menu at Mary Mac’s includes many traditional Southern favorites like fried chicken, Brunswick stew, fried chicken livers and cornbread dressing with gravy.
