The original location of Highland Bakery is closing after 20 years at the corner of Sampson Street and Highland Avenue in the Old Fourth Ward.
The lease is ending and the building is being sold, according to an announcement from owner Stacey Eames on social media. The Downtown Atlanta location remains open at Georgia State University, as does Eames’s coffee shop Press and Grind in Virginia-Highland.
Look for food delivery from Highland Bakery to continue with extended coverage to more areas around Atlanta. Eames now plans to focus on growing Highland Bakery’s catering business and continue a collaboration with Atlanta-based cake designer Karen Portaleo.
Highland Bakery is a popular spot for breakfast and brunch in the Old Fourth Ward, especially on weekends. The bakery-cafe serves dishes like sweet potato pancakes, an assortment of benedicts, shrimp and grits, and an open-faced breakfast BLT on sourdough bread.
Eames opened Highland Bakery on Highland Avenue in 2003. Other locations followed, including in Buckhead, Midtown, Decatur, Peachtree City, and on the campuses of Georgia Tech, Georgia State, and Emory University. All but the Old Fourth Ward and Downtown Atlanta locations have closed. In 2016, Eames opened Press and Grind cafe and coffee shop, which took over the former Aurora Coffee space on North Highland Avenue.
Bomb Biscuit Company, backed by acclaimed baker and cookbook author Erika Council, opened across the street from Highland Bakery in 2022. Last year, Michelin awarded the biscuit pop-up-turned-restaurant bib gourmand status in the French tire company’s inaugural Atlanta dining guide.
Donnie’s Donuts opens at the Highland Walk complex adjacent to Highland Bakery later this year. The doughnut shop takes over the space previously home to several ill-fated restaurants, including P’Cheen, Last Word, Cast Iron, and most recently Highland Bistro.