Thousands of Atlanta residents woke up on Saturday, June 1, to a second day of low water pressure or with no water at all. Saturday also brought a second day of closures for scores of the city’s restaurants, bars, and coffee shops.
Many establishments were still experiencing little to no water on Saturday and contending with a boil water advisory. Some restaurants, bars, and coffee shops remain closed until further notice, while others reopened with adjusted service hours, navigating the boil water advisory by purchasing fresh ice, paper products to serve food, and bottled water for drinking and cooking.
The city’s water woes began Friday morning when the Department of Watershed Management discovered breaks in a 48-inch main line and 36-inch transmission line near the intersection of Joseph E. Boone Blvd and James P. Brawley Drive. Crews were soon working on water main breaks on Glenwood Ave. SE near East Lake Golf Course and E. Beechwood Drive NW in Buckhead.
The impacted water outage zone stretched from the West End to East Atlanta Village and from southern Midtown to Downtown. By late Friday afternoon, DWM issued a boil water advisory and later turned water off starting at 5 p.m. to residences and businesses across Atlanta to repair the main break on Boone.
By 9:30 p.m., two more water main breaks were reported on Atlantic Drive in Home Park and at 11th and West Peachtree Streets in Midtown.
The 11th Street water main break began as a trickle around 9 p.m. just outside Eleventh Street Pub in Midtown. Two hours later, water gushed from the deteriorated asphalt like a miniature geyser. On Saturday at 9:30 a.m., the break had yet to be repaired and water was streaming down West Peachtree and pooling at the intersection of 14th Street across from Whole Foods.
RELATED LINK: Updated coverage on Atlanta’s water outages
A person affiliated with Eleventh Street Pub told Rough Draft Saturday morning there appeared to be no damage to the neighborhood bar, including to its kitchen below street level. Steamhouse Lounge also appeared unscathed. Both restaurants will remain closed until the city confirms it’s safe to reopen.
Over on 12th Street near Piedmont Park, popular coffee and wine bar Larakin closed early on a beautiful Friday afternoon due to low water pressure and out of an abundance of caution. The patio would typically be packed with people enjoying coffee and wine on a warm afternoon and evening.
“We lost water pressure yesterday mid-day. Still little pressure today, but we are doing all takeaway cups so folks have a patio to hang on”, owner Jordan Chambers said Saturday morning. “We only closed out of precaution because we aren’t trying to get anyone sick for a few bucks.”
“I know a lot of people are working their asses off to repair the damage but it’s the lack of communication from Watershed Management and the city that’s so disappointing,” he added.
Larakin briefly reopened Saturday morning before closing at 4 p.m., with Chambers hoping to try again on Sunday.
Emily and Jen Chan faced a similar situation in Cabbagetown Friday night. Their neighborhood restaurant, JenChan’s, had water and good water pressure all day. Knowing the city planned to shut off water service to the affected outage area at 5 p.m., which DWM’s map indicated JenChan’s was well within, the couple brought in a mobile handwashing station. The Carroll Street restaurant’s water continued to flow freely until 8 p.m. when it suddenly lost pressure. The same scenario occurred at neighboring restaurants Little’s Food Store and Milltown Arms.
“As a business with a City of Atlanta Watershed account, we have received ZERO emails, texts, or communications. We have only received communication via social media posts that people have shared,” Emily Chan said of the confused messaging from the city about safety precautions for businesses and restaurants during the water outage. “Not a single email or message from our active account with the city, which could mean we aren’t affected or could mean they didn’t communicate this through the channels we are accustomed to.”
JenChan’s reopened for brunch on Saturday morning, but not before the Chans made a Costco run for bottle water, paper plates, and plastic cups and ordered 400 pounds of fresh ice from Village Emergency Ice. The Chans plan to also serve dinner Saturday night.
Other restaurants like Staplehouse in the Old Fourth Ward, Junior’s Pizza in Summerhill, Lyla Lila in Midtown, and Little Tart Bakeshop at Krog Street Market closed for the second day in a row. Fridays and Saturdays are the busiest service days for restaurants and bars, especially when the weather is comfortable and pleasant, as it was on May 31. These unexpected closures not only affected restaurants and patrons, but impacted the industry’s workforce, many of whom rely on tips, work hourly, or both.
”Losing a Saturday of business is disastrous for all of the affected small businesses in Atlanta,” Little Tart Bakeshop owner Sarah O’Brien wrote on Instagram. “Support where you can please!”
Below are just some of the Atlanta restaurants, coffee shops, and bars closed or adjusting service on Saturday, June 1:
Closed
Ponce City Market, including central food hall
Junior’s Pizza in Summerhill
Hell Yeah Gluten Free in Inman Park
Revolution Doughnuts in Inman Park
Steamhouse Lounge in Midtown
Eleventh Street Pub in Midtown
Staplehouse in Old Fourth Ward
Majestic Diner in Poncey-Highland
Bellwood Coffee in East Atlanta Village
Spiller Park Coffee at Ponce City Market and South Downtown
Little Tart Bakeshop at Krog Street Market
Howdy ATL in Grant Park
Sun in My Belly in Kirkwood
Java Lords in Little Five Points
Birdcage and Firepit Pizza Tavern in Grant Park
Bar Vegan at Ponce City Market
Lazy Betty in Midtown
Lyla Lila in Midtown
Wild Heaven Beer and El Tesoro in West End
Larakin in Midtown
Ticonderoga Club in Inman Park
Poor Hendrix in East Lake
The Porter Beer Bar in Little Five Points
Orethea’s at the Point in Cascade Heights
Manuel’s Tavern in Poncey-Highland
Banshee in East Atlanta Village
BoccaLupo in Inman Park
Manny’s in Grant Park
Bovino After Dark in West End
Adjusted service
Gigi’s Italian Kitchen in Candler Park, offering takeout menu for dinner
Breaker Breaker in Reynoldstown, offering beer, wine, and some cocktails, limited food from Grindhouse Killer Burgers food truck
Little Tart Bakeshop in Summerhill fully open, Grant Park location open for pastries and nitro coffee only
The Vortex in Little Five Points, but could reopen later
Peoples Town Coffee Bar in Peoplestown, but could reopen later
The Wrecking Bar in Little Five Points, offering to-go service
Little Vinyl Lounge at Star Bar in Little Five Points, window-service only
La Semilla in Reynoldstown, patio pop-up with food and drinks
Tio Lucho’s in Poncey-Highland, open for takeout and patio seating. No restrooms.
Dead End Drinks in Edgewood, closed for brunch but could reopen for dinner.
LLoyd’s in Inman Park, takeout only
Petit Chou in Cabbagetown, takeout only
Sweet Auburn BBQ in Poncey-Highland, takeout only
Argosy in East Atlanta Village, limited menu, bottled water, drinks made with canned mixers, porta potties
Continue to check restaurant social media accounts for updates on closures and adjusted hours and Rough Draft Atlanta for continuing coverage of the water outages across the city.
Collin Kelley and Dyana Bagby contributed to this story.