Sandy Springs’ New Restaurant Ordinance + What’s Opening and Closing
Sept. 11 — For today’s Side Dish, we’re offering two recipes, including one for za’atar pickled beans using seasonal produce from your local farmers market. Read stories on an upcoming South Downtown restaurant from chefs Todd Ginsberg (The General Muir) and Josh Kim (Bloom Roadside), as well as a new Sandy Springs restaurant ordinance meant to boost the City Springs dining scene.
➕ In a feature story from Logan C. Ritchie, she explores how Westside residents interact with nearby shopping, restaurants, and other amenities by car, foot, and bike in the midst of booming development and unrelenting traffic along Howell Mill Road and the Marietta Street Artery.
🍽️ As always, get the latest Atlanta dining news, like details on the openings of Roaring Social in Decatur, the reopening of Little Five Points Diner, and the closures of Nancy’s Chicago Pizza and French Broad Chocolate. We also share a progress update on Mushi Ni, opening in Inman Park, and the proposed expansion of Tucker’s entertainment district. Plus, some must-attend dining events to add to your calendar and more dining news to know.
In case you missed it in your inbox on Tuesday evening, here’s a link to the latest edition of “Family Meal.” Beth tells you which eight restaurants she’s most excited to see open around Atlanta this fall and why you need to check out Yaba’s Bagels in Dunwoody. And learn how to make the Trinidadian doubles from Caribbean restaurant Miss Conduck.
Cheers from the Rough Draft dining team!
🍸 Beth and 🍰 Sarra
🏀 Atlanta Hawks Forkside Seats at State Farm Arena! One night only – ATL’s hottest new restaurants, a Chef G. Garvin family-style dinner, VIP package perks, and behind-the-scenes access. All in support of Giving Kitchen and helping food service workers. Join us on Sept. 28. SPONSOR MESSAGE
Have You Heard?
🥂 Restaurant Openings
After temporarily closing in July for some updates, Little Five Points Diner reopened this week. The diner, owned by Sean and Amber Germain of Sean’s Harvest Market, debuted in March of this year, taking over the former Little Five Points Pizza and Fellini’s space.
The Uptown Atlanta location of Korean-French bakery-cafe White Windmill near the Lindbergh MARTA station opened this week in Buckhead, joining other new restaurants at the transit-oriented complex, including Madre Selva, Bene Korean Steakhouse, El Gordo, and J’ouvert Caribbean Kitchen.
A new location of Rreal Tacos will open Sept. 15 in the former Dos Burros space at the Ford Factory Lofts across from Ponce City Market on the Eastside Beltline.
The second location of Roaring Social will open in downtown Decatur on Sept. 18. Located on West Ponce de Leon Avenue, Roaring Social features a bar with a small food menu, live music, and four bowling lanes. Please note, there is a dress code here. Roaring Social includes a location in downtown Alpharetta.
A location of breakfast cafe and juice bar Toastique will open on Sept. 20 on Roswell Road in Marietta. In addition to toasts and juices, Toastique also serves smoothies, breakfast bowls, and coffee. Toastique includes locations in Midtown and at the Brickworks on Atlanta’s west side.
😞 Restaurant Closures
The Ponce de Leon Avenue location of Nancy’s Chicago Pizza in Midtown is closed, albeit temporarily, according to the company’s website. Google also lists the pizzeria as “temporarily closed.”
French Broad Chocolate will close at Ponce City Market on Sept. 16 after three years in the central food hall. It was the first location of the celebrated chocolate company outside of Asheville. Owners Jael Skeffington and Dan Rattigan opened French Broad Chocolate Lounge in 2008 in downtown Asheville, opening an adjacent chocolate factory in 2012 along the French Broad River.
👀 News to Know
Tucker is hoping to expand its entertainment district ahead of the November opening of the Tucker Town Green project. At a recent meeting, the city council discussed a text amendment “to further activate the green space and Downtown Tucker.” The current entertainment district allows bars and restaurants to serve alcohol for off-premise consumption within specific designated boundaries of downtown Tucker. Read more from Rough Draft’s Cathy Cobbs.
🚧 Progress Report
Mushi Ni, the Chattahoochee Food Works Asian street food stall, is getting closer to its opening next door to Harbor Coffee in Inman Park later this year. Owners Tanya Jimenez and Michael Le shared the construction progress on the upcoming restaurant via Instagram this week.
📆 Add to Your Calendar
This Saturday, from 4-7 p.m., Sidetracked Wine in Chamblee will host its inaugural Wine Fest featuring 36 wines from six importers and wineries, along with food and live music. There’s even a Champagne and caviar bar and deep discounts on wines by the bottle in the shop. Tickets start at $95 and include unlimited wine tastings and a commemorative t-shirt.
Minhwa Spirits in Doraville will host Chef Irene Yoo and “Chili Crisp” author James Park on Sept. 20, from 6-8:30 p.m., to celebrate the debut of Yoo’s cookbook and cocktail book “Soju Party.” The evening includes a Q&A session, food and drinks reception, and book signing. Tickets are $40 per person.
On Sept. 21, Chef Gary Caldwell will host Chef Phillip Smalls at Marcus Bar & Grille in the Old Fourth Ward for a five-course dinner in the restaurant’s Vinyl Room. Music throughout the evening will feature songs harkening back to Atlanta during the 1960s and 1970s. Tickets are $118 per person. Dinner begins at 7 p.m.
On Sept. 21, Colombia native and Zenú pop-up founder Chef Juan Hormiga will take part in a collaborative brunch at Pata Negra with chef and owner Octavio Ruiz. Reservations are required to attend. Hormiga currently operates Zenú out of The Third Space in the Old Fourth Ward every other Wednesday of the month, alongside Chef Shai Lavi. A collaborative dinner at Avize with Chef Karl Gorline is also in the works this fall. Read more about Hormiga and Zenú from Punk Foodie.
A Taste of Chamblee: A Flavorful Celebration of Community & Culture
SPONSORED BY DISCOVER DEKALB
🍽️ Step into a celebration of flavor at A Taste of Chamblee, where culinary creativity and community fill the streets. Enjoy dishes from beloved local restaurants, explore global flavors, and indulge in sweet treats.
This food festival is more than a tasting – it’s a chance to connect, discover, and celebrate the vibrant culture that makes Chamblee unique. From live entertainment to family fun, every moment serves up joy.
😋 Come hungry, leave inspired, and experience the taste of togetherness. Don’t just read about it – join us and get a taste of Chamblee.
Top Stories From the Week
Two chefs collaborating on new South Downtown restaurant
🥪 Chefs Todd Ginsberg (The General Muir, Wood’s Chapel BBQ, Fred’s Meat & Bread, Yalla, Ginsberg’s Refresher) and Josh Kim (Bloom Roadside) plan to open a counter-service restaurant at 185 Mitchell St.
The yet-named restaurant should open in early 2026 and combine a nostalgic atmosphere with modern takes on deli-style sandwiches, salads, coffee, bagels, and sourdough doughnuts. It will open every day except Sunday, starting at 8 a.m., serving breakfast and lunch until 3 p.m.
➡️ Read more about Ginsberg and Kim’s restaurant here.
Sandy Springs changes up restaurant ordinance to boost dining scene
🍺🍷 The Sandy Springs City Council approved an ordinance last week that will allow City Springs restaurants to sell a higher percentage of alcohol than food.
Self-service wine bar Taste Wine Bar and Market’s plans to open on Blue Stone Road prompted an amendment to the law to raise the alcohol to food sales ratio from the existing 50/50 ratio to 65/35. The change only applies to beer and wine sales.
However, modifying the ordinance could attract new food and beverage concepts to the City Springs District.
➡️ Read more from Rough Draft Sandy Springs reporter Bob Pepalis.
Improvements to pedestrian infrastructuremaking Westside restaurants more accessible
🚶🚴 Rough Draft continues to report on the growing pains of small businesses and restaurants on the west side of Atlanta. In this feature story from Logan C. Ritchie, she explores how nearby residents interact with shopping, restaurants, and other amenities by car, foot, and bike.
The once railroad-driven, industrial area, known locally as “the Westside,” has become a boomtown in recent years. But for residents and visitors, railroad tracks crisscrossing the land often muck up easy access to the restaurants, entertainment, and daily necessities less than a mile away, as the crow flies.
Over the last five years, the city finished construction on the Westside Beltline Connector, giving some area residents access to Mercedes-Benz Stadium and the Westside Trail Segment III. A new spur trail also runs parallel to the Westside Beltline, one city block between Marietta Boulevard and Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard. However, connectivity via bike lanes and continuous sidewalks still plague the area, leaving some residents landlocked in their neighborhoods from the Westside’s bustling restaurant district.
➡️ Read more from Rough Draft’s Logan C. Ritchie.
🏀 Atlanta Hawks Forkside Seats at State Farm Arena! One night only—ATL’s hottest new restaurants, Chef G. Garvin family-style dinner, VIP package perks, and behind-the-scenes access. All in support of Giving Kitchen and helping food service workers. Join us on Sept. 28. SPONSOR MESSAGE
At the Market + Two Recipes
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNITY FARMERS MARKETS
🍚 It’s time to add some fresh vegetables to your life. Every week, Rough Draft Atlanta and Community Farmers Markets are partnering to give you two recipes you can make using ingredients from your local farmers market. This week, we’ve got jambalaya and za’atarpickled beans. Check out both recipes here.
🖋️ Today’s Side Dish was edited by Julie E. Bloemeke.
