JavaVino’s closure + holiday bar design magic
Dec. 11 — For today’s Side Dish, we offer a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to put on annual holiday pop-ups at five Atlanta restaurants. Plus, we have a story on the opening of Lewis Barbecue at Ansley Mall, and more on the closure of JavaVino in Poncey-Highland – including what the future holds for the space.
➕ In other Atlanta dining news, get details on three big restaurant closures, the reopening of Mellow Mushroom in Decatur, and the upcoming opening of a new Irish bar and pub in South Downtown. We also have news on an Atlanta chef’s debut cookbook and the death of the founder behind Sonny’s BBQ.
🍽️ In case you missed it in your inbox on Tuesday evening, here’s a link to the latest edition of “Family Meal“. In it, Beth includes a story on El Azteca and its 45-year legacy on Roswell Road in Sandy Springs. She also tells you where to seek out jägerschnitzel in Atlanta. And Sarra shares The Daily’s recipe for oatmeal cream pies.
Cheers!
🍸 Beth and 🍰 Sarra
Have You Heard?
🍕 Restaurant Reopening
Five months after closing, the Decatur location of Mellow Mushroom reopened this week – and with a new look. The West Ponce pizzeria received a much-needed exterior and interior refresh, a dedicated to-go entrance and pick-up area, and a revamped patio and bar. Expect a few new items on the menu in Decatur, too, including a couple of salads and cocktails.
“This location means a lot to Mellow Mushroom, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to return with new energy, [to] reconnect and deliver the best possible guest experience for the neighborhood,” Ahsan Jiva, Executive Vice President of Strategy, said in a prepared statement.
👉 More Restaurant Openings
Check out this brief roundup of recent restaurant openings and announcements of upcoming restaurants you might have missed in November.
✈️ Airport Restaurant Opening
Celebrity pastry chef and TV personality Duff Goldman opened Duff’s Deli + Market on Concourse C at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Look for egg sandwiches, deli classics like hot pastrami and matzo ball soup, and baked goods such as Duff’s black and white cookies.
😞 Restaurant Closures
Right on the heels of the announcement that Daddy D’z BBQ would close on Memorial Drive at the end of December, the owners of Agave in neighboring Cabbagetown announced they will close the Southwestern restaurant on Jan. 31, 2026. Daddy D’z and Agave have been part of the Memorial Drive and Boulevard corridors for 35 years and 25 years, respectively. While the owner of Daddy D’z property plans to sell, Agave’s owners cited the “current economic climate and unsustainable conditions” as reasons for their decision to close. Learn more about the history of Agave and the Cabbagetown restaurant’s building from Victoria Lemos of Archive Atlanta.
Tomorrow’s News Today reports that the Beltline location of One Flew South closed at the end of November. Calls by Rough Draft to the restaurant went unanswered, the location appeared dark on a recent visit, and the Beltline location is no longer listed on One Flew South’s website or social media. The original location remains open on Concourse E at Hartsfield. Backed by Jackmont Hospitality, One Flew South opened in the former Hazel Jane’s wine bar space on the Eastside Trail three years ago.
👏 Coming Attractions
A Midtown location of Korean bakery-cafe White Windmill will open at 1331 Spring St. inside the Midtown Union building. White Windmill recently opened its first in-town location at Uptown Atlanta near the Lindbergh MARTA station.
The owners of New York City bar Dead Rabbit plan to open The Irish Exit next year at Centennial Yards in South Downtown. Expect a drinks menu centered around Irish and local beers, whiskey, and cocktails, along with Irish pub food. The Irish Exit will join Wild Leap Brewery and Distillery, Khao Thai Isan, and Shake Shack at Centennial Yards. Check out Rough Draft for the latest restaurant and development news happening in South Downtown.
🧑🍳 ATL Chef’s First Cookbook
Lazy Betty co-owner and chef Ron Hsu will debut his first cookbook in March. Called Down South + East: A Chinese American Cookbook, Hsu will share recipes for dishes he cooks at home, as well as those inspired by his Chinese-American upbringing in Metro Atlanta. The cookbook will include a forward written by Hsu’s mentor and former Le Bernardin employer, Chef Eric Ripert.
Hsu and restaurant partner and chef Aaron Phillips first opened Lazy Betty six years ago in Candler Park. The chefs relocated the tasting menu restaurant to the former Empire State South space in Midtown last year. Since opening in 2019, Lazy Betty has racked up numerous accolades, including one star from Michelin in its 2023, 2024, and 2025 dining guides.
🤝 Merger
STHRN Hospitality Co., the group behind Westside Motor Lounge, partnered with the owners of Atlanta institution Midtown Bowl. STHRN plans to help the 65-year-old bowling alley on Piedmont Circle attract new patrons by giving it a brand makeover – including food, drinks, and events – and upgrades to the kitchen and sound system.
🕊️ RIP
Floyd “Sonny” Tillman, the founder of Sonny’s BBQ, has died. Tillman, who opened Sonny’s BBQ in 1968 in Gainesville, FL, was 96. Georgia features 14 locations of Sonny’s BBQ, including restaurants in Marietta, Buford, Jonesboro, and Lawrenceville.
🐕 Santa Loves the Dogs
Skiptown Bar & [Dog] Park in Kirkwood will celebrate the holidays with a series of festive events this month. Look for a Howliday Market on Dec. 13 and a photoshoot with Santa and the Grinch on Dec. 20.
🎄 ICYMI
From Atlanta to Alpharetta to Marietta, we’ve compiled a list of more than 30 holiday-themed restaurants and pop-up bars decked in good cheer, serving festive cocktails, dishes, and desserts from now until the New Year.
Georgia Grown Holiday Gifts at Cook’s Warehouse
SPONSORED BY GEORGIA GROWN
🍑 Georgia Grown goodies make the best gifts! Whether you buy them for stocking stuffers or you build your own beautiful gift basket, nothing says you’ve got great taste like a gift from our local craft food makers!
Stop by for chef demonstrations to sample a few bites, and meet the farmers!
✨ Join us Sat., Dec. 20 from 9 a.m.- 8 p.m. at Cook’s Warehouse at Ansley Mall.
Top Stories From the Week
JavaVino closing Dec. 14 and becoming a wholesale coffee business
☕ This week, the owners of JavaVino announced the Dec. 14 closure of the coffee and wine bar after nearly 20 years on North Highland. But JavaVino won’t go completely dark. Instead, it will shift to a wholesale coffee business, something co-owner Heddy Kuhl sees as a positive development.
Kuhl and co-owner Steve Franklin are also currently finalizing the sale of the space with a new owner who plans to open a similar cafe called At Arbeta. It, too, will serve JavaVino coffee.
⏩ Read more about JavaVino’s closure and plans for the space here.
A behind-the-scenes look at how restaurants make the holiday pop-up magic happen
✨ Despite being hard hit this year by higher ingredient prices, tariffs, labor challenges, and rent hikes, more Atlanta bars and restaurants than ever before are getting into the holiday makeover spirit in December.
For many bars and restaurants, operating a holiday pop-up is simply a continuation and an unstoppable acceleration of what’s become an annual tradition.
⏩ Read more from Rough Draft contributor Su-Jit Lin here.
Lewis Barbecue makes its big debut at Ansley Mall
🍖 Charleston-based Lewis Barbecue opened this week at Ansley Mall in Piedmont Heights. The Texas-style barbecue restaurant flanks the Beltline, with a blue bridge spanning across a gully that provides pedestrians and cyclists on the trail direct access to Ansley Mall.
Owner and founder John Lewis has been scouting venues for an Atlanta location for about six years, finding the perfect spot this year within the sprawling shopping complex bordering Midtown, Piedmont Heights, and Morningside.
⏩ Read more about Lewis Barbecue’s new Atlanta location here.
At the Market + Two Recipes
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNITY FARMERS MARKETS
🥞 Each week, Rough Draft Atlanta and Community Farmers Markets are partnering to bring you two recipes that you can make using fresh ingredients from your local farmers market. This week, we’ve got two distinct recipes that are sure to delight – a tasty broccolini risotto and a hearty harvest pancake. Check out both recipes here.
🖋️ Today’s Side Dish was edited by Julie E. Bloemeke.