Attorney Howard Evans ends most days with a gluten-free beer or two at BAR{n} Booze {n} Bites, the whiskey and wine bar located near his Dunwoody home. The laid-back watering hole is part of “Funwoody,” a group of indoor-outdoor restaurants centered around a courtyard at The Village Dunwoody complex that transformed the sleepy suburban strip mall on Chamblee Dunwoody Road into a bustling community hub.
Evans tries to frequent BAR{n} daily. The restaurant stocks two of his favorite gluten-free beers: a Redbridge lager and a Lakefront Brewery pilsner. Carrying specific beers for him is one of the many reasons why Evans has been a loyal regular since BAR{n} opened in 2021.
“This place is like ‘Cheers’ because there are so many regulars and people that come here that I know,” said Evans of BAR{n}. He posts up at the compact bar almost every day, unless he’s attending a Braves game as a longtime season ticket holder. Funwoody chefs will even whip up an off-menu, gluten-free meal for Evans, who often finds himself chatting with strangers and friends seated at the bar for happy hour.
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That’s exactly the type of community vibe and service experience DASH Hospitality Group founder David Abes envisioned when he opened BAR{n} four years ago. It was his first Funwoody restaurant. With a barn-like exterior and farmhouse accents, including a painting of a horse from a neighboring farm, the restaurant’s decor reflects the Atlanta suburb’s agrarian roots.
“There really weren’t many restaurants around here,” said Abes of opening BAR{n} in the northern DeKalb County city, where fast-casual and chain restaurants are still king.
“People were driving out to Alpharetta or Roswell to go and have a nice meal, so I decided to open the type of place I would want to hang out at, something casual with no dress code, but still with really good food and service,” he explained of the premise behind the collection of restaurants at the Dunwoody complex.
Photo by Ryan Fleisher
Photo by Ryan Fleisher
Abes grew up in the neighborhood, riding horses at nearby Banister Farm and riding his bike through the same shopping center where he now owns and operates five restaurants: BAR{n}, barbecue joint Morty’s Meat & Supply, seafood spot Message in a Bottle, Mediterranean-inspired Yoffi food truck, and Good Vibes Ice Cream & Soda Pop.
A shared courtyard offers seating year-round, with full-service outdoor dining at BAR{n} and Morty’s, complete with heaters and fire pits in winter, and live music on summer weekends.
Over the last four years, Funwoody has become a community gathering place for many local residents, from families and remote workers to retirees and young professionals. Evenings and weekends see people grabbing food and drinks at Funwoody restaurants, then attending group activities like trivia, line dancing, or cheering for their favorite teams during games on the big screen.
“[Funwoody has] really become a community center, and that’s why it means so much to regulars like me,” Evans said of why he keeps returning.
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But for Abes and his staff, community goes beyond just providing space for food, drinks, and fun in Dunwoody.
Community service plays a big role in the Funwoody business model, Abes told Rough Draft. Restaurants at the complex regularly host and support fundraisers for local schools, churches, and synagogues. Abes and his team also organize an annual outdoor food festival at Funwoody called Green Eggs & Kegs. To date, it’s raised more than $40,000 for Breakthrough T1D (formerly the Junior Diabetes Research Foundation) in honor of his son, Mitchell Abes. The young Abes was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes as a child. He currently works for his dad as DASH Hospitality’s brand manager.
“During our opening week, this lady gave me a hug and said she’d lived here 30 years and needed a place like this in Dunwoody,” Abes recalled.
He jokes that people now tell him they prefer his restaurants to the Dunwoody Country Club, underscoring Funwoody’s casual, approachable atmosphere and acting as a hangout for locals.