Taverna's Italian Fare Will Replace Thirteen Pies in Buckhead

With one Texas-based restaurant on its way out, The Shops Buckhead Atlanta has a replacement coming to the development. Taverna, which is headquartered in Dallas, will take over the Thirteen Pies space at 250 Buckhead Ave. NE this October, a spokesperson tells Eater Atlanta. The restaurant will serve a menu of "northern Italian delights."

Taverna is operated by Lombardi Family Restaurants, which boasts several brands with locations across North America. The chain's footprint covers three restaurants in Texas (Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth); one in Laguna Beach, Calif.; and one in Akumal, Mexico. A Houston outpost is in the works as well.

"We are thrilled to open Taverna at The Shops Buckhead Atlanta," Lombardi Family Concepts founder Alberto Lombardi said in a prepared statement. "Our first restaurant in Georgia will be a special place where customers feel at home."

Considering the similarity in concepts, the Taverna team shouldn't have to overhaul the Thirteen Pies space beyond cosmetic changes. Taverna will serve lunch and dinner daily, and brunch will be available on Saturday and Sunday. The menu will include oven-fired pizzas, salads, pastas, and "fabulous risotto."

Thirteen Pies, which opened in The Shops Buckhead Atlanta in October 2014, quietly closed over the weekend. A sister concept under Raised Palate Restaurants, American Food and Beverage, shuttered its outpost in the development earlier this year.