Asante Chef Marvin Woods Will Resurface With Simon’s in Midtown

Celebrity chef Marvin Woods is almost ready to debut his latest venture. Woods is working on a new restaurant called Simon’s, reports the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and it should come online sometime this spring. He’s taking over a Midtown space at 793 Juniper St. that was once home to Straits, a dining room owned by Atlanta rapper Ludacris.

Woods previously operated Asante, which he opened in December 2014, at 250 Park Ave. W NW. He closed the Downtown restaurant last May and immediately announced plans to revive the Caribbean-influenced concept in Midtown. Woods tells the AJC his new menu will showcase “global cuisine” with “influence from all over.”

The forthcoming restaurant reportedly takes its name from owner Simon Guobadia. Woods will serve as executive chef and operating partner.

Ludacris opened Straits at 793 Juniper in 2008, but the hit-maker announced its shutter in 2012 as he made plans to open a restaurant at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Chicken + Beer finally made its debut on Concourse D last November.

Woods's celebrity chef status comes from his experience hosting TV shows, writing cookbooks, and cooking for former First Lady Michelle Obama.

• Atlanta chef Hopes to Breathe New Life Into Site of Ludacris’ Old Restaurant with Simon’s [AJC]
• 'Coastal Soul' Restaurant Asante Is Closed, but a New Location Is Coming [EATL]