:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/60381759/12019939_10153251927855787_4524754265040111141_n.0.jpg)
Rob Bouton, owner of Charleston cafe and market Queen Street Grocery (QSG), is giving Eater Atlanta a few more details on his Atlanta-based cafe-market venture taking over the former Across the Street (ATS) Mexican restaurant on Highland Avenue. The cafe, called Field Day, and its adjacent market Everyday should open around the first week of September—barring any permitting issues.
The market
Like Queen Street’s market in Charleston, the majority of the shelves at Everyday will be stocked with locally-made provisions.
“We will carry as many local products as we can get our hands on at Everyday,” Bouton says. “At Queen Street, we sell things like local granola, trail mix, popcorn, soda, coffee, honey, and jerky as well as milk and bread made around the Charleston area. That’s the plan for Atlanta.”
Bouton is installing a frozen food section for products such as King of Pops popsicles and local ice cream. Everyday will also offer grab-and-go sandwiches, salads, and parfaits along with beer and wine.
“I want the neighborhood to dictate what we sell at Everyday. When I opened QSG, there was a clipboard for people to write down items they wanted to see on the shelves. If you don’t see a product, write it down, and we’ll get it. This is your store.”
The cafe
Field Day cafe and its back patio bar plan to serve a “ hodgepodge menu” of eclectic fare. It’s what QSG is known for in Charleston; especially when it comes to its all-day breakfast sandwiches and crepes. Everything on the menu is $10 or less, too. There’s a chefs counter in the works as well.
The front portion of Field Day is where Bouton envisions people walking in for a quick bite or relaxing with the paper over a cup of coffee in the morning. Continuing to the back of the building, the covered (dog-friendly) patio bar is what he’s calling the “crown jewel” of Field Day.
“The term ‘field day’ evokes such positive feelings. At school, field day was the Super Bowl of recess or like saying ‘have a field day’ with something. Just enjoy yourself,” Bouton says of the name. “Like the cafe, the bar isn’t going to be over the top either; because sometimes you just want a High Life and a shot of Fernet.”
Bouton admits, he’s not trying to win a James Beard award with the food at QSG or at the forthcoming Field Day in Atlanta. That’s not the point. These are classic, neighborhood cafes and corner markets. People wander in to relax and read the paper or grab drinks and a bite before buying a bottle of wine and a loaf of local bread on their way out.
668, 670 Highland Avenue NE, Atlanta.
