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Watershed, first founded by Emily Saliers (Indigo Girls) and Ross Jones, is once again for sale. The Brookwood Hills restaurant’s new owner, chef Matt Marcus, listed the iconic Southern establishment on Peachtree Street for sale via the Shumacher Group on Thursday.
Marcus purchased Watershed in April 2018 and planned to “reimagine” the menu at what had become a perennial Southern favorite in Atlanta and included the restaurant’s beloved fried chicken — a culinary legacy created by former Watershed chef Scott Peacock and legendary Southern chef and author Edna Lewis.
At the time of the 2018 sale, Marcus told Eater Atlanta he wanted to turn the then 20-year-old institution into a “chef-as-owner” restaurant and showcase a menu “filled with what grows around us in Georgia.”
Marcus added a jellyfish carbonara topped with a cured duck egg and ham bits to the menu as well as a $350 plate of French fries paired with Krug brut rosé champagne. The current menu now includes “dope beets” with smoked Mississippi catfish rillettes and a pork loin and cheese grits empanada.
Watershed remains open during the sale. However, Marcus could be looking to reopen the restaurant elsewhere. If so, it’s unclear whether he intends to retain the Watershed name.
When reached for comment regarding the decision to sell the restaurant and possibly reopen in another part of town, a representative speaking on behalf of Marcus and Watershed provided Eater with the following statement, “The Watershed family deeply appreciates the continued support of the Atlanta dining community. We cannot wait to share more exciting details later this fall.”
The 5,200-square-foot restaurant facing Peachtree Street seating 250 people is listed for $250,000 with a monthly rent of $17,500.
Eater continues to follow developments in this story.
Neighboring restaurant Saltyard is also officially for sale in the same Brookwood Hills condo complex as Watershed. The Southern small plates restaurant, once owned by Aix and Tin Tin chef Nick Leahy, was purchased last year by Old Vinings Inn owner Lee Schulman. Unlike Marcus, Schulman didn’t plan to make many changes to Leahy’s original menu.
Rumors of a possible sale have persisted for months. Schulman cites family obligations as the deciding factor to finally list Saltyard.
“Saltyard is a great restaurant and has been an exhilarating opportunity. It’s now situated for better and consistent growth and success than it was when I bought it 18 months ago,” Schulman says. “But the business demands a lot of time and I have a family that also needs my attention.”
