Longtime Midtown Lesbian Bar Uprooting Again, This Time Because of Condos

Longtime Atlanta lesbian bar My Sister’s Room (MSR) is relocating for a third time in a decade. According to Project Q, owners Jen-Chase Daniels and Jami Maguire were told they have one year to vacate the property on 12th Street in Midtown before the two-story bar is torn down to make way for a new condo development. The couple say the bar will remain open until they find a new home for MSR, and would even consider purchasing the next building, if the price is right.

“We’re concerned about how many gay establishments have disappeared the last few years from Cowtippers to Joe’s on Juniper and Einstein’s,” they told Project Q. “We want to protect this safe space. We’re not going to make a rash decision. We’re tired of saying, ‘hey guess what, we’re moving again.’”

MSR first opened in 1996 on East Howard Avenue in Decatur. Daniels and Maguire purchased the bar in 2011, moving it from East Atlanta (where Banshee now resides) to Midtown four years later, before relocating it again in 2018 to its present location on 12th Street for more space. [ProjectQ]

Trendy salad bowl chain Sweetgreen opens at Lenox Square

A location of trendy salad and bowl chain Sweetgreen opens November 9 at Lenox Square, taking over the former ATL Taco space at the Buckhead mall. For every meal sold on November 9, Sweetgreen plans to donate a meal to local food justice organization Umi Feeds. [Official]

The Original Hot Dog Factory opens at Halcyon in Alpharetta

The local hot dog chain, founded by Atlanta entrepreneur and frequent “Real Housewives of Atlanta” guest star Dennis McKinley, is now open next to pizza stall Holmes Slice at Halcyon’s food hall. This location is owned by Izzy and Charity Ramos, who opened an outpost at Marietta Square Market last September. [Official]

Davio’s reopens at Phipps Plaza on November 17

After closing during the height of the pandemic last year and then going radio silent for months, Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse reopens November 17 at Phipps Plaza. The restaurant, known for its pastas, seafood, and prime steaks, will once again serve lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch. [Official]

• My Sister’s Room being torn down to make way for (more) condos [ProjectQ]
• Atlanta’s First OTP Sweetgreen Location Opens Next Spring at Perimeter Center [EATL]
• A Hot Dog Stall Lands at the Halcyon Food Hall in Alpharetta Next Year [EATL]