West Coast Restaurant Bringing Loaded Fries to Downtown Atlanta

Mr. Fries Man brings loaded French fry platters to Downtown

South Los Angeles-based restaurant Mr. Fries Man, specializing in loaded French fry platters, is opening its first Georgia location in downtown Atlanta, the Atlanta Business Chronicle reports. The counter-service restaurant will reside on Decatur Street near Georgia State University and could be one of at least seven franchise locations planned for the metro Atlanta area over the next six months. It’s unclear exactly when the Decatur Street restaurant will open. Founded in 2016 by Craig and Dorothy Batiste in Gardena, California, Mr. Fries Man serves a menu of fries topped with everything from chicken and shrimp to crab, chili, and vegan meat options. There are currently eight locations throughout California, Utah, and Nevada. [ABC]

Cocktail bar Red Phone Booth to open a second Atlanta location in Buckhead

A second location of Downtown cocktail and cigar bar Red Phone Booth is opening on Peachtree Road in the heart of Buckhead, according to What Now Atlanta. Themed after a 1920s speakeasy serving pre-Prohibition and Prohibition-era cocktails and a vast selection of whiskey, bourbon and scotch, people access the bar by dialing a secret code inside an antique red phone booth. Owner Stephen de Haan, who also owns downtown restaurants Amalfi Pizza above the bar and Saito: Sushi, Steak, and Cocktails, says he plans to franchise Red Phone Booth. Four more locations are apparently in the works around the country. A Nashville location opened in 2019 on Rosa Parks Boulevard. Like the Atlanta and Nashville locations, the Buckhead bar will include a humidor filled with cigars and a location of de Haan’s Neapolitan pizza joint Amalfi Pizza. Both should open by June. [WNA]

A second location of Thai restaurant spoon to open in Hapeville

A Hapeville location of Moreland Avenue Thai restaurant Spoon is opening on South Central Avenue, the AJC reports. It’s the second location of the restaurant owned by Sujaree Hewitt and her family. The restaurant was originally located on Marietta Street across from the Georgia Tech campus. The menu should be similar to Spoon’s Ormewood Park location and will feature a covered patio and a separate bar area with its own food menu. [AJC]

• A Neighborhood Breakdown of Atlanta Restaurants Opening in 2021 [EATL]
• Gardena’s Popular Mr. Fries Man Has Big Expansion Plans for Loaded Fries [ELA]
• All Red Phone Booth coverage [EATL]
• A Speakeasy Accessible via Phone Booth Opens Downtown Today [ENASH]