Dorian Gray Closes After Just Five Months in Buckhead

Dorian Gray, the Buckhead restaurant named for the hedonistic main character from Oscar Wilde’s novel “A Picture of Dorian Gray”, suddenly closed last week after just five months.

Opened by Bo Kvrgic and Nemanja Filipovic in December, Dorian Gray took over the former Yebo Beach Haus space, transforming it into a see-and-be-seen vibe with food and drinks channeling the south of France and coastal European cities all soundtracked by house music. Yebo Beach Haus relocated in 2020 a half mile northeast to Andrews Square, taking over the former Bar Americano and Bar Crema spaces at the East Andrews Drive complex.

Eater received two anonymous tips indicating Dorian Gray closed without notice Monday, May 15. One tip states that the restaurant’s employees recently walked out due to “nonpayment of wages.” A handful of reviews left by patrons of Dorian Gray on Yelp and Google over the last three weeks also cite staffing issues at the restaurant.

“Dorian Gray has permanently closed due to reported mismanagement by the previous owners listed on the website, Nemanja Filipovic and Bo Kvrgic,” a statement provided to Eater by a representative speaking on behalf of the restaurant claims. “The new owners have paid all previous employees in full. A new concept will open in the space in the coming weeks.”

One of those new owners is Janina Cambrice, the representative says. It’s unclear who the other owners are in the new restaurant with Cambrice, but the representative says they are “former associates” of Kvrgic and Filipovic in Dorian Gray, including Cambrice, and are no longer affiliated with the pair.

When reached for comment, Filipovic denied the allegations of mismanagement presented in the statement above, and of him not paying employees, calling it all ”absolutely false”. He claims the closure came down to “irreconcilable differences between partners from the day of opening,” and differences in the “vision” for the restaurant, and “a lot of disagreements with [the] new property owner [landlord], who purchased the property in December last year.”

Eater has yet to confirm whether the Dorian Gray employees were actually paid and is working to clarify this information.

Further reporting by the AJC states that Cambrice and her business partners plan to open a “sweet neighborhood restaurant with a high-quality concept” there and Dorian Gray chef Christian Evans is returning to lead the kitchen.

Yebo Beach Haus

Update, May 22, 8:00 p.m.: This story has been updated with new information regarding the new restaurant and chef and with an official statement from Nemanja Filipovic on the closure of Dorian Gray.

111 West Paces Ferry Road, Atlanta.