These are the stories that created a buzz on the metro Atlanta dining scene this week:
•Java Monkey, the Decatur coffee house that closed nine months ago after a fire allegedly started by a former employee, will not reopen, the father of the shop's owner confirmed to Decaturish.
Rickey Hodges Thomas, a 28-year-old Atlanta man, was arrested in East Point on April 1 and charged with arson.
The blaze on Nov. 11, 2018 tore through Java Monkey and also damaged several nearby businesses that share walls with Java Monkey, including Tres Jolie dress shop and the restaurants Noodle and Fresh To Order. All three have since reopened.
The coffee shop had been open for more than 25 years at 425 Church St.
•Social Market & Cafe is slated to open in late fall in the Healey Building in downtown Atlanta, What Now Atlanta reports. The project, which will offer sandwiches, a salads and hot bar, coffee and smoothies, comes from Mahsa S. Kimes, the owner of Cafe Cubism in SunTrust Plaza.
•Twin Smokers BBQ in downtown Atlanta is temporarily closed after a fire. Legacy Ventures Restaurants released a statement regarding the closure:
Two weeks ago, Twin Smokers BBQ suffered from a fire in the ductwork of one of the Twins (our smokers). We hold our smoker approach to a high standard-- Smoking our beef over Texas Mesquite and Post Oak. Our chicken and pork over Hickory and White Oak. We do not want to compromise on the flavor; therefore, the restaurant will be closed for up to 8 weeks for renovations and repairs.
We are sorry for any inconvenience and hope that you will join us for regionally inspired BBQ again in the near future. For updates on our repair progress and reopening, please follow us on social media or check our website.
For now, we’d love to have you visit any of our sister restaurants, conveniently located on this block: Stats Brewpub, Max’s Coal Oven Pizzeria, or Der Biergarten.
•Tasty Crab house is coming to Brookwood Square in Austell, Pizza Legion is slated to open in the Commons at Chastain in Kennesaw and vegetarian restaurant VeGreen at Town Center at Cobb in Kennesaw in early September, Tomorrow's News Today reports.
•Jen and Emily Chan are turning their JenChan's Supper Delivery Club into a brick-and-mortar restaurant, moving into the space recently vacated by Mouth of the South, Eater Atlanta reports. The menu will feature Southern and Asian dishes including black bean spare ribs and ricotta meatballs. JenChan's currently operates out of PREP Atlanta commercial kitchen facility.
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