Venerable local pizza chain Fellini's is one of the latest restaurant groups to temporarily close its doors in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Prior to closing on April 2, all seven Fellini's locations were offering takeout service with curbside pickup.
The restaurant group’s sister chain, La Fonda Latina, has closed as well. The group includes five of the Latin American restaurant locations throughout the Atlanta area.
Another landmark Atlanta restaurant, The Vortex, has closed both its Little Five Points and Midtown locations. The group’s Mexican restaurant, Bone Garden Cantina, remains open in West Midtown with a special takeout menu.
Bone Garden is doing brisk takeout business as evidenced by a recent call to the restaurant. “It gets pretty crazy from 6 p.m. until close,” said one of the restaurant’s managers. “We can barely keep up with the calls.”
Even though Bone Garden's takeout business has been busy, the restaurant isn't able to cover all of its costs at the moment, a representative for the restaurant group said. "We are trying to hang in there to keep some staff employed and help offer a variety of food options in the city," said the representative. The restaurant is also hosting a GoFundMe page for its employees.
More news from the week:
Hope Springs Distillery, Georgia's first distillery to produce absinthe, is converting its facility to manufacture hand sanitizer. The Lilburn-based business has already donated 30 bottles to the local police department and is selling its hand sanitizer at nearby restaurant 1910 Public House and at its tasting room. Customers can purchase up to four 8-ounce bottles of hand sanitizer for $7 each, or get a free bottle with any spirits purchase. For more information, visit the distillery's website.
Boxcar at Hop City West End will host a popup grocery shop this Saturday, transforming for a day into Carson’s Butcher Shop and Soraya’s Produce Stand. Chef Brian Carson will be butchering a whole hog from Stone Mountain Cattle Co., and the restaurant will be selling additional cuts of meat and fresh produce from local farms. Additionally, Hop City will be open for sales of wine, liquor and beer, including a variety of growler choices.
A coalition of Atlanta food media influencers is raising money for the Giving Kitchen. Coordinated by the Emmy-winning local TV show Atlanta Eats, the effort brings together personalities such as the show's co-hosts Steak Shapiro, Mara Davis and Julie Smith, reality star Mark Cuevas from Love is Blind, Alyssa Faigen of ATL Bucketlist, Olivia Arnold of Foodista Girl, Candy Hom of SoupBelly ATL and more. Together, the coalition is encouraging its followers to donate to a GoFundMe page that will benefit the Giving Kitchen. Read more and donate at the GoFundMe page.
Chai Pani has halted its takeout service due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Decatur restaurant was Chai Pani Restaurant Group's only operational property remaining in metro Atlanta, which also includes two Botiwalla locations. The setback comes just weeks after the restaurant closed for a week to refresh its decor and menu before reopening for Holi, the traditional Hindu spring festival.
As restaurants close or suffer serious declines in business, the network of vendors and suppliers that supports them is feeling the pinch, too. For a deep dive into the economic ripple effects of the coronavirus pandemic, read more here.
What's it like to visit farmers markets in Atlanta right now? The AJC visited two local farmers markets to gauge the safety and utility of the experience. Read more here.
A Schlotzky's location in Alpharetta is offering free family dinners tonight from 5-7 p.m. The four-person family meals from Schlotzky's on Old Milton Parkway will include a pepperoni pizza, cheese pizza and garden salad with vinaigrette dressing. For more information, visit the Schlotzky's website.
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