Popular Atlanta restaurant Che Butter Jonez opened in LaVista Park this week.
Owners and husband and wife Malik Rhasaan and Detric Fox-Quinlan announced in July that they’d be opening a new location. At the time, they thought they might also keep their original Cleveland Avenue location open.
But it soon became clear that staying in southwest Atlanta would be too difficult, Rhasaan and Fox-Quinlan said.
“That was our first brick-and-mortar … it was hard for him to let it go,” Fox-Quinlan said of the restaurant, which opened in 2021. “But there were just so many things that were working against us in that spot.”
They closed the location at the end of August and spent September renovating the new eatery at 1602 Lavista Road NE in the former Coffee Bar Atlanta space.
The interior of the 2,954-square-foot restaurant is decked out with large garage-style windows that can be rolled up to let in fresh air, a stage at the front, a small patio, a bar and about three times the amount of seating as Cleveland Avenue, Fox-Quinlan said.
Credit: Olivia Wakim
Credit: Olivia Wakim
The extra space and refrigeration capabilities mean Rhasaan can grow the staff beyond just himself and his wife, expand the menu, extend the restaurant’s hours and hold more events and pop-ups.
In the coming weeks, they also plan to turn the back of the shop into a grocery store, something Rhasaan said he wanted to do even before he considered owning a restaurant. They’ll carry local products and grocery items like eggs, cheese, Rhasaan’s housemade sauces and soups.
The rest of the menu will feature many of Che Butter Jonez’ popular dishes including the lamb burger, fish and spaghetti, Brussels sprouts, the Kale Bella salad, housemade pastrami and their new chimichurri burger with Gouda, chimichurri, aji verde and fried onions. Dishes that were occasional specials at Cleveland Avenue will also become more permanent fixtures, Rhasaan said.
Credit: Olivia Wakim
Credit: Olivia Wakim
Diners can soon expect to see the return of taco Tuesdays, a shareable Sunday brunch and beer and wine selections. Che Butter Jonez will also offer bagels and pastries from Alon’s Bakery and cheesecakes from iBake Delights.
“I just want to incorporate a few of my favorite things,” said Rhasaan, who first started Che Butter Jonez as a food truck with Fox-Quinlan in 2018.
Che Butter Jonez is open this week 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays. Keep up with their weekly hours of operation at instagram.com/chebutterjonez.
1602 Lavista Road NE, Atlanta. 404-919-4061, chebutterjonez.com
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