We reported earlier this month that the Colonnade Restaurant was planning to reopen July 31 after an extended hiatus. The restaurant, an Atlanta institution for nearly 100 years, earlier today reconfirmed the planned reopening and also provided some updates on the operation and safety procedures.
"We are excited to get back to work frying chicken! We have been preparing for our reopening. The restaurant has been sanitized, we have moved tables around, including putting some in the banquet room for seating. Sanitizers have been installed throughout the building. We will have single use paper menus. There are 6 spaces designated for curbside pickup 404-874-5642. We regret to inform everyone that due to rising food costs we will no longer offer the Early Bird Special. Hope to see everyone at The Nade!"
The restaurant also updated its hours:
Monday: CLOSED
Tuesday: CLOSED
Wednesday: 5PM-9PM
Thursday: 5PM - 9PM
Friday: 5PM - 9PM
Saturday: 5PM - 9PM
Sunday: 12PM - 8PM
While the elimination of the "Early Bird Menu" will no doubt be an unwelcome development for many patrons, it was seemingly a necessary evil to keep the business afloat. The elimination of Saturday lunch service (a popular early bird mealtime) is more puzzling and makes little sense when you consider that the restaurant has now completely eliminated Monday and Tuesday service.
The announcement suggests that there will be dedicated curbside pickup parking spaces, but does not shed light on whether the restaurant will make its food available on third-party delivery platforms such as Uber Eats and DoorDash.
In other neighborhood news, a claim that the TARA Theater at the corner of Cheshire Bridge Road and LaVista Road had closed for good is not true. Like basically all movie theaters around the country, TARA and others owned by Regal Cinemas, AMC and more, remain closed as they navigate a reopening in wake of renewed COVID-19 fears and increases in cases.
Are you excited for the reopening of The Colonnade? What is your favorite menu item at The Colonnade? Do you plan to visit the Colonnade this week?
Please share your thoughts below.