Check out opentable.com and Resy.com for a more comprehensive list of Atlanta-area restaurants open for lunch and dinner on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Christmas Eve-Eve 

The General Muir Christmas Eve Eve (and Eve) Dinners 
Emory/Druid Hills 

The General Muir kicks off the holidays with a “traditional” Chinese Christmas dinner, available Dec. 22 and 23 for dine-in service. The restaurant also offers a special holiday takeout menu.

Christmas Eve 

Aria
Buckhead

Aria will open from 4:30 to 8 p.m. on Dec. 24 serving the regular dinner menu. Reservations encouraged.

Carmel’s Feast of Seven Fishes Dinner
Buckhead 

Celebrate Christmas Eve by partaking in the traditional Italian-American dinner of Feast of the Seven Fishes at Carmel. The multi-course dinner will feature dishes like an Osetra caviar tart, striped bass, and crab-stuffed lobster. $95 per person, with optional drink pairings. Reservations encouraged.

Omakase Table 
Buckhead 

Indulge in Michelin-starred Omakase Table’s 20-course tasting menu for $295 per person on Christmas Eve.

The Southern Gentleman 
Buckhead

From 11:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., The Southern Gentleman will serve both brunch and dinner on Christmas Eve.

Le Colonial 
Buckhead 

Celebrate Christmas Eve at Le Colonial with festive food specials and the regular dinner menu.

MARTA Dining Guide: Doraville/Buford Highway
(Many restaurants on Buford Highway are open on Christmas Eve/Day.)

Your 3rd Spot
Underwood Hills, The Works

From 2-8 p.m. on Christmas Eve, families are welcome at Your 3rd Spot, an arcade-style restaurant, for a day that features a Christmas slide, photos with Santa, holiday craft station, and unlimited game passes for a $25 entry fee. Kids 3 and under, or 70 and older, receive complimentary admission.

Buena Vida Tapas Bar
Old Fourth Ward 

Celebrate Christmas Eve with a Spanish twist. Buena Vida will serve its regular menu, along with a few festive dishes.

Il Premio
Old Fourth Ward 

The Forth Hotel steakhouse will open on Christmas Eve serving its full dinner menu. Reservations encouraged.

Moonlight
Old Fourth Ward 

Head upstairs at the Forth Hotel to Moonlight cocktail bar with its skyline views for a holiday party on Christmas Eve. Reservations encouraged.

Little Bear
Summerhill

Little Bear returns with its annual Jewish Chinese Christmas dinner, taking place on both Christmas Eve AND Christmas Day. Reservations highly encouraged.

The Ashford on Dresden 
Brookhaven 

The Brookhaven restaurant will open for regular service on Christmas Eve.

Joey D’s Oak Room
Dunwoody

Joey D’s will open on Christmas Eve for lunch and early dinner from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The Select
Sandy Springs

Decked out in its holiday finest, The Select will offer a three-course Christmas Eve dinner for $85 per person. There’s also a two-course kids’ menu for $42 per person. Vegan options available by request. Reservations encouraged.

Truth Be Told 
Roswell 

Truth Be Told on Canton Street will serve a festive pre-fixe dinner on Christmas Eve for $115 per person. Reservations required.

CRÚ Wine Bar & Bistro
Alpharetta, The Battery 

The Alpharetta and Battery locations of Cru Wine Bar will offer a Christmas Eve dinner from 4-9 p.m. The holiday menu, features three courses with dishes like lobster bisque, truffle-fondue tortellini, Barolo-braised short rib, and herb-roasted sea bass. Look for desserts, too, including molten chocolate cake and a Christmas crème brûlée. Reservations encouraged.

Cattle Shed Wine & Steak Bar
Alpharetta/Forsyth County

Cattle Shed Wine & Steak Bar at Halcyon will open for Christmas Eve serving a holiday menu, including bacon-wrapped scallops and Beef Wellington. Expect festive cocktails like a gingerbread martini and mistletoe margarita. Reservations encouraged.

Ocean & Acre 
Alpharetta/Forsyth County

The coastal cuisine-inspired restaurant at Halcyon will open on Christmas Even from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. serving its regular lunch and dinner menus.

Marlow’s Tavern
Multiple Locations 

All locations of Marlow’s Tavern will remain open until 8 p.m. on Christmas Eve. Stop by Santa’s Speakeasy at the East Cobb and Woodstock locations for extra festive fun.

Related: Get festive at these holiday pop-up bars around Atlanta

Christmas Day 

The Americano
Buckhead 

The Americano at The InterContinental Buckhead will open from noon to 7 p.m. for a prix-fixe Italian feast on Christmas Day. $100 per person. $50 for children 12 and under. Reservations encouraged.

Gypsy Kitchen 
Buckhead

The Buckhead Village restaurant will open from 4 to 7 p.m. on Christmas Day serving specials like Moroccan-spiced lamb chops with sumac tzatziki, seared scallops with saffron cauliflower purée, and duck breast with Manchego polenta and a port-cherry reduction.

The Waldorf Astoria: Brassica
Buckhead 

The Waldorf Astoria’s restaurant, Brassica, will open on Christmas Day offering a three-course prix-fixe menu from noon to 8 p.m. $180 per person. $95 per child. Reservations required.

The Sparrow
Midtown

The West Peachtree Asian tavern plans to open for lunch and dinner on both Christmas Eve AND Christmas Day.

Marcus Bar & Grille 
Old Fourth Ward 

From 1 to 6:30 p.m. on Christmas Day, Marcus Bar & Grill on Edgewood Avenue will host a Southern-inspired holiday buffet. Reservations encouraged.

Elektra 
Old Fourth Ward 

The Forth Hotel’s Mediterranean restaurant overlooking the rooftop pool will open on Christmas Day featuring holiday food and drink specials. Each reservation includes a s’mores and hot cocoa kit. Reservations encouraged.

Nakato
Cheshire Bridge

Nakato will open for dinner on Christmas Eve (3 to 9 p.m.) AND Christmas Day (1 to 9 p.m.). Reservations for sushi and hibachi highly encouraged on both days.

Holiday Takeout Service

Mary Mac’s Tea Room 
Midtown 

Mary Mac’s on Ponce will offer a family feast for takeout on both Christmas Eve AND Christmas Day, feeding up to 10 people. Dinner features dishes like turkey breast, smoked ham, Southern-style green beans, whipped potatoes, collard greens, sweet potato pie, and banana pudding. Order online.   

Ela
Virginia-Highland

The Fifth Group-backed Mediterranean restaurant offers a take-and-bake holiday feast feeding up to four people. The three-course dinner features dishes like feta-brined chicken, za’atar salmon, butternut squash and halloumi salad, and a mezze board for $120. The meal comes with Greek doughnuts for dessert. Order online.

Staplehouse
Old Fourth Ward

The Michelin-recognized restaurant and market will once again offer holiday meal kits that include Beef Wellington and optional sides like Robuchon potatoes, a kale Caesar, dinner rolls, and pecan pie. Order just the Beef Wellington ($120), or build a feast around the main. Order online to pick up by Dec. 23.

Wood’s Chapel BBQ
Summerhill 

Wood’s Chapel BBQ will offer Christmas catering, featuring rosemary and garlic roast beef, spiral ham, and apricot and maple-glazed duck, along with sides like cornbread dressing and butternut squash casserole, with gingerbread cheesecake for dessert. Check out the menu and order by Dec. 16 here.

Joey D’s Oak Room
Dunwoody

Grab Christmas Day dinner from the Dunwoody classic, including prime rib ($47), sides, the restaurant’s popular croissants with honey butter, and salad. A prime rib with sides costs $239 and feeds up to six people. Order online to pick up on Dec. 24.

The Select
Sandy Springs

The Sandy Springs restaurant will offer a Christmas feast for takeout this year to include Beef Wellington, herbed fingerling potatoes, and green beans, starting at $95 for two people. Order online.

Delbar
Alpharetta, Inman Park, Buckhead 

All locations of Delbar Middle Eastern Restaurant will offer harissa-spiced leg of lamb to reheat at home. The lamb feeds up to seven people. Order here to pick up at location of your choice.

The post Atlanta restaurants offering dine-in and takeout service on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta.

Restaurant Reopening

Five months after closing, the Decatur location of Mellow Mushroom reopened this week – and with a new look. The West Ponce pizzeria received a much-needed exterior and interior refresh, a dedicated to-go entrance and pick-up area, and a revamped patio and bar. Expect a few new items on the menu in Decatur, too, including a couple of salads and cocktails. 

“This location means a lot to Mellow Mushroom, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to return with new energy, reconnect and deliver the best possible guest experience for the neighborhood,” Ahsan Jiva, Executive Vice President of Strategy said in a prepared statement.

Restaurant Openings

Check out this brief roundup of recent restaurant openings and announcements of upcoming restaurants you might have missed in November.

Airport Restaurant Opening

Celebrity pastry chef and TV personality Duff Goldman opened Duff Deli + Market on Concourse C at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Look for egg sandwiches, deli classics like hot pastrami and matzo ball soup, and baked goods such as Duff’s black and white cookies.

Restaurant Closures

Right on the heels of the announcement that Daddy D’z BBQ would close on Memorial Drive at the end of December, the owners of Agave in neighboring Cabbagetown announced they will close the Southwestern restaurant on Jan. 31, 2026. Daddy D’z and Agave have been part of the Memorial Drive and Boulevard corridors for 35 years and 25 years, respectively. While the owner of Daddy D’z property plans to sell, Agave’s owners cited the “current economic climate and unsustainable conditions” as reasons for their decision to close. Learn more about the history of Agave and the Cabbagetown restaurant’s building from Victoria Lemos of Archive Atlanta. 

Tomorrow’s News Today reports that the Beltline location of One Flew South closed at the end of November. Calls by Rough Draft to the restaurant went unanswered, the location appeared dark on a recent visit, and the Beltline location is no longer listed on One Flew South’s website or social media. The original location remains open on Concourse E at Hartsfield. Backed by Jackmont Hospitality, One Flew South opened in the former Hazel Jane’s wine bar space on the Eastside Trail three years ago. 

Coming Attractions

A Midtown location of Korean bakery-cafe White Windmill will open at 1331 Spring St. inside the Midtown Union building. White Windmill recently opened its first in-town location at Uptown Atlanta near the Lindbergh MARTA station. 

The owners of New York City bar Dead Rabbit plan to open The Irish Exit next year at Centennial Yards in South Downtown. Expect a drinks menu centered around Irish and local beers, whiskey, and cocktails, along with Irish pub food. The Irish Exit will join Wild Leap Brewery and Distillery, Khao Thai Isan, and Shake Shack at Centennial Yards. Check out Rough Draft for the latest restaurant and development news happening in South Downtown.

ATL Chef’s First Cookbook

Lazy Betty co-owner and chef Ron Hsu will debut his first cookbook in March. Called Down South + East: A Chinese American Cookbook, Hsu will share recipes for dishes he cooks at home, as well as those inspired by his Chinese-American upbringing in metro Atlanta. The cookbook will include a forward written by Hsu’s mentor and former Le Bernardin employer, Chef Eric Ripert. 

Hsu and restaurant partner and chef Aaron Phillip first opened Lazy Betty six years ago in Candler Park. The chefs relocated the tasting menu restaurant to the former Empire State South space in Midtown last year. Since opening in 2019, Lazy Betty has racked up numerous accolades, including one star from Michelin in its 2023, 2024, and 2025 dining guides. 

Merger

STHRN Hospitality Co., the group behind Westside Motor Lounge, partnered with the owners of Atlanta institution Midtown Bowl. STHRN plans to help the 65-year-old bowling alley on Piedmont Circle attract new patrons by giving it a brand makeover, including to its food, drinks, and events, and upgrades to the kitchen and sound system. 

RIP

Floyd “Sonny” Tillman, the founder of Sonny’s BBQ, has died. Tillman, who opened Sonny’s BBQ in 1968 in Gainesville, FL, was 96. Georgia features 14 locations of Sonny’s BBQ, including in Marietta, Buford, Jonesboro, and Lawrenceville. 

Santa Loves the Dogs

Skiptown Bar & [Dog] Park in Kirkwood will celebrate the holidays with a series of festive events this month. Look for a Howliday Market on Dec. 13 and a photoshoot with Santa and the Grinch on Dec. 20. 

ICYMI

From Atlanta to Alpharetta to Marietta, we’ve compiled a list of more than 30 holiday-themed restaurants and pop-up bars decked in good cheer, serving festive cocktails, dishes, and desserts from now until the New Year.

The post Dec. 11 Quick Bites: big restaurant closures, Mellow Mushroom’s return to Decatur, new Irish bar in South Downtown appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta.

Three longtime Atlanta restaurants, Daddy D’z BBQ Joynt, Agave, and JavaVino will close within the next two months. The owners of all there businesses cited industry challenges, such as a reduced customer base and higher ingredient costs, as motivations for the decision to call it quits.

Daddy D’z, located at Memorial Drive and Hill Street, will cease operations after service on Dec. 31. The 35-year-old restaurant is considered an Atlanta classic, and was featured on Food Network’s “Sauced”. Owner Christianah Coker-Jackson told WSB-TV that the landlord is selling the building, but that she hopes to re-open Daddy D’z in another location. 

Less than a week later – and just a few blocks away in Cabbagetown – the owners of Agave announced plans to close the Southwestern restaurant at the end of January. Agave, which opened in 2000 on Boulevard, launched a GoFundMe fundraiser for the restaurant’s affected employees. 

Then, over in Poncey-Highland, the owners of JavaVino announced the Dec. 14 closure of the coffee and wine bar after nearly 22 years on North Highland. Unlike Agave and Daddy D’z, however, JavaVino won’t go completely dark. Instead, it will shift to a wholesale coffee business, something co-owner Heddy Kuhl sees as a positive development.

In addition to serving as a cafe and wine bar, JavaVino roasts coffee for local restaurants, along with “green,” unroasted beans for regional roasters. 

“[This] will actually help us get our family’s coffee and farmer-direct coffee into more hands,” Kuhl said of pivoting to wholesale. “We want to travel to coffee farms and build further relationships with farmers and roast and distribute the coffee.”

“We’re getting older and we want to focus on what’s most important. We decided that this was the best path for our family,” she added. 

The roasting facility in Stone Mountain will remain intact, and JavaVino patrons can still purchase its coffee at the Grant Park Farmers Market and local shops such as Candler Park Market. 

JavaVino loyalty program members will be able to transition the cafe’s physical stars into online credit. Kuhl compiled an FAQ page on JavaVino’s website for customers with further questions. 

Kuhl and co-owner Steve Franklin are currently finalizing the sale of the North Highland space with a new owner who plans to open a similar cafe called At Arbeta. It, too, will serve JavaVino coffee.

“[The new owner] reminds me of us when we were coming up with the idea [for JavaVino] and the enthusiasm behind it,” Kuhl said. “I think there was a lot of good energy between us and the buyer, and it worked out pretty nicely.”

“We’re replacing ourselves in the community with somebody that we trust [and who] is a good fit for the community,” she continued. 

JavaVino will close after service on Dec. 14. Look for a story with more details on the plans for At Arbeta in Poncey-Highland on Rough Draft soon.

The post JavaVino Coffee & Wine House closing Dec. 14, becoming wholesale coffee business appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta.

This week, we’re sharing The Daily’s recipe for its oatmeal cream pies with an added holiday twist.

“This is my recipe for oatmeal cream pies. I loved Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pies as a kid,” said Natalie Howells, The Daily’s pastry chef and bakery manager.

“It was always a treat when we could get them at the store. As I grew up, I thought
that there had to be a way to recreate that great combo without all the extra [preservatives],” she explained of her recipe inspiration.

In addition to an entirely pronounceable ingredient list, Howells’ take on oatmeal cream pies includes cream cheese and ginger in the filling for a taste that’s balanced and sophisticated, yet nostalgic.

It’s especially important that the dairy products in this recipe are mixed in at room temperature. Otherwise, the texture of the cookies will be completely off.

“Butter should be barely soft, not melty. It should not look shiny or oily,” Howells said. “For the eggs, I typically pull them out 20 to 30 minutes prior to mixing. You can also crack them and have them in a bowl to help warm up quicker.”

If the mixed batter or filling are refrigerated or frozen, those will need to come to room temperature before proceeding.

More recipes from the Rough Draft archives

Cookie ingredients

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup dark brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1.5 Tbsp vanilla
• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 1/4 cups rolled oats

Filling ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla paste
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup candied ginger pieces (optional)

Note: if your powdered sugar seems lumpy or chunky, sift before adding.

Mix the batter

1. Using the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy.
2. Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla, and continue mixing. Scrape the side of the bowl well.
3. Add all dry cookie ingredients except oats.
4. Mix on speed 2 for 3 to 4 minutes, then lower speed to 1, and incorporate oats.
5. Make sure that there are no butter pockets at the bottom of the bowl — if so, mix by hand to get everything incorporated.
6. Using a tablespoon-sized cookie scoop, scoop the dough onto parchment-lined sheet pans, about 6 to 8 per pan.
7. Chill for at least 20 minutes. (See tips for freezing instructions)

Bake the cookies

1. Preheat the oven to 375 Fahrenheit.
2. Place cookies in the middle of the rack in the middle of the oven. Bake for 4 minutes, then rotate pans, giving them a gentle tap on the counter to help the cookies spread out a little if needed.
3. Bake for an additional 4 to 5 minutes, or until the edges are just turning golden brown.
4. Let cool completely before filling.

Make the filling

1. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and cream cheese on high until almost completely white, fluffy, and smooth.
2. Add in vanilla and salt. Turn the mixer down to low and slowly add powdered sugar.
3. Once all sugar is in, and you can’t see individual granules, turn the mixer back up to medium-high and mix until white, light and smooth.
4. If using the candied ginger pieces, they would be folded in at this point.

Note: Keep an eye on the filling while mixing, as it can go from light and fluffy to soupy quite quickly. If that happens, remove filling from mixer and chill in a covered bowl until solid. If you are not using the filling that day, it can be made ahead of time and stored in your refrigerator covered for up to one week, or up to two months in the freezer. Let the filling come up to room temperature before rewhipping prior to piping into cookies.

Fill the cookies

1. Pair up your cookies, then flip one of each over.
2. Using a piping bag with an open tip, pipe a generous amount of filling into the center of the cookies that are flipped over.
3. Top with the remaining cookies, pressing down gently to push the filling to the
   edges of the cookie sandwich.
4. These cookies can be stored at room temperature for up to one day, or covered in the refrigerator for up to five days. If refrigerating, let come up to room temperature before serving.

The post Recipe: The Daily’s oatmeal cream pies appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta.

Despite being hard hit this year by higher ingredient prices, tariffs, labor challenges, and rent hikes, more Atlanta bars and restaurants than ever before are getting into the holiday makeover spirit in December. For many bars and restaurants, operating a holiday pop-up is simply a continuation, and an unstoppable acceleration of, what’s become an annual tradition. 

In Inman Park, the owners of Amore e Amore (formerly Il Localino) found themselves carried away by the Italian restaurant’s campy decor during the holidays. 

“It started with the hats. It was Sinatra’s birthday [Dec. 12], and I thought we should play Sinatra all week,” Amore e Amore co-owner “Mama” Gale Parker said. “I went to the party store looking for inexpensive fedoras for the staff, and within two songs, customers [at the restaurant] had taken the hats and started wearing them.” 

During a trip to Las Vegas, a ceiling installation of roses in a hot air balloon caught Parker’s eye. Struck by people’s positive reactions to the design, Parker contemplated how to bring a similar experience to Amore e Amore. 

A curious hanging chair in the corner of the dining room meant to hide a bump on the ceiling sparked an aha! moment for Parker, who soon began hanging other things around the dining room. It didn’t take long for it to erupt into a full-scale explosion of decorations.

Walking into Amore e Amore during the holiday season, you enter a dining room bursting at the seams with festive decor. (Think an eclectic collection of lights and ornaments hanging from the rafters, tinsel festooning a tree at the entrance, and endless tchotchkes nestled into nooks.) 

Related: Get festive at these holiday pop-ups around ATL

For S.O.S. Tiki Bar in Decatur, one of the first local bars to go overboard with a holiday makeover back in 2017, the choice to do a pop-up was intentional. It coaxed people in the door for drinks on cold nights in December. 

The Decatur bar’s “Mele Kalikimaka Tiki Holiday” theme was a natural fit. Here, tropical kitsch, vintage decorations, and novelties like the “shot train” that chugs around the bar provide the necessary atmosphere. A soundtrack ranging from punk surf rock holiday tunes to Bing Crosby classics sets the mood at the basement bar.   

Marietta Melt Yard’s holiday makeover journey began in 2023 with the bar van in the dining room. Having recently watched “Home Alone,” co-owner Justin Wilfon was struck by how much the restaurant’s van looked like the one in the movie. The holiday pop-up’s initial design started with cut-outs of the burglars. Today, the pop-up features paint cans in the ceiling, Buzz McCallister’s bookshelf, Duncan’s Toy Chest, and elements of other beloved holiday movies.

Going hard for the holidays isn’t cheap. Wilfon said he spent roughly $2,500 for materials in 2023. He spends a little more each year to make the Home Alone pop-up “bigger and better.”

Parker admitted she spends “more than a normal person would” on holiday decorations for Amore e Amore. At one point, she had seven storage units stuffed with decorations for themed months at the Inman Park restaurant. 

Ian Jones of Victory Brands, the restaurant group behind S.O.S. Tiki Bar, said decorations, glassware, and custom-made items used to do up the Decatur bar for the holidays occupy most of a 20-foot shipping container. He’s lost count of how much he’s spent over the years on decor for the pop-up.

Jones, Wilfon, and Parker said that part of the fun of operating a holiday pop-up is procuring unique pieces to put on display. Amazon is a treasure trove, but thrift stores, antique and consignment shops, and estate sales are on regular rotation when scouting for decorations during the year.

“The coolest stuff are the handmade props we have from artists we found on Etsy, along with a local set-builder,” Wilfon said.

Even professional designers hired by restaurants, many of whom source from “trusted wholesalers and large-scale commercial decor vendors,” seek out custom-made items, or craft and paint decorations themselves, said Lauren Reeves of The Spirit Exchange. 

Reeves is the designer behind the Santa’s Speakeasy pop-ups this year at the East Cobb and Woodstock locations of Marlow’s Tavern.

“The first year is always an investment [in decorations]; after that, it becomes more of a spend on the actual labor,” Reeves said of the costs. Part of that investment includes manpower. 

“There’s no shame in recognizing that there are others out there who have the skills and resources to succeed in a way we wouldn’t if we did it on our own,” said Rye Restaurants partner Jennifer Johnson. 

For 2025, Rye Restaurants debuted an “Elf” movie-themed pop-up at Wood’s Chapel BBQ in Summerhill. The group tapped Brans House Design Studio to come up with a theme and decorate the restaurant. This allowed Johnson and her Wood’s Chapel staff to concentrate on food and drinks for the holiday pop-up, including novelty foods like candy corn-bread with maple syrup. 

The festive decorations decking out Amore e Amore takes Parker’s staff two weeks to install. Employees first tackle taking down the previous theme in the dining room, putting in the hours for extra pay, and for the fun of it. 

S.O.S. Tiki Bar’s staff start decorating for Tiki Holiday a week before Thanksgiving.

“Between [the labor involved] and coming up with the food and beverage menu, and designing and ordering all of the merch, it’s wild how much time we put in, compared to less than 25 actual nights of business,” Jones said. “It’s an army of people contributing, but we love it, and always do!”

Marietta Melt Yard took a one-fell-swoop approach to decorating for December this year, closing after Halloween for a week to transform the restaurant’s viral “Ghostbusters” theme into Home Alone.

The temporary closures and the costs and labor involved in holiday pop-up makeovers seem worth the hassle, however, even as restaurants and bars prepare for the busiest dining season of the year.

“It’s not easy to get the word out about your restaurant,” Johnson said of choosing to launch the Elf pop-up at Wood’s Chapel. “The city is saturated with restaurants, and we want to stand out and invite people to check out Summerhill.”

Jones said Tiki Holiday increases business exponentially during December, with people lingering longer at the Decatur bar and ordering multiple rounds to see the different garnishes and interactive presentations from the bartenders. Despite the fun he and his staff have putting on Tiki Holiday, the added expenses involved don’t translate into an instant windfall.

Now in its eighth year, and with most of its decor set, Jones has learned to keep a sharp eye on the extra costs associated with Tiki Holiday’s themed cocktails, including buying smokers, glassware, more garnishes, and special spirits and ingredients not normally stocked behind the bar. 

“It’s been an incredibly challenging time for the hospitality industry, and my heart goes out to everyone,” Parker said of why she keeps Amore e Amore’s holiday pop-up going. “We’ve all been struggling, and the answer has always been to work smarter, to find a way, and to build something that people will remember.”

The post A behind-the-scenes look at how Atlanta restaurants make holiday pop-up magic happen appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta.