Quick Bites: 2 Chainz plans a tapas lounge, Jamba Juice’s Atlanta takeover, and more

Food news round-up


? Inman Park Restaurant Week 2015 runs from Monday, Sept. 21 through Sunday, Sept. 27. Now in its sixth consecutive year, the food fest includes 14 of the top restaurants in Inman Park. With many of the restaurants located right off of the Atlanta BeltLine Eastside Trail, patrons can seamlessly walk or bike to any of the eateries, as well as dine with a view of the trail.
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? Craft Izakaya partner and general manager Richard Tang is opening Char Korean Bar and Grill in the Inman Quarter apartments this fall, according to Eater Atlanta. Char will serve classic Korean fare such as bo ssam, sea snail, and spicy noodles, along with other Korean barbecue staples, including kimchi-pork belly fried rice, and sweet potato tempura. Craft Izakaya chef Jey Oh is consulting on the food.
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? Sandeep Kothary, the restaurateur behind Tabla in Midtown, is planning a yet-to-be-named Inman Park restaurant in the 870 Inman condominium complex (870 Inman Village Parkway N.E.). Kothary’s resto will occupy the front portion of the space, a 3,771-square-foot area facing Highland Avenue with a nearly 1,000-square-foot patio, and will feature “modern American cuisine with Indian influences.”
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? The search-and-sip crowd has a new option around Centennial Olympic Park. What Now Atlanta reports that a Starbucks shop should open by the end of this year inside of the Embassy Suites Hotel at 267 Marietta Street.
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? Jamba Juice is juicing up its Atlanta presence with six new planned locations. The California-based smoothie and juice joint, which currently has two Atlanta locations, is working with local franchisee Aimee Peterson and plans to open two new Jamba Juice smoothie shops this year at 4279 Roswell Road and 2074 North Decatur Road. Four additional locations are planned for metro area, according to What Now Atlanta.
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? Lucky’s Market, a Colorado-based organic grocer that bills itself as “organic for the 99 percent,” is shopping Metro Atlanta for new locations, according to the Atlanta Business Chronicle. Lucky’s focuses on affordable, organic, local food options with stores that average 18,000 to 40,000 square feet. Presently, there is only a planned store in Savannah on the website, but Lucky’s has a big interest in the metro area with possibility of three stores in the next 12 to 18 months in locations such as West Midtown, Inman Park or O4W.
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? If you say the name three times, will a wooden sail craft appear? Atlanta Magazine http://www.atlantamagazine.com/dining-news/ford-frys-optimist-spinoff-to-be-called-beetlecat-opening-in-november/” rel=”external”>is reporting that the name of uber chef and restaurateur Ford Fry’s newest Atlanta resto is Beetlecat. Named after the small wooden sailboats popular in New England, Fry’s Inman Park restaurant, often referred to as the Optimist’s little sister, is slated to open in November in the Inman Quarter Apartments. Andrew Isabella, formerly of Fry’s No. 246, will be the top toque. Beetlecat’s menu seems to be small plate-focused with lots and lots of oysters. The two-story space will feature a larger wood-burning oven and patio than the Optimist along with a DJ spinning vinyl.
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? Rapper’s delight? What Now Atlanta notes that Atlanta-native rapper 2 Chainz and a partner are planning to open Escobar Lounge at 327 Peters Street SW in the Castleberry Hill neighborhood. The tapas bar, slated to open in November, is a partnership between the owner of Hookah Hideaway, Mychel “Scoop” Dillard, and the Grammy-nominated rapper.
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? Rumor mongering: Industry insiders tell me that not only is former Optimist top toque and partner Adam Evans not leaving town, he is likely to end up at Jonathan Waxman’s project inside Ponce City Market. Developing.