Georgia’s first location of Hawkers Asian Street Fare opened in Old Fourth Ward’s SPX Alley in 2019. Located at 661 Auburn Ave NE in suite #180, the restaurant has been temporarily closed since July due to a grease fire that happened then. Fortunately, no one was hurt in the fire, but it did cause some unforeseen mechanical maintenance.
Due to the very high temperatures that woks at Hawkers reach, a lot of additional heat was created throughout the 4,535-square-foot Atlanta location, making it just a little uncomfortable for guests and team members. In order to combat the wok heat, the restaurant needed a specifically designed state-of-the-art HVAC system in place.
After consulting with several mechanical engineers and experts, they found that the necessary maintenance needed to bring the HVAC system back up to essential levels required a much deeper renovation process than was originally advised. As a result, Hawkers made the difficult decision to temporarily close their doors to give engineers and construction partners the time and space to resolve the HVAC complication once and for all.
Now, fans of Asian fare can anticipate getting their Hawkers fill in the new year as the brand is expected to reopen in February 2022 at the same location.
“Our mechanical engineers have projected a fully renovated and resolved HVAC system by February 2022, when we will reopen our doors with a full menu and the complete Hawkers experience that all of you deserve,” the brand said in a statement at the time. “We cannot wait to be cooking mad roti, rice, and noods in Atlanta in just a few months!”
In an email to What Now Atlanta, Esther McIlvain, Communications Director for the brand said that as of now no changes have been made to the reopening timeline of the Hawkers BeltLine location. “However that is subject to change pending any supply chain delays as we make renovation and mechanical changes within the space,” she said. “We will host a grand reopening once we have a finalized date versus a date range for the opening.”
Hawkers has big love for the City of Atlanta and thanks to the good food, drinks, and vibe that it offers, Atlanta has shown love right back.
“Before opening our first location in Georgia, we fell in love with the Atlanta culinary scene through our participation in the iconic Taste of Atlanta festival,” a statement on the brand’s website reads, “and our love for the ATL has only grown deeper since joining the Old Fourth Ward family.”
Hawkers serves “from-scratch” small plates, craft cocktails, local beer, wine, and sake. Rice and curry dishes, noodles such as the fire Yaki Udon and Beef Haw Fun, noodle soups, and sweets are also on the menu.
Outside of Atlanta, the brand also has locations in Texas, Maryland, Tennessee, North Carolina, and its home state of Florida. A location is in the works for Arlington, Virginia.
Hawkers is currently exploring a second location within the Atlanta area, but according to McIlvain, nothing has been set in stone or solidified yet.
