Lindridge-Martin Manor is getting a version of Giovanni Di Palma’s Little Italia starting with HK Pizzeria, at 2297 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE — at least, that’s Owner Henoke Kebede’s vision for a group of neighboring buildings the entrepreneur owns along Cheshire Bridge.
Like Little Italia in West Midtown, which offers several eateries owned by Di Palma and flanked by a shared courtyard, Kebede is in the process of revitalizing several adjacent properties with plans to bring in restaurant tenants that will complement one another.
HK Pizzeria, which replaces European Dry Cleaning in one of Kebede’s buildings, would be the first to open, likely in July 2022, Kebede told What Now Atlanta in a telephone interview Wednesday. The pizzeria is currently in permitting with the City of Atlanta and would be owned and operated by Kebede. HK Pizzeria gets its name from Kebede’s initials.
Kebede’s building that once housed Ace Hardware, at 2301 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE, could be converted into a restaurant space if all goes according to plan. Kebede will soon submit paperwork to the City to get the former hardware store zoned for restaurant use with the hope of securing a steakhouse tenant there.
Kebede also owns the adjacent Landmark Diner building which is included as part of the entrepreneur’s “Little Italia” vision. D & H Diner is set to open in that space as first reported by What Now Atlanta last year.
Kebede said the plan is to “beautify” Cheshire Bridge Road. “The HK Pizzeria building will remain as-is on the exterior for the most part,” he said. “We’re going to gut and remodel the interior and create a glass storefront that opens up for an indoor, outdoor feeling. You’ll be able to see the pizza ovens from the street. Overall, we’re going for a modern classic, drive-up look.”
As for the Ace Hardware space, while Kebede said there is interest from several restaurateurs, that project is still very early in the planning stages.
