Jinya Ramen Bar is nearing the opening of its planned Alpharetta and Poncey-Highland restaurants.
William Chen, the managing partner of the Jinya Atlanta team, provided an update on the company’s forthcoming outposts in a telephone interview with What Now Atlanta Monday.
Chen and his team own the franchising rights to most of Atlanta for the Los Angeles-based ramen eatery and currently operate Jinya restaurants in Buckhead and Sandy Springs.
The newest local Jinya will open in late-August, early-September in Alpharetta City Center, at 401 S. Broad Street (pictured above).
At 3,400 square feet, and with a separate bar and dining room, the Alpharetta City Center location will be the largest of the four Jinya restaurants, according to Chen.
In Poncey-Highland, Chen and his team are in permitting to open in the Plaza on Ponce development, at 676 North Highland Avenue.
The restaurant will occupy Suite 3-ABC adjacent San Fransisco Coffee, a combination of three previous tenant spaces.
Assuming the permits are approved by the City of Atlanta “in a week or so,” the Poncey-Highland Jinya will open late-November, early-December “just in time for cold weather.”
Both locations will look and feel similar to the existing outposts but updated.
“Jinya corporate has gone further into detail with the restaurant’s design creating a more trendy, contemporary look,” Chen said.
Chen and his team could open as many as eight locations in total for the greater metro Atlanta area.
Gwinett, Marietta, and Kennesaw are currently being scouted but leases in those areas have not yet been secured.
You can bet on Jinya skipping over food halls, however.
“We’re not looking at being a part of any food halls,” Chen said.
“Jinya thrives as a dine-in experience. It’s tough to do that in a food hall environment.”
One Response
“Jinya thrives as a dine-in experience. It’s tough to do that in a food hall environment.”
What, it’s hard to thrive as a dine-in experience in a food hall environment? Well, have you ever considered that Jinya might thrive as a different type of experience? Especially considering that the wait staff is always the worst part of any visit to Jinya for me. I’d much prefer true Japanese style, with just a ticket machine to order and cooks to fix and hand over the ramen. That being said, Jinya is worth the hassle either way, especially their AMAZING spicy miso ramen. God, I’m salivating just thinking about it.