A pop-up series that started in September 2020 at Pratt Pullman District is being turned into a restaurant. The creative concept will not only serve original cuisine, but also serve as an incubator for chefs and aspiring restaurateurs.
Tentatively called Chefs Market or Chefs Market at Building 7, the Atlanta Business Chronicle reports that the restaurant is expected to debut in March 2022. Adam Rosenfelt, principle at Pratt Pullman developer Atomic Entertainment LLC, shared that the forthcoming Chefs Market will allow chefs to take over the restaurant’s kitchen for a limited time and serve their own cuisine.
Alongside rotating dishes from chefs, the restaurant will also have its own permanent staff and menu. It will be overseen by Atomic Project Manager Kate Giroux. The hiring of an executive chef to lead the kitchen is being considered.
Chefs Market will be housed in Building 7, one of the historic structures at the northwest corner of the District, along Rogers Street in Kirkwood. The space was originally going to be home to a restaurant from 8 Arm owners Nhan Le and Skip Engelbrecht and artist George Long. Titled Bellsmouth, the concept was announced in November 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic. In the two years since then, however, both parties moved on and eventually parted ways amicably.
Chefs Market will feature outdoor seating that seamlessly blends into the Historic Rail Park at Pullman Yard. Guests will be able to take in live music that is often hosted in the park on weekends.
According to Rosenfelt, the idea to open a brick-and-mortar restaurant was inspired by the diversity among participants of the chefs market pop-up series. Over 75% of the chefs were minorities or women and the opening of the restaurant is intended to give opportunities to those who are underrepresented in the hospitality industry.
The diversity among chefs market tenants served as inspiration for the full-service restaurant, Rosenfelt said. More than 75% of the chefs were minorities or women, and opening the brick-and-mortar Chefs Market restaurant is intended to give opportunities to people from backgrounds that are underrepresented in the hospitality industry.
“We think that’s a really important angle, for us, for the city and for the site,” Rosenfelt told the Atlanta Business Chronicle.
The series will return to the District for special events, but it will not be a regularly scheduled occurrence.
