Ron Hsu and Aaron Phillips, chef-partners behind Lazy Betty in Candler Park, in summer 2021 will open Juniper Cafe, according to a press release Wednesday.
The modern Vietnamese cafe and bakery will be housed in Westside Village, at 2250 Marietta Blvd NW, Suite 100, where Marietta Boulevard meets Moores Mill.
Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the casual restaurant will feature Vietnamese specialties like pho, noodle salads (bún), banh mis, summer rolls, and housemade sausages, as well as made-from-scratch pastries and shaved ice options including Coconut Shaved Ice with mochi and fresh mangoes and strawberries. Shaved Ice can also be topped with ice cream.
Tim Rufino — currently a senior line cook at Lazy Betty — will helm the kitchen as executive chef, and Carl Van Tyle Gilbert, currently general manager and beverage director at Lazy Betty, will be a partner at Juniper Cafe.
Gilbert will manage a full beverage program, with a focus on cocktails incorporating Vietnamese flavors and ingredients, French and American wines, and beer “from all over.” A non-alcoholic beverage menu will offer guests craft, low-sugar sodas — like Kumquat & Yuzu and Acerola & Spices — to complement Vietnamese dishes, and the restaurant will serve a coffee, espresso, and tea selection.
The restaurant’s design will be reminiscent of historic Vietnamese homes with two patio spaces and an outdoor takeout window for pastries, coffee, and to-go food and drinks to enjoy on the go or around the property. Named for Hsu’s niece, Juniper Cafe is also a nod to the popular Midtown Atlanta street.
In anticipation of Juniper Cafe’s opening, the restaurant team will host pop-ups at Lazy Betty to give Atlantans a preview of the forthcoming food and beverage menu. The first pop-up will be held on Tuesday, April 13 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. (or until sold out) and will be first come, first served.
