Thursday, December 2, 2021

[ALERT] End of the Year Marks the End of the Road for Ford Fry's JCT Kitchen

Chef Ford Fry is closing JCT Kitchen & Bar in Westside Provisions District after a 15 year run, according to an announcement from the chef's personal Instagram page late Thursday.  The restaurant, Fry's first as an independent chef, opened in 2007 after he held earlier roles with The Ritz-Carlton and later with the beloved, but ahead of its time, EatZi's.  JCT in many ways helped validate Fry and also gave him the launchpad that would later help to grow his restaurant empire. 

“I have always wanted to do what I feel would benefit the neighborhood, so with that in mind, we will be wrapping up JCT’s time on the Westside to make room for something new in 2022,” Fry's post went on to say.  Fry said little specific about the new concept, only that "JCT was always a neighborhood restaurant & what is coming will also act in that same vein, but it will be in a fresh new way."  

"I know many people might not understand the decision to close a flourishing restaurant, so I am asking you to trust me!”  

Diners last chance to enjoy JCT will be New Year’s Eve, when executive chef Amadeus Lixfield prepares a "classic, local-centric" prix fixe meal for $95 per person.  The restaurant will close as of January 1 to begin construction to last an undetermined amount of time.  [As of Thursday December 2, the restaurant had filed no permits of any kind with the City of Atlanta to complete any sort of renovations/modifications.]

“I can’t wait to share more about what is coming and know you will be just as excited as I am!”  The only hint Fry dropped as to a potential name was an image of what appears to be a dove carrying a rose in its beak.  (Rose + Dove perhaps?) 

This is not the first time Fry has closed one of his restaurants to re-concept.  Fry in late 2019 converted his two El Felix restaurants in Avalon and at The Battery Atlanta into his Superica restaurant.  

Fry’s parent company Ford Fry Restaurants (fka Rocket Farm Restaurants) also owns The Optimist and Marcel on the Westside, St. Cecilia and King + Duke in Buckhead, No. 246 in Decatur, Beetlecat in Inman Park, and Little Rey in Piedmont Heights.  The company also operates Superica locations in Buckhead, Krog Street Market, Avalon and The Battery Atlanta, with a fifth Atlanta area location planned for Ashford Lane in Dunwoody next year. Fry also operates several restaurants out of state in Charlotte, Nashville and Houston.  

Do you plan to dine at JCT Kitchen before it closes?  Are you surprised that Fry would close a seemingly successful restaurant to do something else?  What is your favorite Ford Fry restaurant? 

Please share your thoughts below. 

7 comments:

CloseOTP said...

This is upsetting. Just made my final reservation to get a meal there one more time. I hope the Angry Mussels makes it to the menu of the new restaurant!

SB said...

Superica coming to West Midtown...

Billy2121 said...

One if my favorite eateries in the ATL

CloseOTP said...

@SB - What part of a new concept with a rose and dove leads you to think "Superica"

Anonymous said...

Hopefully not! Superica is so overrated and expensive!

Anonymous said...

EatZi's...what an experience. What a great quality meal. I still miss that place when I drive by the CVS or whatever is in its place now.

Anonymous said...

Were I to guess Mrs. Fry has finally had enough and is moving on- so to avoid a Seeger's level debacle, JCT had to be removed from the group. But it's just a guess.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...