Desta Ethiopian Kitchen is on the move! The popular Ethiopian restaurant which has held court in Williamsburg Village shopping center (3086 Briarcliff Road) since 2006 is looking to move less than two miles away in the coming months.
The new Desta will be a bit smaller than the current restaurant but will be a significant upgrade infrastructure-wise given the age of their current space and the relative newness of their new home, which opened in 2014 as a Newk's Eatery.
Shortly after Newk's closed in August 2022, the roughly 3,600 square foot endcap space was occupied by Chi Chi Vegan, but they, too, were closed by the end of 2023.
The space has limited street visibility (due to the Walgreens in front of it), but Desta and their popularity in the neighborhood should put them in a better position to thrive, given that for many they are a destination restaurant. The new Desta will also be well positioned to cater to employees and visitors to the nearby Arthur M. Blank Hospital at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta which is due to open September 29.
Owners Ash Nega and Titi Demissie, who were both born and raised in Ethiopia, opened a second Desta at The Point (fka Emory Point) in late 2018, but after a temporary closure likely due to the pandemic, it never reopened. Another location opened at Westside Village along Marietta Boulevard in the so-called "Upper Westside" in late 2021.
It's unclear when Desta will close at Williamsburg Village, but the center as a whole is due to be redeveloped with a source close to the project indicating that current plans call for work to start in late 2025.
Stein Investment Group, the Atlanta firm that is redeveloping the center, is also behind the nearby Lumen Briarcliff multifamily development that is expected to welcome a new Italian restaurant from Chef Ricardo Ullio (in permitting), Starbucks (slated to open September 27), and Sugar Polish Nail Bar.
In the Village at Druid Hills, Desta will join existing eateries Willy's Mexicana Grill, Howlin' Willy's Hot Chicken, Hummus Republic, Sublime Doughnuts, Tin Drum Asian Kitchen, and Tropical Smoothie Cafe. An outparcel Mattress Firm that closed earlier this year is being replaced by a relocated Bank of America.
Have you ever been to Desta? What is your favorite ethnic cuisine/restaurant in metro Atlanta? Are you excited for the upcoming redevelopment of Williamsburg Village?
Please share your thoughts below
15 comments:
Any news on when Williamsburg Plaza will finally get demolished. The entire corner is such an eyesore. Also, it seems like the Italian place at Lumen stalled months ago. Any news on that? The upstairs has been covered in plastic wrap for months.
I agree about the Italian restaurant. It looks like they stopped bricking in the building months ago and nothing is happening inside.
I used to get my hair cut at the barber shop in Williamsburg Plaza and the barber told me the owners of the shopping center have told them they're not renewing any leases and are not going to repair any issues. They have leases through next year, but essentially the owners of the complex want the barber shop and Bench Warmers to go away.
Its my understanding it all hinges on the post office that's under Benchwarmers / behind Desta closing and relocating once their lease is up in the near future. Probably all would've happened sooner if there was any movement with the government
Is the new restaurant at Lumen not supposed to be another Novo Cocina? It should be - the location in Dunwoody is outstanding (just ate there last weekend). There's nothing like that in the Briarcliff/Toco area. If anyone has any good restaurant recs in that area, please post!
Willys Chicken. 🐔
The government said keep it. So they won’t be tearing it down. Stays forever with just the postoffice there and the rest: vacancy.
Even though it epitomizes class Atlanta architecture (albeit Williamsburg-influenced) the demolition of everything on that corner is long overdo.
I thought the post office was closed?
I hope the neighboring Wings Camera will survive... there or somewhere else. It's the only real camera store left in the city.
I was told by a benchwarmers bartender over the summer that they had just signed a new 3 year lease. She also told me the developers ran out of cash when they did the property across the street, which has delayed the redevelopment of williamsburg plaza. The folks at the USPS say they will be moving, but they don't know when. I agree with others that the whole corner is a shithole these days, but I will miss benchwarmers when its gone. Too many dive bars going the way of the dodo in atlanta these days....
USPS won’t leave till they see the demo has been scheduled.
Benchwarmers moved to downtown Decatur well over 6 months ago
That’s funny, I just got wasted there last night in their same old location!
You only think you did. Bill Cosby was buying drinks for everyone.
From prison? That’s interesting.
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