Another day, another closure in West Midtown. This time it's Bastone from Chef Pat Pscarella's The Porchetta Group. The Mozzarella bar and restaurant opened at 887 Howell Mill Road in March of 2022 and is slated to close at the end of service on Sunday, Mother's Day, May 11, according to a source with knowledge of the restaurant's plans.
When Bastone opened, it replaced Bocado, which operated from the roughly 3,000 square foot space for twelve years before their closure in March 2021. Bocado owner Brian Lewis brought a new restaurant under the same name but with a slightly different menu to the Publix-anchored Powers Ferry Village this past September.
Our source provided no specific reason for Bastone's closure, but as we have written about extensively in recent months, West Midtown has been ground zero for high profile restaurant closures.
ToNeTo Atlanta was first to report on Bartaco's closure in West Midtown May 5 after about eleven years in business.
Recent months have also brought the closures of breakfast spots including Cultivate, West Egg Cafe, and Snooze an A.M. Eatery, as well as the offering for sale of Pancake Social. Culinary Dropout, Postino, Humble Pie, Pour Taproom, and Knuckies Hoagies have also recently closed, while Le Fat, Slim+Husky, L.O.A. Social Club, Superica, Damsel, Boxcar Betty's, and Wagamama also closed in West Midtown during 2024.
In 2024 the area did welcome Torchy's Tacos (August) and Lucky Star (December), both at Star Metals (1055 Howell Mill Road), but the nearly 9,000 square foot supper club Eden - from Fares Kargar's Nooshé Jān Group, also at Star Metals, seems to have stalled since its $2.5M building permit filed last April.
The majority of the spaces left vacant from recent closures remain empty, save for The Gathering Spot, which is taking over the LOA space, and Cultivate, where ToNeTo Atlanta was first to report April 18 that Big Bad Breakfast (BBB) will "break" into the market with their first unit.
Following Bastone's closure, The Porchetta Group, led by Pascarella and co-owner Brian Ferris, continues to operate The White Bull in Decatur, Alici in Midtown, and Grana locations in Piedmont Heights, Dunwoody, and their newest at Southern Post in Roswell.
Are you surprised to see Bastone closing in West Midtown? Why do you think so many restaurants are leaving the area? What restaurant do you think will close in West Midtown next?
Please share your thoughts below.
10 comments:
Devastated.
Landlords killing small business
Maybe it is just the concept of the place? I went there once, and while I like Italian appetizers and wine, with 20$ for a glass of wine you end up spending a lot of money for a drink and light bite… not something I went back after even though I lived next door
There is no parking, and a once walkable area has become overcrowded, traffic-plagued, and oversaturated with similar restaurants. Even The Optimist has struggled and is always hiring. (Mind you that's also company-wide.) It's a real shame about Bastone.
Too many restaurants in Atlanta where the population can't support all these mediocre places . Can't find decent staff, High rent and especially kitchen staff . The Atlanta food scene is becoming more pretenders and dying quickly.
Parking stranglehold seems unfixable. Corridor is chaos. They'll reach a new normal if landlords recognize the dysfunctional infrastructure.
Parking stranglehold seems unfixable. Corridor is chaos. They'll hit a new normal if landlords recognize the dysfunctional infrastructure.
Bastone was super yummy when i went. However, there’s no parking so you have to pay to valet and i think that hurts it
Agreed. Soon there will be absolutely no restaurants at all in Atlanta. Only grocery stores and home cooking.
PARKING. It is killing and will continue to kill the Westside.
Does no one realize this? Atlanta is the L.A. of the South and people drive. That is not going to change. And MARTA does not help by ignooring the addition of other rail lines.
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