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Thursday, January 1, 2026

[EXCLUSIVE] Italian Eatery Suddenly Shutters at Buckhead Village District

Dallas, Texas-based Lombardi Family Concepts has closed their Italian restaurant Taverna after a little under nine years in business in Buckhead.  The restaurant, located at 280 Buckhead Avenue in Buckhead Village District, closed as of December 31.  

The closure reportedly came as a surprise to both employees who were suddenly out of work and customers who had their upcoming reservations cancelled.  ToNeTo Atlanta visited the space Thursday night and found a simple "CLOSED" sign on the door.    

The company's website still lists the Buckhead location but its page has been replaced with the following message: 

"After 9 wonderful years, Taverna Buckhead has closed its doors. To everyone who shared a meal with us, celebrated a milestone at our tables, or simply stopped by for a glass of wine — thank you. You made this place so much more than a restaurant. You made it home."

Taverna opened in May 2017 replacing pizza restaurant Thirteen Pies an original tenant of the space that had closed the prior May after less than two years in business.  

Following the Buckhead closure, Taverna will continue to operate five locations in its home market of Texas plus a single unit in Akumal, Mexico, according to its website.   

A real estate source close to Buckhead Village District tells ToNeTo Atlanta that property owner Jamestown does not plan to replace the 4,300 square foot Taverna space with another restaurant. 

Elsewhere in Buckhead Village District the former Planta Queen and Pachengo Neighborhood Taqueria restaurant spaces both remain vacant.  

Are you surprised to see Taverna close at Buckhead Village District?  What 2025 Atlanta restaurant closure are you most upset about?  What would you most like to see open in place of Taverna in Buckhead? 

Please share your thoughts below 

17 comments:

  1. That’s actually surprising. Place always had people in it. I bet Yeppa could have taken away from them maybe. I wonder if they jacked up their lease or something. Timing is odd that it’s right at the beginning of the year.

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    1. Before Yeppa opened, they sat at the bar at Taverna, taking notes in what we did and menu items, a year before yeppa opened, instead embracing our concepts, they stole it, Karma is a b”@-h, they will get there’s shortly

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  2. They should replace Taverna with Miniso

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  3. Financials don’t work with the lease as high as the owner is charging. Thats the issue.

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    1. Exactly, greedy landlords are to blame!

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    2. Absolutely, 40,000 a month , and they wanted to go up, greedy , Buckhead Village

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    3. The restaurants should try to just own their own buildings. Then they won’t have to pay any rent. It will probably be cheaper to pay for upkeep on the building and mortgage payments alone instead of paying rent. The mortgage payments won’t be raised by anyone so its the same every month for the life of their mortgage. That would be simple and better.

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  4. Not surprising at all. Taverna was struggling badly, the parent company had abandoned it (not fixing broken stuff or replacing worn out equipment), they weren't reordering any bottles of wine that weren't on the glass list... the only thing keeping that place alive was when Yeppa filled up people walked down the street to Taverna, and the dirt cheap weekend brunch booze.

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  5. That's not surprising at all. The parent company gave them no support, including reordering wines or fixing broken stuff in the restaurant, like the air conditioner. Most of the business either came from the cheap booze brunch or when Yeppa filled up and people walked down the street.

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    1. I was there about a month ago and the AC was working fine! Maybe they got it fixed?

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    2. One hopes the did. Also there is somewhat of a difference between working AC in Atlanta in the summer and in DECEMBER.

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    3. Oh dear! I didn’t know that. I thought when the AC was on if it blew out cold air it was working. Maybe the building isn’t built properly and can’t hold out the heat in the SUMMER.

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    4. The home office abandoned, us, no support, no new menu, NO NOTHING, worked there for 8 years

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  6. Taverna in Dallas is great and always busy. It's sad to hear the Atlanta location didn't receive the same love.

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  7. Always busy when I walk past to go to Fado and get a pint of Guinness.

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