[TEA] New Restaurant "Drama" to Open in West Midtown

A new restaurant called Drama Hot Pot+Tea Studio is coming soon to West Midtown.  According to recently installed signage, Drama is opening at 887 Howell Mill Road in a roughly 3,000 square foot space left vacant by the May 2025 closure of Bastone.  

Interestingly, according to online research, there is currently just one other Drama location in existence: Vancouver British Columbia in Canada.  The Canadian restaurant opened in October 2025.  Seemingly looking to enter the U.S. market, the owners of Drama have zeroed in on West Midtown in Atlanta to grow their concept.  

Currently, Drama appears only to have an Instagram page rather than a traditional website, but its menu seems centered on customizable hot pot bowls as well as assorted beverages like milk teas, matcha, boba, and more.   

Before Bastone, the space was home to Bocado.  

West Midtown as an area has been ground zero for restaurant closures in metro Atlanta over the past couple of years.  More than two dozen restaurants have closed in the area in that time, several after little more than a year in business.  

Similar to stocks, however, adversity for some creates opportunity for others.  

Drama is the latest restaurant to lease one of the many vacant spaces in the area, looking to turn lemons into lemonade.  

Cafe in the City officially opened earlier this month in the former Le Fat restaurant space.  

Miami's Ghee Indian Kitchen opened this past October in place of the short-lived Wagamama, while Barrel Proof, a cocktail and whiskey bar from New Orleans, opened this past March in place of Little Trouble.  This past weekend brought the debut of Ladybird Grove & Mess Hall at 690 11th Street, a space adjacent to where Bar Incognito opened in June in the former Fishmonger.  

Locally owned breakfast and lunch spot Cultivate was to have opened months ago in the former Snooze an A.M. Eatery space at the Osprey apartments, but has yet to do so.  Also, at the corner of Northside Drive and Marietta Street, newly installed contractor signage suggests that work may finally begin to turn the old Delia's Chicken Sausage Stand into KoHo, a new kolache eatery.  

Despite the openings, several high-profile vacancies remain including the former locations of Humble Pie, Bartaco, Superica, Culinary Dropout, Postino, Torchy's Tacos, Maple Street Biscuit Company, and West Egg Cafe.  

Are you excited for the opening of Drama and its hot pot offerings in West Midtown?  What type of food do you think West Midtown is missing?  Have you tried any of the newer restaurants in the area?  If so, what has been your favorite?

Please share your thoughts below.