An "industrial chic" neighborhood bistro has opened its doors in Cabbagetown after being in soft open mode last week.
Petit Chou, located at 662 Memorial Drive in Cabbagetown, will serve breakfast, lunch coffee and craft sodas initally, soon adding dinner service as well as cocktails, beer and wine.
The spot is several years in the making. Owners Ron Fisher and his daughter and wife Lindsay and Sara Van Beck initially acquired the property four years ago and converted it into art gallery The Cube. After getting neighborhood input, the team decided to work on turning the space into a bistro "serving quality, healthy food and an affordable price," according to Fisher.
They enlisted architects to solidify the plans and work within the confines of the landmark historic status of Cabbagetown buildings. Fisher also snagged warehouse doors from the old EyeDrum Gallery on the same street to use for Petit Chou.
Fisher and his family don’t think of themselves as restaurateurs, according to Fisher, but rather a team that likes to restore buildings in historic areas. They've handed the daily operation reins over to "customer experience team" Jennifer and Emily Vontillius and Chef Diana Presson Eller.
Credit: Yvonne Zusel
Credit: Yvonne Zusel
Eller, who grew up in food and whose mother studied under Julia Child in the 1970s, moved to Atlanta in 2003 and has worked with several local chefs including Ria Pell, Shaun Doty and Mikel Hosp, pastry chef Nicholas Bown-Crawford and restaurateur John Gianoulidis.
She describes her menus as "simple, few frills fare with a focus on fresh ingredients. I love doing comfort classics of the American South, France and the Mediterranean, of great quality, presented approachably."
Menu items include house made bowls, sweet or savory waffles, pancakes and French toast and biscuits and gravy for breakfast and soups, salads, starters and sandwiches -- including a croque monsieur and croque madame, a bistro burger and The Frank, made with brie, sliced apples, preserves and arugula -- for lunch. Ingredients will be sourced locally from places such as The Turnip Truck , Southern Swiss Dairy and Perc Coffee.
Emily and Jennifer, both Atlanta natives and both with more than 15 years in the service industry, said the restaurant is a realization of their dream of creating a neighborhood spot that they'd want to spend time in, even if they weren't involved in it.
"Building something from the ground up has allowed us as a team to make Petit Chou exactly what we have always searched for, and allowed us to give our employee's something more that most servers get," Jennifer said.
Petit Chou is open from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. daily, with extended hours once dinner service is added.
662 Memorial Drive, Atlanta. 470-270-8996, petitchouatl.com
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