New ownership announced for The Colonnade, Atlanta's 2nd oldest restaurant
ATLANTA - The Colonnade, Atlanta's second-oldest restaurant, has been purchased by Paul Donahue and Lewis Jeffries, co-founders of Lingering Shade cocktail bar.
Donahue and Jeffries are taking over the restaurant starting today with the first day of open business on Sept. 11.
According to a press release, Jeffries was a patron of the restaurant for over 60 years and Donahue for over 30 years before they became its new owners.
Paul Donahue and Lewis Jeffries (Jamie Pryor Photography)
Donahue and Jeffries opened Lingering Shade on the Atlanta Beltline in February 2018. Prior to opening Lingering Shade, Donahue was an interior designer for country clubs across the South and Jeffries worked full-time as a CPA with his own firm, The Jeffries Group, specializing in bar and restaurant clients.
The press release also says that Donahue and Jeffries do not plan to make any changes to The Colonnade since there's a reason that it is still open after 97 years.; However, they do plan to explore opportunities to excite long-time guests, bring in new faces and generate more buzz for the restaurant.
The Colonnade is currently open Wednesdays to Saturdays from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Sundays from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. They are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Walk-ins are welcomed. The Colonnade is located at 1879 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30324.
ORIGINAL STORY
One of Atlanta's oldest restaurants is now up for sale.
The Colonnade first opened at the corner of Lindbergh and Piedmont in 1927. It then moved to Cheshire Bridge Road in 1962, where it has been serving its famous fried chicken and classic Southern dishes ever since.
The restaurant was bought by 29-year-old Paul Jones in 1979. Jones's family still runs all The Colonnade's day-to-day operations.
The Schumacher Group has listed the restaurant at $975,000, with notes that it is fully staffed and profitable.
In 2020, The Colonnade's owners told FOX 5 they were struggling to keep the lights on due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"I could not conceivably think about being out of business, not only for ourselves, but also for the community and for Atlanta. I think that people depend on us to be there for them," owner Jodi Stallings said.
Customers came together to raise more than $124,000 to help support the business and keep the lights on.
To learn more about the possible sale, click here.