Downtown dining, Five Below, more: New restaurants and businesses coming to Middle GA
From new downtown restaurants to a discount store geared to delight teenagers, multiple new businesses are coming to Middle Georgia.
Others are getting close to opening, adding finishing touches or waiting on orders and final inspections.
Several have recently opened their doors, adding to multiple restaurants, food trucks and other businesses that have opened so far this year.
New retail, restaurants planned
Greek Village Express — A sister store to the popular Greek Village restaurant owned by Adriana Ivanus in Warner Robins, the Greek Village Express just down the road on Watson Boulevard is expected to feature fan favorites such as the tzatziki appetizer, shawarma and gyro platters, spinach pie, and Greek salads with chicken or gyro meat.
Geared for takeout but expected to include about 10 tables for dine-in, the restaurant will focus on lighter menu items and will be owned and operated by Ivanus’ daughter, Andreea.
Greek Village Express is located at 600 Watson Blvd., Suite 300, next to Fresh Pie Pizza in a small shopping strip anchored by a Friends and Family convenience store and Sunoco gas station near U.S. 41 and Watson Blvd.
The restaurant is expected to open in June.
Five Below — Where everything costs $5 or less, this teen-geared discount store is expected to open up shop next to Dollar Tree in the former Pier 1 Imports location at 2622 Watson Blvd., Suite A, in Warner Robins.
Architectural plans for the inside remodel have been approved, with workers seen on site, and a building permit has been issued by the city of Warner Robins. The permit that includes the store’s name is taped to a front glass window.
Billing itself to provide a “color- popping, music pumping, super-fun shopping experience,” Five Below offers hundreds of products “that jump, fly, zoom, boom, bounce, float, taste, connect, and pop in eight different worlds: tech, style, room, play, create, party, candy, and new & now.”
Want to check out the merchandise ahead of time? There’s a Five Below in Macon at 1625 Bass Road.
‘Orleans on Carroll Street — What’s envisioned for this restaurant expected to open in early 2022 is a taste of New Orleans both in its Southern food with a Cajun twist and in ambiance with its distinct elements of the grand city.
While waiting for more to be unveiled, expectant diners may have an opportunity to wet their appetite on some simple dishes from the restaurant’s new food truck, ‘Orleans on Wheels. But what’s planned for the restaurant is so much more.
Right now, the two-story building at 807 Carroll Street is under renovation. It formerly housed Rusty’s Downtown Grill and Bar on the first floor.
Vibez Brunch Bar Grill — Nothing but good vibes are expected at this new restaurant opening in downtown Macon at 401 Cherry St., Suite A.
Owners have been working hard to get everything just right before making announcements, including an opening date.
A chef is on staff, the interior remodel is essentially complete and the restaurant is hiring, according to its Facebook page.
Chick-fil-A — After closing down for several months to tear down and rebuild, Macon’s first Chick-fil-A is expected to re-open in early June in its new building at its same location at 140 Tom Hill Sr. Blvd.
Built in 1989, the original building was the Atlanta-based, fast food restaurant chain’s 13th free-standing store and its first in Middle Georgia, according to Telegraph archives. The store was closed for a month for a 20-year remodel in 2009.
Chick-fil-A is best known for its chicken sandwiches, customer service and for being closed on Sundays.
McAlister’s Deli — Spoiler alert: this is not a done deal for this fast casual restaurant chain known for its sandwiches, spuds and sweet tea that’s looking into locating a store next to Fazoli’s in the 700 block of Ga. 96 in the Bonaire community.
Headquartered in Atlanta, the company has submitted conceptual plans for the restaurant to the city of Warner Robins, but it has not requested a permit yet. A company spokesman said in an email that, “It is too soon to know if that will go through.”
Opening soon in Middle GA
Meanwhile, several new restaurants as well as a fresh fish and meat market are getting close to opening in Middle Georgia, including:
Saltwater Outpost — Leslie and Josh Sharpe of Byron have been offering via their Facebook page pre-orders of fresh fish and meat they’ll be offering at their market when it opens in Warner Robins.
Within 75 minutes of announcing their last pre-order offer of 65-day-old, dry-aged rib eye and huge New Bedford sea scallops, they’d reached the order limit for the rib eye.
They’re still aiming to open their market at 4027 Watson Blvd, Suite 110, in the Galleria Square shopping center in June.
Potato Po-Ta-Toe — This new Warner Robins restaurant that’s billed to take a 16-to-20 ounce potato to the next level with a variety of toppings, including a special cheese sauce, is now expected to open in early June, according to co-owner Phillip Hinson.
He and his fiancee, LaVerne Whipple, had hoped to already be open, but are taking delays in stride.
Located at 778 Ga. 96, Suite 135, within The Shoppes at Houston Lake, the restaurant will switch up the menu 100% on Sundays by offering only soul food
Wrap & Kebab — Owner Mohammed Magayreh, a native of Jordan and a Byron resident, also had hoped to have opened his new Mediterranean restaurant in Centerville by now. But he’s waiting for the arrival of a fire door and a final inspection. He expects to open in June.
Under the same roof of the restaurant at 103 Gunn Road, Magayreh also will have a hookah cafe and a Mediterranean grocery store. His goal is to bring “Jordanian flavor food to our community here.”
Fresco Italiano — An interior remodel is underway at the former Ole Times Country Buffet to transform the building into a casual, fine-dining Italian restaurant at 1208 Russell Parkway in Warner Robins.
The restaurant will be the second location for Christian Torres of his popular, family-owned eatery in Tifton.
Motorists who drive by the restaurant location will see the Ole Times Country Buffet sign with directions to its new location at 2922 Watson Blvd. in Centerville. But there’s a whole lot of work going on inside the building to transform it into the vision Torres has for it.
Macon Bagels — This new business plans to offer bagels made fresh from scratch and baked every morning. It’s expected to open in early July at 470 3rd St. in downtown Macon.
Owners Lauren Bone and Patrick Rademaker relocated from Florida and decided to open shop in Macon after falling in love with the downtown on a stopover last summer on the way to the North Georgia mountains.
Restaurants, boutiques, more
Additionally, some other restaurants and businesses that have opened recently in Middle Georgia include:
La Bella Vita: Italian Kitchen — Come by this already popular Italian restaurant and bar for some shrimp scampi and a refreshing cocktail at 347 Cotton Ave. in downtown Macon. “This is a sit down, make reservations, if you like, Italian, full service restaurant and bar,” says co-owner Donny Barnes. Reservations can be made at 478-254-5010. The restaurant also offers deliveries via DoorDash, Grubhub or Waitr.
Rock N Roll Sushi — A second Warner Robins location of this popular sushi restaurant has opened at 3010 Watson Blvd. The menu features sushi rolls with rock and roll names and menus made from rock and roll albums. There’s also rock memorabilia adorning the walls.
Wing Town — This drive-thru and walk-up restaurant at 1807 Watson Blvd. offers a variety of wing options in both quantities and flavors, including mild, medium, hot, lemon pepper, honey BBQ, teriyaki, garlic pepper, mango habanero, garlic Parmesan honey mustard or plain. Wing Town also has combination meals, sides from cheese sticks to onion rings and offers a Philly steak, chicken tenders and chicken nuggets.
Brassy Peach Boutique — Abbey Patterson of Unadilla sets up her mobile clothing and gift store at events like Food Truck Friday in Perry. The mobile boutique may also be booked for a private event like girl’s night out.
These join multiple restaurants, food trucks and other businesses that have opened this year in the region from Little Light Coffee Co., a mobile espresso bar, to Birdsong Boutique, a women’s clothing store in downtown Macon, to the Old Mill Market Company, a family owned and operated bakery and retail store specializing in homemade baked goods and locally sourced produce, meats and other products in downtown Forsyth.