From pastries to pizza, here are the restaurants that opened in Middle GA in 2020

Several restaurants opened in Macon and the surrounding area in 2020 in spite of the challenges of a global pandemic.

The Kimchi Factory, a Korean restaurant, set up shop at 440 Walnut St. in downtown Macon in July after months of delay due to COVID-19.

“I kept this hope for a long time,” owner Miyant Rutherford told The Telegraph upon opening the restaurant, a dream she’s had for a long time. “This is not just the restaurant business. This is the mission for my life.”

While not a restaurant per se, Buc-ee’s mega travel center in Warner Robins offers a plethora of grab and go meals and other food items such as hot brisket, homemade fudge, kolaches, jerky and fresh pastries, and the coronavirus didn’t slow this iconic Texas-based chain down one bit.

The 53,000-square-foot facility opened as planned Nov. 18 — just in time for Thanksgiving and Christmas travelers and shoppers. It’s located just off the Russell Parkway/Warner Robins exit off Interstate 75.

Janette and Parker Fife stopped looking for a site for their dream bakery and coffee shop due to the coronavirus, but later pushed forward after falling into and in love with their current location.

The couple from North Idaho opened Homestead Bakery and Coffee at 3780 Northside Drive, Suite 150, in north Macon on Nov. 30.

The Pond, which offers comfort foods through family style meals, opened initially with take-out and delivery amid COVID-19 and later with dine-in. The restaurant which overlooks Leisure Lake, is located at 2407 Moody Road in Warner Robins.

Local restaurants that opened this year

Here are some other restaurants, as well as bars and lounges, that opened in Bibb County and surrounding areas in 2020:

▪ Bossa Novas, an international cafe, moved into the former Spud Dogs location 490 Cherry St. downtown Macon.

▪ Louvenia’s Seafood Market opened a second location, Louvenia’s Crab Cake Hut, at 2055 Eisenhower Pkwy C-19, in Macon.

▪ Fall Line Brewing Co. opened its brewery at 567 Plum St. in downtown Macon.

▪ Sweet of Life, a pastry and gelato shop, opened its doors in the Shoppes of Houston Lake at 778 Ga. 96 in Bonaire in Houston County.

▪ The Casserole Shop, which offers casseroles and baked goods, opened a new location at 1030 Ball St. in Perry in March.

▪ Fatty’s Pizza, already in downtown Macon, opened a new locatoin at 120 Tom Hill Sr. Blvd., Suite 103, where Little Caesars Pizza used to operate.

▪ Biddy’s Chicken, known for its chicken tenders, opened a Macon location at 946 First Street.

▪ Crave Scratch Kitchen, which offers comfort foods such as such as chicken and waffles and pasta, opened at 347 Cotton Ave. in the former location of China Wok.

▪ Miramar Raw Bar & Tapas, which offers a specialized menu and cocktails, opened its doors at 4420 Forsyth Road in the Vineville Crossing plaza in February.

▪ A Brooke Haven Lounge opened in February in the Lofts at 401 Cherry St., Suite 101, in downtown Macon.

▪ Hank’s Food Truck, whose owner started with two food tents at Mulberry Street Market at Tattnall Square Park, opened a base of operations at the Macon Flea Market at 3670 Eisenhower Parkway in September and expected to get his food truck in December.

▪ Pita Mediterranean Street Food, a chain restaurant with locations in Warner Robins and Atlanta, opened its Macon location on Bass Road.

▪ Cinnaholic, a gourmet cinnamon roll bakery, opened at 810 Ga. 96, Suite 1100, in Warner Robins.

▪ Chicken Salad Chick, which offers multiple flavors of chicken salad, set up shop at 1676 Bass Road in a new 6,000 square-foot multi-restaurant building across the street from the North Macon Plaza.

Telegraph archives were used in this report.

This story was originally published December 29, 2020 at 6:00 AM.