When Heirloom Cafe closed down (due to the owners wanting to spend more time with their families), and its building (which Heirloom didn’t own) went on the market, there was a LOT of speculation about what could replace the popular, neighborhood-engaged restaurant. Would it be a chain? Would someone build housing on the very desirable lot? Years of bummeration of the sort tends to produce a defeatist, pessimistic attitude. But, in fact, the space will be filled by a beloved local business: A rebirth of Pollo Criollo by the Rubio family, who owns Cali ‘n’ Tito’s.
Back in the early 2000s, the bitsy space at the corner of Prince and Satula avenues that Journey Juice now occupies was the original Pollo Criollo, a variation on Cali ‘n’ Tito’s offerings that focused on Peruvian grilled chicken, or pollo a la brasa. Bruno Rubio confirmed that he has purchased the Heirloom building and plans to revive the concept.
Rubio says he doesn’t yet have a date for when he plans to open or even to start work on the building (which will require some paint, some landscaping and, he hopes, adding to the covered patio), and he’ll have to go through the Historic Preservation Commission, which hopefully will allow him to add the kind of character his restaurants are known for. The menu should be simple: chicken, sides, empanadas, ceviche, quinoa and cancha (corn nuts, basically) for snacking. If it’s like before, it’ll also be very good.
In other news, The Grill is back open downtown, after a long, long time shuttered. Bruxie, the chicken and waffle chain, is open downtown. Four Fat Cows, the ice cream shop on Baxter Street near Milledge Avenue, has closed. Its sign says that it’s looking for another location. Cantaritos Cafe is open in the Homewood shopping center in the former Mifflin House, doing Latin American breakfast and lunch with kids meals.
Whataburger has broken ground on its Atlanta Highway location. Cheba Hut, reported on back in 2019 as imminently coming to Athens, is looking to move into the space that was The Office, in the West Washington Street parking deck downtown.
Wire Park, in Watkinsville, is adding another restaurant, Southern Prospect, from Chef Scott Kinsey, who is one of the folks behind Taqueria Tsunami (and some other restaurants not here in town). Southern Prospect will do sit-down American fare and a full bar specializing in bourbon and other whiskeys.
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