Atlanta, GA

Atlanta says goodbye to several iconic restaurants faced with soaring costs

Published

1 month ago

December 9, 2025

Atlanta says goodbye to several iconic restaurants faced with soaring costs

Atlanta restaurants shuttering amid economic woes

The grills will soon go cold at several iconic Atlanta hotspots over the next few weeks. Daddy D’z BBQ Joynt, Agave, Eats on Ponce, Dantanna’s in Buckhead, and Alma Cocina’s Buckhead location will all soon be closed.

ATLANTA – The grills will soon go cold at several iconic Atlanta hotspots over the next few weeks.

The owner of Daddy D’z BBQ Joynt in downtown Atlanta says the landlord plans on selling the building, as the cost of doing business has soared.

Other Atlanta restaurants announcing closures include Agave, Eats on Ponce, Dantanna’s in Buckhead, and Alma Cocina’s Buckhead location.

Timeline:

This past Saturday, Dantanna’s in Buckhead closed after two decades.

On December 20, Alma Cocina’s Buckhead location will close their doors.

Eats on Ponce closed on Oct. 18.

Daddy D’z will close at the end of the month after a 35-year run at the intersection of MLK and Memorial Drive, but the owner hopes to eventually re-open at a new location.

Up the road from Daddy D’z, Agave in Cabbagetown says its last day will be January 31.

What they’re saying:

The family that owns Agave cited the “current economic climate and unsustainable conditions.”

Christianah Coker-Jackson, who has owned Daddy D’z for the last eight years, said the landlord who owns the building is looking to sell.

But she also points out running a restaurant has gotten much harder.

“It’s bittersweet. I’m heartbroken,” Christianah Coker-Jackson, owner of Daddy D’z said. “We do see that the prices have increased. We do see that inflation has affected everything.”

The backstory:

Reshma Shah, a marketing professor at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School, said small restaurants face an uphill battle with inflation sending costs up.

“You’ve got restaurants with labor costs going up, rent costs going up, food costs, of course, going up,” Reshma Shah, Emory marketing professor, said. “And the last thing you want to do is cut quality.”

She said patrons are also tightening their belts this holiday season.

“Consumers are really having to make a decision between do we want to go out? Do we want to buy presents?” Shah said.

Daddy D’z BBQ Joynt in downtown Atlanta prepares to serve its final meals as the longtime smokehouse faces rising costs and a building sale. The restaurant will close at the end of the year. (FOX 5)

What’s next:

Daddy D’z is in negotiations to open a new location, but nothing is final.

“I’m sad. Now I have to find someone else to go with mom. And to get some good barbecue!” Bertitta Marshall, Daddy D’z regular, said. “Where can you find that type of interaction, a family atmosphere that’s welcoming?”

The last day of business in the current building will be New Year’s Eve.

“They always say when God closes one door, he opens up the ceiling. So I’m just waiting for my celing” Coker-Jackson said.

The Source: This article is based on original reporting by FOX 5’s Rob DiRienzo. Previosu FOX 5 Atlanta reporting was also used.

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Atlanta, GA

Busiest airport in America is not in Atlanta anymore. See where it is.

Published

1 hour ago

January 22, 2026

Press Room

Busiest airport in America is not in Atlanta anymore. See where it is.

Move over Atlanta.

Chicago can now claim the busiest airport in the country.

Preliminary FAA operations data shows 857,392 aircraft landed or took off from Chicago O’Hare International Airport in 2025. That’s significantly more than the 807,625 take offs and landings over the same period at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, which for years has been the busiest airport in the world.

O’Hare is a hub for both American and United Airlines, while Atlanta is a hub for Delta Air Lines.

Final passenger counts and global numbers are still to come, but Chicago is already reveling in reclaiming America’s top spot for the first time since 2019.

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“This is more than a statistic, it’s a statement about Chicago’s momentum,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said in a news release. “From the runways of O’Hare to the neighborhoods across our city, Chicago is building, growing, and leading. We are open for business, open to the world, and once again setting the pace for the nation.”

Another 210,930 aircraft took off and landed at Chicago Midway International Airport in 2025, according to FAA Operations Network data.

“Our airports are more than international hubs for transportation—they are our front door, the first touch point for millions of visitors every year, and a symbol of how Chicago is Never Done and Never Outdone,” Kristen Reynolds, president and CEO of the city’s destination marketing arm, Choose Chicago, said in the news release.

O’Hare is set to get even busier with a new 19-gate Concourse D expected to be completed in late 2028, as part of a $1.3 billion improvement and expansion project at the airport.

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Atlanta, GA

Wednesday Night Weather Update

Published

13 hours ago

January 21, 2026

Press Room

Scat showers thru the night and into Thursday morning with temps in the upper 30s to low 40s. More showers thru the day with highs in the low 50s. The winter weather risks roll in late Friday night and into the Weekend. Right now, the greatest threat for North Georgia will be freezing rain producing ice accumulations. Here is the latest.

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Atlanta, GA

Edgewood Task Force releases final report on corridor safety

Published

1 day ago

January 21, 2026

Press Room

Edgewood Task Force releases final report on corridor safety

ATLANTA – After months of investigation following a 2025 mass shooting, the Edgewood Corridor Public Safety Task Force has released its final report, pivoting from research to what officials called a “chapter of action.”

Safety on Edgewood

What we know:

Councilmember Liliana Bakhtiari, who led the task force, released the findings this week. The report serves as a blueprint to restore order to one of Atlanta’s most iconic but embattled nightlife districts.

The task force was formed in response to a violent incident on July 28, where one person was killed and 10 others were wounded in a mass shooting along the corridor. Since then, the group has been working to balance the area’s cultural energy with the safety needs of its residents.

“This report closes the chapter on study and opens the chapter on action,” Bakhtiari said in a statement.

Key legislative steps

Dig deeper:

To launch the plan immediately, Bakhtiari introduced four specific measures to the Atlanta City Council during its Jan. 20 meeting:

The “Priority Play”: A resolution to adopt the task force’s full list of priority recommendations and supplemental safety goals.
Banning “Party Houses”: An ordinance to prohibit commercial party houses within the Martin Luther King Jr. Landmark District to reduce noise and unruly gatherings.
Corridor Camera Plan: A request to implement a comprehensive surveillance network to provide real-time monitoring for the Atlanta Police Department.
Liquor License Moratorium: A resolution requesting a 180-day moratorium on the acceptance of new alcohol license applications in the corridor to prevent further overcrowding while safety measures take hold.

Edgewood changes heading to city council

What’s next:

The proposed legislation has been sent to City Council committees for review. In the coming months, the city will begin coordinating with the Mayor’s Office to install new lighting, enforce stricter zoning, and increase the visible police presence during peak hours.

The Source: Information in this article came from FOX 5 reviewing the final plan from Bakhtiari.

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