Former Rathbun’s chef Jon Allen to helm the kitchen at FiveSevenTwo in Tucker

“Casual-upscale” restaurant will open in August
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Chef Jon Allen
Chef Jon Allen

Courtesy of Kristen Mooney of Mooney Photography

James Maggard and Jason Hylton, owners of Tucker mainstay the Local No. 7, are opening a Southern-inspired restaurant called FiveSevenTwo on Main Street in August.

“The Local No. 7 became the neighborhood watering hole, and people started asking for more entrée-style food instead of the bar food we were giving them,” Maggard says. “We realized there was a need for casual-upscale dining.”

Plans for FiveSevenTwo include a changing menu of small plates and entrees as well as a full bar highlighting wine and craft cocktails rather than beer. Dinner will be seven days a week, including a weekend brunch later on.

“It’ll be a warm, comfortable environment with higher-end finishings and a well-educated staff,” he says.

Jon Allen, formerly of Rathbun’s and Krog Bar, will be the executive chef, and Stacy Slocum, currently the bar manager at the Local No. 7, will serve as general manager.

“I grew up around here and want to do something different, organic, and fun,” Allen says. “I want a place that I would like to take my wife to with influences of the fun places in town.”

Where does the name FiveSevenTwo come from?

Maggard: When we were opening the Local No. 7, we bought a history of Tucker book and found a chapter about the No. 7, and it’s relevance to Tucker. So we thought we should do the same thing this time around. We found out that in the 1800s, the area was known as Militia District FiveSevenTwo.

We’re also researching the history of the area and farms—seeing what they raised and ate here. We want to tell that story with our food. Tucker has a lot of people who were born and raised here. They seem to appreciate the effort. 

Where do you get your inspiration for the food?

Allen: We’re going for a farm-to-table feel without being really farm-to-table. I like to do really fresh food simply done. I grew up with a Middle Eastern family in the South, so I grew up with fusion using Southern ingredients for Mediterranean and Italian food. Then I worked for Kevin Rathbun and got to do really heavy, salty, food. I have a smorgasbord of influences. I find fresh ingredients and then play with the flavors.

What do you have planned for the menu?

Allen: We’ll have cheese and crackers—ricotta and anchovy crackers, house-made saltines, and vegan bacon made with mushrooms. We’ll do fresh vegetables, and fun little things like pickled shrimp and ham pate. Being a southerner, I love pork and seafood. We’ll do a stuffed squash blossom appetizer with cheese from Sweet Grass Dairy, pan sautéed with fresh crab, and a take on tomato bread using fresh cornbread, stewed tomatoes, and pickled okra. I want to do a ham steak, center cut, cooked in cast iron skillet with fingerling potatoes and sweet tea collard or mustard greens, a sunny side up egg, and chunky mustard. It’ll be a smaller menu.

What will FiveSevenTwo look like?

Maggard: It’s 2,200 square feet. You could say it’s a shotgun space with a large bar down the left side. I’d say it’s rustic farmhouse décor—white and clean with reclaimed wood accents, subway tile with dark gray grout behind the bar, and natural accents.

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