Courtesy of the Colonnade
Paul Donahue has been a regular at southern comfort spot the Colonnade for nearly 40 years. His business partner Lewis Jeffries has been enjoying the fried chicken and warm hospitality for 60 years, ever since he visited with his grandparents. When former owner Jodi Stallings approached Jeffries at dinner one night and offered to sell him her pride and joy, he felt honored. Together, he and Donahue, who cofounded Lingering Shade Social Club on the BeltLine in 2018, acquired the keys to the 97-year-old restaurant on Monday and will open it for business as usual on Wednesday.
“We were very concerned that the Colonnade needed to go on as it’s been,” Donahue says. “We’ve seen generations of families there. You see people table hopping because everyone knows each other. It’s a very special thing that’s unique to that restaurant.”
Initially, nothing will change. All current staff members plan to stay—the new owners even intend to bring back a couple of long-time employees. Once they feel comfortable, the Colonnade will begin serving dinner seven days a week, instead of five. (The restaurant is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.) It may even offer Saturday brunch in the future.
As for the menu, “We hope to go back to closer to what it was pre-pandemic and bring back some customer favorites,” Jeffries says. He’s referring to items like fried oysters, spinach salad, and prime ribeye, which were cut due to rising ingredient costs and pandemic-induced employee shortages. Well-loved offerings including fried shrimp, turkey with dressing, and salmon croquettes will remain, with some new salads on the horizon.
Known for its stiff classic cocktails—martinis, Manhattans, and Old Fashioned—the Colonnade may see some fruitier influences from Lingering Shade. Jeffries says he’d like to introduce four or five off-menu seasonal cocktail specials, such as a watermelon jalapeno margarita for summer and pumpkin spice martini. For the first time in its history, the Colonnade will have a physical wine list featuring primarily American-made wines by the glass and bottle. (Previously it was a verbal offering.)
During the next few years, the Colonnade interior will be subtly refreshed, adding a bit more color and vibrancy to the beige and black. “Jodi Stallings always said the Colonnade is a country club without the membership. We’ll be giving it more of the country club vibe it used to have with some carpet and wall covering changes—making it a little Palm Springs and a little Palm Beach,” says Donahue, who has a background in interior design. Even the restaurant’s signature brown placemats may be replaced. “Nothing too wild,” Donahue reassures.
Jack Clark opened the original Colonnade in 1927 on the corner of Piedmont Road and Lindbergh Drive. It was moved to its currently location on Cheshire Bridge Road in 1962. Paul Jones purchased it in 1979 and his daughter Stallings took over in 2019. During her reign, a GoFundMe helped save the restaurant from closure, raising nearly $125,000.
As Atlanta’s second-oldest restaurant—Atkins Park is the first—the Colonnade is here to stay. “It’s there, it’s going strong, and it will remain the Atlanta institution it’s always been,” Jeffries insists.
“We’re so glad the restaurant is in good hands,” Stallings says.
