Photograph by Caroline C. Kilgore
Somewhat off the beaten path on Myrtle Street, Bon Ton has been serving Cajun-Vietnamese fare and creative cocktails for nearly a decade. The eclectic, energetic restaurant and bar opened in January 2017, more than a year after the previous tenant, moody restaurant and bar Top Flr shuttered. Both were started by Darren Carr, attracted loyal followings, and leaned into nightlife.
Bon Ton began with chef Hieu Pham of Buford Highway’s Crawfish Shack as executive chef and partner, with Matt Floyd in the kitchen, and Eric Simpkins, Carr’s business partner known for the Lawrence, leading the bar program. Atlantans came for the fried seafood, Vietnamese cold noodles, and po’ Boys, and stayed for the hurricanes, frozen Pimm’s Cups, and Mai Tais. Over the years, the concept evolved, leaning more into its New Orleans side. In 2023, Carr and Simpkins launched The Waiting Room, a ’70s-themed cocktail lounge and music venue upstairs.
As of last week, The Waiting Room is now closed, and Bon Ton will follow suit after service on September 30.
Photograph courtesy of Bon Ton
“It lived its cycle. I believe restaurants live in five-to-six-year cycles like people’s lives. If it’s the place you had your first date, five or six years later, you’re either married or in a different relationship and stage of life,” Carr explains.
“The Atlanta restaurant environment has been challenging since Covid. We’re squeezed in every direction from labor to product. The old model needs to change to modernize and absorb those costs,” he adds.
Carr says he hopes locals will visit Bon Ton for a final celebration. Toward the end of the month, there will likely be Mardi Gras-style parties and live music, though plans are still on the works.
“We’re going to continue to serve great food and drinks,” he says. “I think people want to come and experience the restaurant for what it was, not a completely different environment.”
As for The Waiting Room, expect it to return in some form in October, with a stronger focus on live music. Downstairs in the Bon Ton space, Carr has something new in the works. He’s just not ready to reveal the specifics yet.
