Tag: Spring 2nd Branch

Brian So built a loyal following at his Marietta Square restaurant Spring. When he announced the restaurant would close for renovations, he didn’t deprive Marietta of his cooking for long. He opened his first Korean restaurant, Spring 2nd Branch, blocks away from his first location. Spring 2nd Branch is an entirely different restaurant from Spring—open for lunch and dinner, seven days a week, and takes no reservations.

Chef Brian So, whose Spring restaurant in Marietta was awarded one Michelin star in 2024, is ready for his next adventure. In addition to remodeling Spring, which will reopen next year, So has been working on an authentic Korean restaurant called Spring 2nd Branch, also in the Marietta Square, with business partner and sommelier Daniel Crawford. Slated to launch in early September, Spring 2nd Branch is inspired by restaurants So ate at as a child.

A few years ago, Kim and his business partner, Ming Han Chung—a former Duluth High School classmate—began to kick around ideas for a start-up. Chung suggested they make alcohol. Kim remembered his uncle’s homemade makgeolli and asked his dad to get the family recipe, and a new business was born. Last fall, Kim and Chung opened Minhwa Spirits in the corner unit of a recently renovated retail development on Van Fleet Circle in Doraville.

From instant neighborhood favorites to trending hotspots, Atlanta’s restaurant scene is constantly evolving; 2025 will be no different.