Highland Walk Bistro Gives Revolving Door of its Future O4W Home a Spin as Chef’d Up Exits

After a “standoff” earlier this year between Chef’d Up and the restaurant’s landlord Perennial Properties over rent payments, the less-than-a-year-old establishment has already closed its doors. Co-Owner Jessica Booth at the time of the dispute told the Atlanta-Journal Constitution the restaurant couldn’t afford to pay its rent in full while Atlantans were dining out less amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.

It’s unclear when exactly Chef’d Up closed its doors for good, but the restaurant went radio-silent on its social media in the spring and has now been marked as “permanently closed” on Google. Over the weekend a What Now Atlanta (WNA) reader “noticed workers inside tearing [the space up],” which left them wondering if something new was incoming. The corner Old Fourth Ward space, at 701 Highland Ave. NE, has been a revolving door of restaurants in recent years. Before Chef’d Up opened its doors in late 2019, the space was home to Barrelhouse for a short stint, with Cast Iron, Last Word, and P’Cheen occupying the space before that — all in under less than a 15 year period (with P’Cheen operating for nearly half of that timeline.)

While details are scarce, a source with first-hand knowledge of the space tells WNA that a fast-casual grab-and-go eatery called Highland Walk Bistro is set to replace Chef’d Up as early as December. Highland Walk Bistro will be owned by someone related to a Perennial Properties Director and will serve sandwiches, soups, and salads. Reps for Perennial over the weekend did not respond to WNA’s request for comment.