Southern National, the award-winning restaurant from hospitality duo Chef Duane Nutter and Reggie Washington, is expected to open in Atlanta’s Summerhill neighborhood this summer, according to a press release.
Chef Nutter was a 2020 James Beard finalist for Best Chef in the South and the Mobile restaurant made The New York Times’ prestigious list of the top 50 restaurants in the country.
Described as “your local downtown Mobile clubhouse,” Southern National serves up “Nutter and Washington’s one-of-a-kind sense of southern hospitality and passion for unique flavors.” The Atlanta outpost will feature regionally and locally sourced ingredients in dishes inspired by Nutter’s time in the Northwest and his extensive travels from coast to coast.
“Once you’ve cooked at a restaurant in a major airport, you understand that you’re cooking for an entire nation,” explained Nutter in the release, referring to his and Washington’s time spearheading One Flew South at the Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. “Our guests didn’t compare us to Southern restaurants; they compared us to their favorite restaurants in San Francisco, Chicago, and New York. As a result, we ultimately became inspired by influences from many different regional and cultural cuisines.”
The outpost’s interior is being designed by Atlanta-based design and architecture firms Smith Hanes Studio and MT Studio Architecture. The restaurant, which is opening at 72 Georgia Avenue, will seat approximately 80 guests and house a private dining area.
“When we were looking for our next project following One Flew South, we deliberately targeted places outside of Atlanta because we didn’t want to open a restaurant that would simply become One Flew South outside of the airport,” said Washington in the release.
“We wanted to embrace something new and challenging, which led us to my hometown of Mobile. As we return to Atlanta, we are excited to bring Southern National to historic Summerhill. Our investment in the community is a personal one for me, as I plan to make Summerhill my home.”
The announcement by the two successful black entrepreneurs marks a coming “full circle” for the Summerhill neighborhood, which was founded by formerly enslaved people in 1865, notes the release.
The restaurant is expected to debut this summer; a target date has not yet been announced. Find Southern National on social media to learn more.
