Nick Chaivarlis has been on the Atlanta bartending scene for a long time, but it has been about a decade since he has had his own place. Now, he is preparing to open Buddy Buddy at the Tapa Tapa space in Midtown at 931 Monroe Dr. NE C-106.
Chaivarlis is not new to the space. He has previously run the Christmas pop-up Miracle Bar, and now he and some of his colleagues are banding together to bring a permanent concept to the location.
“I thought it would be cool to have a permanent home with all these people, so we put our heads together and it came to fruition,” Chaivarlis told What Now Atlanta.
The spot will be located near Trader Joe’s and Midtown Arts Cinema. Chaivarlis said Buddy Buddy will have a laid-back, casual, inviting vibe, encouraging people to be comfortable and to come as they are.
“I wanted to create a place that was approachable and not stuffy because at the end of the day, people are going to be getting their groceries. I knew people would be in their workout gear or in their sweats running errands, so I wanted to design a place where we don’t take ourselves too seriously,” Chaivarlis said.
The menu will include nods to Chaivarlis’s Greek heritage, though he emphasizes that he wants “people to go into Buddy Buddy and think it’s not a stereotypical Greek restaurant.” He is teaming up with Chef Joshua Moss on the venture and is aiming to feature Greek comfort foods that tend to get less exposure than items like gyros.
Expect to see small bites like saganaki (torched graviera cheese with spiced tomato sauce), dakos (Greek bruschetta) and a mezze plate. Larger dishes will include pastitsio (Greek lasagna), stuffed peppers and roasted lamb lollipops.
The beverage program will feature spins on classics as well as infusions and liqueur modifiers. Expect to see a curated list of cocktails ranging from a classic old fashioned to a Greek-inspired espresso cocktail.
With Buddy Buddy, Chaivarlis is trying to fill a gap he sees in Midtown, especially for late-night food options, which he realized began to diminish after COVID.
“We’re trying to bring good quality stuff that is also casual back to Midtown,” Chaivarlis said. “We’re trying to bring back some options.”
Buddy Buddy should be open by October. You can follow along on their Instagram for updates as they grow closer to opening.
