A local pop-up is making the leap to a brick-and-mortar space. Lindsay and Nebi Berhane are planning to open their cafe concept Sugar Loaf in a 1,735-square-foot space at Modera Reynoldstown at 780 Memorial Drive, Suite 1A.
The cafe is a longtime dream for the Berhanes, who have been building the vision since they started dating. Lindsay, who grew up in Virginia, and Nebi, who grew up in Georgia, were both inspired by their mothers to cook. Both professional dancers, Lindsay and Nebi worked in various positions in the culinary industry during their dancing careers.
When the pandemic hit in 2020, the pair decided to relocate from New York to Atlanta and pursue their dream.
“The goal was to move to Atlanta even pre-pandemic, just seeing the growth in the city and the food scene and how much more diverse it was becoming down here compared to when I was growing up in the ’80s,” Nebi told What Now Atlanta. “We saw it as a market where we could grow and hopefully thrive.”
The Berhanes decided to open a breakfast and lunch pop-up because they felt there was a gap in the market for a high-quality casual cafe spot. The name Sugar Loaf is a nod to where Lindsay grew up on Sugarloaf Court in Virginia.
“We felt like there was a middle space for a breakfast and lunch cafe where you could be a spot for people to find something fairly quickly — not fast-food, but casual dining where quality and scratch-made craftsmanship matters but you can eat on the go and it’s pretty affordable,” Lindsay told What Now Atlanta. “We decided that was where the angle for our cafe would be.”
The Berhanes have been operating Sugar Loaf as a pop-up, building a customer base at Piedmont Park Green Market and Grant Park’s Farmers Market. Their loyal following played a major role in their selection of Reynoldstown as a permanent home for Sugar Loaf.
“We really learned how much of a social contract there is between customers and vendors, especially at the farmers market. We really show up for each other,” Lindsay said. “Even if we show up in the rain, people will come and support. Once we built this consistent following that helped us grow, it was really important to find a location that is easy to access for our farmers market customer bases.”
The brick-and-mortar location will be a community-focused space, offering seating for 30 inside and 12-15 seats outside on an uncovered patio.
The switch to brick-and-mortar will give them the opportunity to expand their menu and bring back favorites from the pop-up. Expect to see pastries like gluten-free oatmeal cream pies, miso milk tea rice krispy treats, rotating flavors of cookies (with flavors like s’mores and ginger toffee), cinnamon rolls made with a house-made Chinese five-spice blend, and Ethiopian-inspired sticky buns with Ethiopian coffee-infused caramel.
Breakfast items will include their biscuits, as well as options like yogurt bowls with seasonal granola. Lunch items will include their take on an Oklahoma fried onion burger and an Albanian-Greek chicken sandwich.
The team is also placing an emphasis on its coffee program, working with Danielle Glasky (of Tic Tac Coffee) to craft a locally-sourced coffee menu.
“We have a million ideas and we are trying to edit ourselves down so we can put our best foot forward and see what people start to gravitate towards as we expand the offerings,” Nebi said.
The Berhanes hope to open in the winter, targeting an early 2026 opening. Even after they open, customers can expect to still find them at their usual farmers market locations.
