Refreshed but virtually unchanged, Mary Mac’s restaurant reopens in Midtown Atlanta

When Mary Mac’s Tea Room announced Tuesday that it would reopen for regular business hours the next day, the news took the community a bit by surprise.

A restaurant like Mary Mac’s, known for its traditional Southern cuisine, isn’t supposed to surprise anyone, but that’s exactly what the Grande Dame of Midtown Atlanta did, reopening its doors just two months after the catastrophic collapse of its roof during a torrential rainstorm on March 6.

On Wednesday, a few minutes after 11 a.m., Mary Mac’s opened its doors to a group of about 15 first-time arrivals gathered outside. With the restaurant having announced its reopening less than 24 hours earlier, the lunch crowd was sparse, although it seemed to fill up around midday.

Credit: [email protected]

Credit: [email protected]

Even with a lighter crowd, the atmosphere was exuberant. Chad Reynolds, the restaurant’s director of operations, happily greeted the first customers waiting at the door. Staff members, many of whom have worked at the restaurant for decades, pointed out the new carpet and paint on the walls.

“It feels like family here,” a server told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Reynolds declined to be interviewed, citing plans for future media-focused events, but said he was thrilled the restaurant was back open and especially grateful that no one was injured in the collapse. A cleaning crew often works in the restaurant overnight, he said, and although the roof collapsed well before dawn, no one was inside at the time.

As the restaurant’s machines came back to life Wednesday, Reynolds personally went to each table to thank diners for coming back.

Nicholas Wolaver, who described himself as a regular at Mary Mac’s, said he was pleasantly surprised by how quickly the restaurant recovered. He last dined there about a week before the roof collapsed, and he saw the aftermath while driving on the night of March 6.

Credit: [email protected]

Credit: [email protected]

“Of course, I was disappointed and sad that they had this bad news, but also relieved that they immediately planned to fix the problem and start again,” Wolaver said.

Like many Atlantans, Wolaver has fond memories of Mary Mac going back decades. He first visited Atlanta as a high school student in the mid-1990s, when he stayed at the old hostel across the street to interview for an Olympics-related internship . Mary Mac’s was one of her go-to meals in town.

Not everything is exactly the same or back to normal in the restaurant as it winds through several different dining rooms. The right side of Mary Mac’s, which houses the Skyline Room, Board Room and Ferrell’s Bar, remained closed and hidden by plastic sheeting. The paint colors are new and the lobby furniture has been rearranged.

Unlike Manuel’s Tavern, Atlanta’s legendary dive bar, where the walls were scanned with special devices to ensure the mayflies remained unchanged in its renovated space, the team at Mary Mac’s focused on speed instead than on precision. Wolaver noted that the dozens of photos of celebrities and dignitaries hanging on the walls had been rearranged.

Most importantly, the restaurant ambiance and food remains the same as ever. The staff exudes Southern warmth and hospitality, talking openly and honestly with customers about their relief upon returning to work. Turkey Cornbread Dressing is always available year-round, and every table always has hot pepper vinegar for your collard greens.

“I love bringing my friends and family here when they come to visit. It’s a fun place to explore and it’s a historic place,” Wolaver said. “I’ve had friends who have been visiting since the late ’90s, and when they come back years later, they ask, ‘Hey, can we go to Mary Mac’s?’ » »