Brown Bag Seafood Co. will open its restaurant at Colony Square in Atlanta on Oct. 1, according to a news release. Atlanta Business Chronicle, a sister publication to the Chicago Business Journal, on Feb. 20 reported Brown Bag's plans for an Atlanta restaurant.
Restaurateur Donna Lee founded the Chicago-based based seafood chain in 2014. Brown Bag's Colony Square outpost is its first outside the Windy City. The chain has eight locations in Chicago.
“We can’t wait to introduce ourselves to Midtown and Atlanta as a whole,” Lee said in a statement. “As we’ve prepared for this opening, we’ve felt more and more connected to this city, and it truly feels like a second home.”
Brown Bag operates as a fast-casual restaurant with a check-the-boxes menu. Diners pick their choice of seafood and base — which can range from beds of grains and veggies to sandwiches and tacos — and finish the order with selections of sides and beverages. Brown Bag's menu will be similar to those found at its sister restaurants in Chicago, with choices such as grilled salmon, crispy cod and curry fish cakes. But, there will be some local and regional selections, particularly in the rotating "daily catch" protein option. Most dishes will cost between $10-$15.
Chicago-based SGW Architects designed the roughly 1,700-square-foot restaurant, which features blue and yellow hues, marine rope décor and hand-painted signs, all meant to present a coastal ambiance. Picnic tables and umbrellas offer al fresco seating on Brown Bag's patio.
Brown Bag will source from Atlanta-based seafood distributors to build "a local and fully sustainable supply chain," according to the news release. Since its founding, the chain has committed to serving only sustainably sourced seafood by partnering with the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program. Brown Bag also joined the Midtown Alliance.
“At Colony Square, we’ve really been focused on the space between the buildings — creating a place where the community wants to gather from morning to night,” Adam Schwegman, partner and senior vice president of leasing at North American Properties, said in a prepared statement. “Brown Bag’s detailed focus on design and decor, unique culinary offerings and emphasis on elevating the consumer experience mirrors our vision for bringing the Art of Modern Life to the forefront of the redeveloped property. We are confident the concept will thrive within the Midtown community.”
