ATLANTA — As restaurant closures ripple across metro Atlanta, the West Midtown neighborhood is feeling the impact more than most.
Once known for its bustling food scene, the area has seen a string of restaurant shutdowns, from long-time staples to new ventures, leaving both patrons and workers in limbo.
Now, one local restaurateur is stepping up to help.
Ayman Kamel, CEO of K5 Hospitality, the group behind 5Church Atlanta and AltaToro, is using social media to extend a public invitation to restaurant workers who’ve recently lost their jobs.
In a video that has garnered thousands of views on Instagram and TikTok, Kamel says his thoughts were with industry professionals who “just woke up in the morning, and they found out they had no job. That is a really harsh feeling.”
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Kamel told Channel 2 Action News he was moved to act after seeing a growing number of his fellow restaurant owners close their restaurants.
“By all means, there’s so many,” Kamel told Channel 2’s Eryn Rogers. “That kind of got my attention.”
Among the recent closures are neighborhood favorites like West Egg Café and Bastone, both of which posted heartfelt goodbyes to customers on social media.
West Egg and Nina and Rafi, which was on the Beltline, attributed the decision to ongoing financial challenges stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kevin Joseph, a West Midtown resident, called the wave of closures “heartbreaking.”
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“It kind of takes away the community feel of the area,” he said.
Jordan Williamson, an Atlanta-based food influencer, said parking issues and rising costs in West Midtown may also be factors contributing to the downturn.
“At first, yeah, it surprised me,” Williamson said. “But then it kind of made sense — where are you going to park? And when there is parking, it’s expensive.”
Joseph echoed the concern about affordability, noting that high rent could be pushing businesses out. “Maybe lowering the rent somehow, or incentivizing people who come down,” he suggested.
While others close their doors, Kamel says his are open. He’s now conducting around 20 interviews a day and has already hired four people from recently closed West Midtown restaurants.
“We strive to have good people work for us,” Kamel said.
As the West Midtown restaurant landscape shifts, Kamel hopes his outreach can help stabilize the careers of those affected.
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