ATLANTA — Emerson Lambert loves a tasty lunch. Who doesn’t?
“I’d imagine there would be a huge influx of people coming to places like this,” Emerson said.
Ollie’s Market & Deli in Southeast Atlanta’s Grant Park is just down the street from Zoo Atlanta.
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“There’s not too many places to stop by before or after. So, we do see a lot of the spillover,” Ollie’s general manager Coleman Teofilak told Channel 2’s Berndt Petersen.
Coleman expects a flood of customers once the zoo’s newest residents arrive. Two giant pandas are on the way from China.
Zoo Atlanta has provided a home for pandas since 1999, including a bunch of cubs.
The last of them returned to China nearly two years ago. But a new pair is coming soon, and at Ollie’s patrons like Ryan Coraggio can’t wait. Nothing against zoo food, but after a long day seeing the animals, he’ll take a seat here.
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“Yeah. I think everybody likes to eat local. It’s cheaper and better,” Coraggio said.
Emerson comes here a few times a month. Giant pandas may lead to a few more visits.
“My son is a big animals fan, any type, bugs, pandas. You name it. We’ll probably hit that up right when it arrives,” Emerson said.
There’s no firm date on the pandas’ arrival yet. As soon as Channel 2 Action News finds out, you’ll be the first to know.
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