February marks the occasion of the second annual Tucker Restaurant Week. This event started a year ago as a partnership between the City of Tucker and our convention and visitors bureau, Discover DeKalb. It aimed to bring diners from across metro Atlanta to Tucker – all parts of Tucker, from Northlake to Main Street to Hugh Howell and Mountain Industrial – to sample what our diverse group of restaurants had to offer. The event was an award-winning, overwhelming success. Our restaurateurs raved about the new faces they were seeing and the influx of business they were getting during an otherwise slow period, especially considering we were in the midst of a pandemic.
I’m sure this year’s event, which is happening from February 23rd through the 27th, will be another smashing success. As I reflect on Tucker Restaurant Week and its origins, I am filled with gratitude and awe about some less-considered aspects of it. I’ll explain.
As an entrepreneur, I understand the inherent risk in starting your own business. I have not, however, experienced the particular risks taken on by those in the restaurant industry. According to a survey by CNBC, even prior to the pandemic 60 percent of new restaurants will fail within their first year. That same survey shows that 80 percent fail within the first five years. Those are some daunting odds in any pursuit, but especially one that requires the capital investment of a restaurant, way before the first dollar of revenue is generated.
That’s what makes Tucker’s restaurant scene so impressive. Matthews Cafeteria is the granddaddy of them all, a genuine local institution, open for nearly 70 years and just as popular today as it ever was. About a decade ago, a local ownership group took a gamble on Main Street and brought Local 7 to Tucker. Thanks to great food and great service, they quickly found an eager market and became a community gathering place. Not only have they defied those odds and found great success, they also paved the way for a burgeoning restaurant scene on Main Street and, in fact, a more general reputation for Tucker as a place with a lot of restaurants worth exploring. Las Colinas (another long-time favorite) benefitted from diners looking for more opportunities on Main Street. Hot Betty’s and Ford’s opened during the height of the pandemic, as did FarmED, over near Lawrenceville Highway and Northlake Parkway. Papi Ali’s also opened on Main Street during the pandemic, and the Blue Ribbon Grill at Northlake was purchased by a local family during the same time (read more about them on page 12). Tucker Brewing, who already had made a multi-million dollar investment in Tucker, added a full food menu while the pandemic raged, and has become a local staple for German food, beer, and family fun. Other local favorites like Shorty’s, Grecian Gyro, Magnolia Room, El Taco Naco, and Bell Street Burritos have worked hard to adapt to serving the public during the pandemic, and the good people of Tucker have responded with their continued devotion. Even a couple of outlets we don’t think of firstly as restaurants have joined in and are now sought out for their food menus and service as well as their main businesses serving coffee (Corner Cup) and fresh cut meats (Tucker Meat Market).
Tucker Restaurant Week is about extending and expanding our reputation as a place for people who love to dine out or take out. We’ve set that goal not only because all of us who live here enjoy the presence of great local restaurants, but because to have them, we know we have to acknowledge and appreciate their investment and the risks they’re taking, and do all we can to help them succeed against the odds.
Tucker Restaurant Week is aimed especially at supporting locally owned restaurants, as opposed to national chains, who typically have their own large marketing budgets and programs. The local entrepreneurs we’ll feature serve a huge variety of cuisine in a range of locations and atmospheres at different price points. But what they all have in common is that these brave souls took a huge chance by making an investment here in Tucker. And not only are they doing well businesswise, we are grateful for the good they are doing in our community. Every single one of them. When we talk about what makes Tucker such a special place, let’s remember to get out and support our restaurateurs and honor the impact they’re making every day.
I can’t wait to see you at Restaurant Week!
