YIR: Jewish Power Trio Revitalizes Dunwoody Village
David Abes, Billy Kramer, and Geoff Malkonian have breathed new life in the city’s center square.
The trio of Jewish restaurant owners, David Abes, Billy Kramer, and Geoff Melkonian have transformed a once-languishing Dunwoody Village into a vibrant, bustling hotspot.
Abes, owner of DASH Hospitality Group, has opened a series of restaurants in the heart of the village, with each offering their own unique menus and customer experiences: Bar{n} booze {n} bites; Morty’s Meat & Supply; and most recently, Message in a Bottle, which serves seafood. The series of dining establishments are set around an outsized communal courtyard with outdoor bars and a stage for live performances.
“I’ll see people sitting at this table one minute and then the next they’re over at another table and that’s what I love. But I also love the nights when you don’t know anybody and they came from Sandy Springs or they came from Roswell,” he says.
Kramer’s NFA Burger has taken Dunwoody, and most of Atlanta, by storm, as the restaurant routinely sells out of their burgers due to incredibly popular demand. Based out of a Chevron gas station, NFA Burger has been named Best Burger in Georgia by Food and Wine Magazine and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution as well as one of the Best Burgers in America by Thrillist. While he has been asked several times, Kramer says he has no plans of moving to a larger establishment and is quite content with meeting the current levels of demand each day.
Melkonian operates Breadwinner Café, which has carved its niche in the Dunwoody market. The popular bakery offers fast casual and European-style pastries, as well as soups, sandwiches, and salads. The café has been mentioned on “The Today Show,” and included as one of Oprah’s favorite things.
While the trio are proud of their accomplishments and impact they’ve made on the community, they recognize they are just part of a larger group of restaurateurs who are invested together in helping Dunwoody Village flourish.
“We are all invested in making sure that there’s a lot of success and options for the community, from people who really enjoy being in the community,” Kramer said.
comments