Female-founded businesses add diversity to Atlanta’s food & drink scene
Support them year round by visiting their pop-ups all over the city
Women’s History Month is soon coming to an end, but that doesn’t matter because these Atlanta-based, female-founded pop-ups are here to stay. Live in the city or visit from time to time? Refer back to this list when you’re hungry, thirsty, or want to try something new. I promise these chefs, mixologists, bakers, and pit masters will cure all your cravings and you might even make a couple new friends along the way.
My idea to write this stemmed from a chance meeting with Haley Herebia (formerly a bartender at Carmel in Buckhead) a few weeks ago. She came up with the idea for Girl Bar, a pop-up cocktail collab “for the ladies, by the ladies.” The first event will take place on 3/25/24 at Tight Squeeze behind Establishment in Midtown and the menu will change continuously. The theme for the first event is “Girls Know Classics” and will feature a few riffs on classic cocktails like the clover club and the navy grog in addition to a couple zero proof cocktails—they’re keeping it inclusive, and that’s so lovely. Haley hopes that this project will create a network for women to build relationships within the industry and that it will also shine a light on their creativity in a way normal bar jobs might not allow.
“Someone who really inspired me to do my own pop up was Jaclyn Campbell, whom I worked with briefly at Carmel,” Haley said.
Which leads me to Find the Rabbit, Jaclyn’s cocktail concept that’s been popping up around ATL for a few years now. She doesn’t have anything set in stone right now, but hopes to host a pop-up at Banshee in EAV this summer. The theme she’s working on is nostalgia, and will include cocktails “inspired by anything from cartoons I watched growing up like Avatar to sugary drinks like Bug Juice,” Jaclyn told me in an email. Past pop-ups have taken place at the Waiting Room in Midtown and her most well-received one was inspired by erotic artwork. Two standouts from that menu include, “The Garden of Earthly Delights,” a riff on a Paloma with cumin-infused grappa, acid-adjusted melon, hopped grapefruit, and soda; and “La Voyeuse,” a play on a Vieux Carre, with tamarind-infused rum, Scotch, vermouth, and toasted black walnut.
Female pit masters are rare, but Amanda Kinsey of Amanda’s BarBeeQue has carved out a beautiful space for herself as a Black woman in the male-dominated industry. Her food truck most recently popped up at Atlanta Brunch Festival, and she’s focused mainly on festivals and private events for now. What I really love about Amanda is that she started as an early education teacher, but didn’t feel like she made enough money to support her (family’s) dreams, so she began BBQing on the street as a way to send her son on a school trip abroad. Amanda’s hard work is wonderful proof that it’s never too late to change careers, and that taking that risk does often pay off.
For the cannabis-loving girlies, I was turned on to Hi-Five Supper Club by Lia Picard, an Atlanta writer and new friend who featured the pop-up in an Atlanta Mag article here. Founded by Liz Peña and friend Naki, Hi-Five hosts a few dinners per year with CBD-infused dishes (that might make guests feel buzzed) and N/A and CBD-infused beverages, like virgin mojitos. These dinners are on hold for now, but the friends are hosting Mystic District Marketplace at Westside Motor Lounge (tix here) on 4/20. They won’t be cooking for this, but you can always order food and drinks from the bar.
Quianah Upton of Nourish Botanica has such a cool, warm, friendly vibe and it’s been fun to see her business evolve from a plant and flower pop-up (remember Kiki the Camper?) to a brick-and-mortar space where she hosts events and pop-ups that uplift other makers, artists, and chefs. Her “Friends & Neighbors” monthly market takes place on the first Saturday of the month and features makers that are women, LGBTQIA, and Black and brown. And then there’s “SESSIONS Eats Market,” an outdoor food-and-drinks night market that takes place during an open mic event the third Sunday of every month. Nourish Botanica is also hosting Black Girl Plant Fest during Earth Day weekend in April.
of At Heart Panaderia makes cakes, jams, conchas, and more out of her home micro-bakery in Decatur, which is honestly goals. In addition to a coffee shop/wine bar/bookstore, I’ve always dreamed of a career baking and love that Teresa took her passions for bread, Mexican sweets, and family and turned it into the most incredible opportunity to make a living. She also writes a substack newsletter featuring recipes here. Follow her on social media for upcoming events—her conchas sell out fast!A certified sommelier who hosts tastings at Brookhaven Wines, Beth Taylor of wine.for.good always donates a percentage of sales back to the local community. I know her because she and my sis-in-law used to do virtual tastings together during the pandemic after both leaving wine shop jobs, opening up their wine knowledge to locals, but also to anyone on the internet who wanted to join/learn/share. One of the most memorable for me was a “Women of the Vine” tasting which highlighted female winemakers. I remember being fascinated when I learned that harvest can be influenced by the moon/tides. Beth still incorporates this type of intel into her in-person tastings today and is even hosting a wine trip to Loire Valley in France this summer.
Sofia Garcia from Lupe’s Mexican Eatery has been popping up at Grant Park Farmers Market for 3+ years now. She moved to ATL from Mexico and brought Mexican-traditional cuisine with her. I love that she was inspired by both her grandmas, who are amazing cooks. Sofia’s mouthwatering menu includes everything from burritos to barbacoa tacos to birria and tres leches cakes.
Gourmet Street Foods by Chef Carla Fears pops up at places like Wild Heaven in Avondale and the Punk Foodie stall at Ponce City Markets on weekends. Recent menus have included garlic butter pesto mussels, stuffed quail with green lentil salad, and classics like the roasted chicken salad sandwich with crispy onions. I love that she experiments with everything from Mediterranean and Japanese to Southern-style menus/dishes, and refuses to be placed in a box or reduced to just one type of cuisine. Her menus are truly globally-inspired. Listen to her interview with Discover Atlanta here.
What an amazing article and to be mentioned along with those amazing women !
Thank you so much!