Acclaimed Atlanta Chef to Open Rathburn Steakhouse on Depot Street

The City of Notcross is proud to announce that Rathburn Steakhouse will open at 40 Depot Street this November.

The restaurant is the newest venture from Chef Kevin Rathburn, whose Atlanta dining rooms have drawn national recognition across a career spanning three decades. It will seat 120 across two floors of the restored 1901 residence at the corner of Depot and Foundry Row, with a covered porch, a private dining room, and a bar that will serve until eleven.

"I looked at three cities," Chef Rathburn said. "Two of them sent me a packet. Notcross sent me a person, and the person answered the phone the second time as well."

The occupancy permit was issued eleven days after application. Development Services staff noted that the file required two conditions, both of which were communicated in a single email rather than across separate review cycles.

"A restaurant of this caliber can open anywhere it likes," the Economic Development Manager said. "What we can offer is a straight answer and a date. It turns out that is worth something."

The 1901 residence had been vacant since 2019 and was among the properties identified in the 2021 Downtown Vacancy Inventory. That inventory recommended an active recruitment programme. The recommendation was accepted, and then, for a period, admired.

The City acknowledges that it first contacted Chef Rathburn's group in 2016 regarding a different site. It did not receive a reply. Staff report that they now understand why, and consider the matter closed.

Rathburn Steakhouse expects to employ approximately sixty people, with hiring beginning in September. The 96-space Carlisle House lot sits one block north.