Krispy Kreme on Ponce rebuild gets underway

By Collin Kelley

Work to rebuild the Krispy Kreme at 295 Ponce de Leon Ave. is well underway and now the company has released a rendering of the new building.

The original building, a landmark for more than 50 years in Midtown, was heavily damaged by arson in early 2021. A few months later, another fire broke out inside the building, and it was eventually demolished.

The iconic Krispy Kreme sign at the corner of Ponce and Argonne will remain.

“We’re bouncing back better than I even imagined,” franchise owner – and basketball icon – Shaquille O’Neal said in a media statement. “I can’t wait to turn on the Hot Light. It’s gonna light up the whole neighborhood. Get ready, Ponce!”

The new Krispy Kreme is expected to open this summer.

Nourish Botanica offers food and coffee pop-ups

By Sammie Purcell

Nourish Botanica is kicking off its anniversary by expanding into food and coffee popups.

Starting on March 4, Nourish Botanica will begin serving food on Saturdays from noon to 6 p.m., and coffee on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Nourish Botanica is a Black-owned plant nursery and shop that officially opened in the spring of 2022 in south Atlanta’s Joyland community, 1651 Pryor Road.

Founder, artist, event producer and social justice advocate Quianah Upton said the space consists of a plant shop, a cafe, and a large greenhouse where the dining area will be located.

“I’ve learned a lot over the past 10 months that we’ve been open as a plant and flower shop,” Upton said. “It’s critical we build the right team and community partners, and with the restaurant industry in flux, especially in staffing, I want to dip my toes into the water carefully, so that we can sustain this business and provide healthy food access in Joyland for a long time.”

Upton is testing the expansion of the space into the cafe by collaborating with local popups to offer food and drinks on the weekend. The pop-ups will include food options from Meraki Soul and The Powerplant, and coffee from the likes of Recuerdos Cafe and Tanbrown Coffee.

Upton said that while a lot of the pop-up food offered will be vegan, there will be other options as well.

“We want people to eat as many plants as possible, but we’re not 100% tied to the idea of a completely meatless model yet,” Upton said. “It’s important for us to provide a space that is welcoming and has culturally relevant food, accessible for our immediate neighbors more than anything else. That will be determined through conversations over food with the community in 2023.”

For more, visit nourishbotanica.cafe.