From Rockstar to Tapas Bar

An East Atlanta businessman has purchased the building that was home to the former Rockstar Gold memorabilia store with plans to reopen a Louisiana-themed tapas restaurant there next month.

Ten ATL, as the venture is called, at 495 Flat Shoals Ave. SE, has a target opening date of Sept. 15, the weekend of the East Atlanta Strut.

The concept is the brainchild of Joe Seymour, the owner of the barbershop in East Atlanta Village.

Ten refers to the fact that the menu will only have 10 items, all inspired by the cuisine of Louisiana, where his family roots come from.

Among the signature dishes, which will include catfish and shrimp meals: a crawfish burger. The signature drink: a "Hurricane 10."

The number 10 also is a nod to his maternal grandmother, Daisy Dunn, who passed away in 2005.

"That was my grandmother's favorite number," Seymour, a South Florida native, told East Atlanta Patch. "That No. 10 was her lucky number."

Seymour, who is partnering in the project with another Atlanta businessman, Rick Parhan, said the Village needs some variety and diversity in its offerings.

"The reason that I wanted to do this in this area was just to make it diverse," Seymour said. "Just something a little better than bar food."

As part of that, the restaurant plans to showcase local and touring live music acts.

Though it will feature a variety of genres, its focus will be on R&B, neo-soul and jazz, which aren't typically showcased in the EAV venues that have live bands, he said.

That was a critical factor, he said, because the EAV needs some musical variety.

"If this is going to be a cool area there's got to be a diversity of entertainment here," Seymour said.

Another differentiator: the restaurant will be smoke free.

Plans for the 1,800-square foot brick building near the northwest corner of Flat Shoals and Glenwood avenues call for an outdoor patio and reconfiguring part of on wall to install a garage bay door that would open the restaurant up to the patio.

Initially, it will be open Thursday through Sunday from 3 p.m. to about 2 a.m. and eventually being open seven days a week after by the new year, he said, adding the space also will be open to private parties and other functions.

Long-term, the plan is to have Ten ATL serve as the prototype for future locations in other cities, Seymour said.

That long-range plan calls for additional outlets in Miami, New York and Los Angeles.