Graveyard Tavern in Expansion Mode

The Tavern is expanding, building out its basement into a separate venue and meeting space.

The Glenwood Avenue eatery, which has obtained approval for its liquor license application from the East Atlanta Community Association and Neighborhood Planning Unit-W, said it's filling a void in the Village for meeting space.

"It’s something the Village doesn’t’ really have right now,” Philip Christiansen, a co-owner and manager, said at a recent EACA meeting.

The venue will have its own entrance from the back and will not be accessable from the main bar and restaurant.

The Graveyard recently acquired the parking lot behind the building, which had been an area of concern for residents and patrons of the Village business district because of vandalism, robberies and car thefts.

"It's something we took into consideration and spent a lot of money on," Christiansen said, adding the restaurant has contacted Georgia Power Co. regarding lot lighting.

He also said the they will hire additional security and off-duty Atlanta police officers.

The bar sits catty-corner across the street from the Branan Towers retirement community, which has often raised complaints about noise coming from the bar.

Christiansen said he understands the complaints and pledged the new venue won't add to the noise.

"We are also very cognizant of that," he said. "It’s something we’ve taken into consideration in building out the basement.

"Upstairs we have a lot of windows; it's hard to stop the sound from transferring out of the windows. But downstairs is concrete — solid concrete, no windows."