Decatur, GA — A new BBQ restaurant is planning to open its doors in Decatur.

The Decatur City Commission at its May 3 meeting will consider awarding an alcoholic beverage license to Hattie Marie’s Texas Style BBQ & Cajun Kitchen, which will be located at 130 Clairemont Avenue. The restaurant chain has locations in College Park, GA and Dallas, Texas.

According to the Hattie Marie’s website, “Hattie Marie’s has its origins in the southeast Texas town of Port Arthur.  She grew up watching her father, who was a cook on a merchant sea vessel, entertain and fellowship through cooking.  She was a natural in the kitchen and soon followed suit.  Hattie Marie decided to bring her culinary talents to the masses and opened her bakery/catering service Pie Face Bakery in the late 80’s.  Word soon spread about the delectable dishes being prepared there and her business took off.  She was forced to close her doors due to health complications, but many of her recipes and her cooking style live on through her children.

“Her son, Willie, moved to Atlanta in 1991. As his mother did in the 80s and 90s, and his grandfather before her, Willie has embraced the family tradition while paying homage to his mother. Hattie Marie’s BBQ intends to bring the flavor and essence of SouthEast Texas cooking to Georgia. Hattie has since moved on, but you can still get a taste of everything she embodied at Hattie Marie’s!  We hope you love it!”

The May 3 City Commission meeting will begin with a work session at 6 p.m. followed by the regular meeting at 7:30 p.m. The meeting will be virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are the access instructions:

There will not be a physical location for members of the public to attend. Members of the public may access the meeting in one of two ways:

1. View the live broadcast of the Decatur City Commission meeting at  https://www.decaturga.com/citycommission/page/streaming-video

2. Register in advance to participate during either the “Public Comment” or “Requests and Petitions” portions of the meeting at https://zoom.us/j/99390187046. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. You may also participate by phone by calling (929) 205-6099 and entering the meeting ID (The 11-digit number shown in the Zoom registration link.)

If you are unable to participate in the virtual meeting, you may email your “public comments” on agenda items or submit “requests and petitions” by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, May 3rd to: Andrea Arnold, City Manager, [email protected]

According to a memo from city Planning and Economic Development Director Angela Threadgill, “Hattie Marie’s BBQ is seeking an ABL for beer and wine beverages, and spirituous liquor beverages for consumption on premises, as well as a catering license.”

The restaurant will have patio seating and live entertainment, Threadgill’s memo says.

“Hattie Marie’s BBQ will provide outdoor seating on a private patio, thus is not subject to a sidewalk table plan,” Threadgill said. “The restaurant notes that it will have live entertainment by the way of karaoke and musicians. All local permits and a Certificate of Occupancy have been issued with plans for opening by late May 2021.”

Other items of note on the May 3 City Commission agenda include:

– Establishment of a project budget in the amount of $35,000 and award of a contract to Solutionz in the amount of $33,261.09 for technology upgrades in the City Commission Meeting Room.

– Approval of change order number three in the amount of $38,505.52 for the citywide fiber optic network project.

– Establishment of a project budget in the amount of $25,000 and award of a contract to Ohmshiv Construction, LLC in the amount of $21,785 for the construction of two curb ramps and crosswalks at Forkner Drive and Glendale Avenue.

– A contract for Clairemont-Commerce-Church Street Pedestrian Safety and Cycle Track Improvements. The City Commission will consider establishment of a project budget in the amount of $3,225,000, award of a contract to Lewallen Construction Company in the amount of $2,748,759.95, approval of an agreement with Georgia Department of Transportation for partial project funding, and approval of agreements with Thomas & Hutton Engineering and Don Cotter Consulting for construction administration in an amount not to exceed $200,000.

This summer the city of Decatur will begin work on a two-year project to install a cycle track on both sides of Church Street, reducing the road from four lanes to two.

The project will begin at Commerce Drive and will connect to the cycle track there, Assistant City Manager David Junger said.

The Church Street improvements have been under consideration since at least 2012, and years ago the city implemented a temporary road diet on Church Street near Glenlake Park. When it’s completed, there will be cycle tracks on Church Street from Commerce to Forkner Drive, about one mile of road. The project also include work on Commerce Drive and Clairemont Avenue. To see a summary of the planned work, click here.

To see the full agenda for the May 3 meeting, click here.