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Southern-American Restaurant Simon’s Closes on Juniper Street in Midtown, Atlanta, Due to COVID-19 | Eater Atlanta

"Owned by Simon Guobadia, Simon’s on Juniper Street in Midtown closed permanently after just three years; a press release and a representative said Guobadia did not see a successful path forward because of COVID-19 and its “lasting impact on operations,” though he alluded to possibly opening another Atlanta restaurant in the future. The decision was framed around an inability to provide the true dine-in experience with the current restrictions given the restaurant’s layout, even as the governor’s executive order allowed limited dine-in with numerous safety requirements (including staff masks and a cap of ten patrons per 300 square feet). While Simon’s remained open for takeout and delivery, Guobadia did not apply for emergency funding or seek rent relief from the landlord, but he did pay his 20 hourly and salaried employees for 30 to 60 days when shelter-in-place orders began. The two-story dining room seated around 130 people, and the menu ranged from a crispy chicken sandwich and oysters to grilled salmon and Creole-style oxtails; the venue had replaced rapper Ludacris’ restaurant Straits (before it was renamed Time Restaurant & Lounge)." - Beth McKibben