Dante's Likely to Close at End of July; May Open in New Buckhead Location

Dante's Down the Hatch, a well-known and beloved Buckhead restaurant, will likely close its doors at the end of July. The restaurant's iconic owner Dante Stephensen told Buckhead Patch Tuesday that he is looking at other possible Buckhead locations for the restaurant.

It was first reported in November that Atlantic Realty Partners, which sits in front of Dante's on Peachtree Road, would ink a deal to purchase the property on which Dante's sits and redevelop it as a 10-story apartment high-rise complex.

The . During that time, Stephensen said he received many more offers from various interested parties.

However, Atlantic Realty has offered another deal that Stephensen said he will likely accept.

"If we sign, and we haven't yet, we would close on July 31," he said.

However, that may not be the end for Dante's.

"I'm beginning to look at others (sites)," Stephensen said about possibly opening his restaurant in another location. "I want to stay in the Buckhead area. It would be outside this ring (near Lenox Square)."

As reluctant as he is to close his restaurant, Stephensen said it's necessary due to the "irrational taxation" he said he's experienced as the property values in Buckhead continue to soar.

Stephensen said he loves his restaurant, employees and customers and will be hosting an employee reunion event on July 14. Dante held a similar reunion for Dante's employees for the restaurant's 25th anniversary and 200 employees came back from all over the country and even the world.

"I take care of my family," he said.

He said the restaurant is his wife and the employees are his children, and he will miss them dearly.