Top Chef alum Katsuji Tanabe is turning You42 Studios in Roswell into his own little food soundstage, rolling out three distinct concepts under one roof. The trio of spots — High Horse, Big Shots and AJ’s Pizzeria — mix theatrical cooking, a retro pizza counter and a honky-tonk style country bar. The idea is to match the creator complex’s entertainment-first energy while serving everything from charcoal-grilled steaks to tavern-style pies. AJ’s and Big Shots are already welcoming guests, with High Horse slated to start service in the coming weeks, planting a chef with national TV credits squarely inside a suburban hub that blends production studios with nightlife.
The lineup at You42
According to Atlanta News First, Tanabe stopped by ATL Live to talk through the rollout and said he is overseeing the menus for all three concepts. High Horse is positioned as the flagship, a live-fire restaurant that draws on Tanabe’s Japanese and Mexican heritage. Big Shots leans into a Western-inspired bar vibe, complete with live music, line dancing and a mechanical bull. AJ’s Pizzeria operates as a counter-service joint serving tavern-style pies, wings and grab-and-go options. The ATL Live segment also directs viewers to the restaurants’ Instagram accounts and You42’s dining page for details on hours and booking.
A chef with national credits
As reported by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Tanabe has racked up appearances on Top Chef, Chopped and Tournament of Champions, and this marks his first major project in the Atlanta area. “I consider myself a very selfish chef,” Tanabe told the paper, explaining that he builds menus around what he personally craves. The AJC notes that Tanabe also operates Bittersweet Pastry Shop in Chicago and Flour and Barrel in North Carolina, and that Atlanta-based Travis Cintron is on board as food-and-beverage director for the Roswell operation.
Inside the 'indoor town'
You42 Studios describes the complex as an indoor streetscape that houses production studios, themed sets and multiple dining outlets. The dining page lays out menu highlights and operating hours for High Horse, Big Shots and AJ’s Pizzeria. The site lists the studio’s address as 11000 Alpharetta Hwy and includes reservation and contact links for AJ’s and the upcoming High Horse. The complex frames dining as part of its overall entertainment play, building theatrical cocktails and scripted menu moments into the visitor experience.
Why Roswell
The projects land in the middle of a broader wave of entertainment-focused development outside the city core, and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution notes that You42 Studios occupies the former Andretti Indoor Karting & Games building. For Roswell locals, the combination of a quick pizza counter, a loud country bar and a higher-end live-fire restaurant means the complex can feed daytime creators and nighttime crowds without splitting concepts across town. Readers looking for menus, hours and reservation details are pointed to You42’s dining page and the restaurants’ Instagram feeds for the latest updates.
