A Filipino street food and tiki concept that started as a pop-up is putting down permanent roots in East Atlanta Village, taking over a storefront on Flat Shoals Avenue that once housed a Caribbean juice bar. Zarate Tiki Co., led by bartender and chef Marcus Fernandez, is building out its first brick-and-mortar location at 493B Flat Shoals Avenue SE, bringing dishes like lumpia, halo-halo and ube ice cream to a neighborhood corridor that's been quietly reshaping itself over the past few years.
Permit filings reviewed by What Now Atlanta show Zarate Tiki Co. taking over the former storefront of Silvers Delight All Natural Juice, a onetime Caribbean juice and dining spot in the neighborhood. Fernandez told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution he chose the space because it will be relatively turnkey for his concept of simple street food and island-inspired cocktails, while What Now Atlanta reported the location will run primarily as a grab-and-go spot serving fresh juices and desserts alongside the rest of the menu.
From a Pop-Up to a Permanent Corner Shop
Zarate Tiki Co. began in 2023 as a pop-up and catering operation. The move to a permanent address gives Fernandez a dedicated base for a concept that has continued to appear at outside events and pop-ups while the storefront is being built out.
The name Zarate Tiki Co. comes from Fernandez's family history in the Philippines. He has said his grandmother operated a small corner store on Zarate Street and that he helped open it before school as a child. In discussing the East Atlanta Village location with Business Debut, Fernandez called the project “kind of like a full circle moment.”
A Pop-Up Precedent in Metro Atlanta
Zarate Tiki Co. is not the first Atlanta-area Filipino food business to make that transition. Eater Atlanta reported in October 2021 that Kamayan ATL, after three years as a pop-up and catering operation, planned to open a restaurant in December 2021 at Doraville's Asian Square. The earlier project was owned by Mia Orino and Carlo Gan, making it a distinct precedent: Kamayan moved into a Buford Highway-area complex, while Zarate Tiki Co. is establishing a grab-and-go-oriented storefront in East Atlanta Village under Fernandez's leadership.
Menu Built Around Filipino Street Food Classics
Fernandez has described his focus as Filipino street food classics, and Zarate Tiki Co.'s ordering menu backs that up with dishes like lumpia and ube ice cream, according to the restaurant's own listings on zaratetiki.com. The lineup also includes halo-halo, and the menu will be rounded out with tiki-inspired drinks and desserts, along with the fresh juices highlighted by What Now Atlanta's reporting. Fernandez told Business Debut that his goal is to contribute to a growing Filipino food presence in Atlanta, adding that he's trying to put his own take on that momentum.
Fernandez has also credited students and local Filipino communities with supporting the concept during its pop-up years. That response helped inform his decision to continue developing Zarate Tiki Co. as a permanent business, according to Business Debut.
Part of a Bigger East Atlanta Village Shift
Zarate Tiki Co.'s arrival lands amid a broader dining revival along Flat Shoals Avenue, according to real estate analysts at Roots Real Estate, who note the corridor lost anchors like The Elder Tree pub in 2024 and Happy Donuts in 2022. Joystick Gamebar is also relocating to East Atlanta Village at 485 Flat Shoals Ave SE after 14 years on Edgewood Avenue, as Rough Draft Atlanta reported, joining other incoming openings like European wine bar Bar Schmutzi and Italian spot Sagra. The strip itself sits inside a single-story, Class C multi-tenant retail building spanning 6,890 square feet on a 0.7-acre parcel with C1 commercial zoning, per records from the Widespread Commercial Group.
The timing also lines up with a wider surge in Filipino dining across metro Atlanta. The scene has grown significantly in recent years, anchored by spots like Michelin-recommended Kamayan ATL on Buford Highway and Bib Gourmand recipient Estrellita, which announced a move from Grant Park to South Downtown earlier this year. Industry data from Tastewise, reported by The Food Institute, showed a 50 percent year-over-year jump in U.S. consumer interest in Filipino food, with North America accounting for roughly 22.7 percent of global Filipino restaurant revenue.
A formal opening date has not yet been announced, according to Business Debut. In the meantime, updates on the build-out are being shared on the brand's Instagram account, instagram.com/zaratetiki.
