Ladybird Grove & Mess Hall over the weekend debuted its “Greenhouses in the Grove” dining option to make eating outdoors a tad bit cozier amid the winter months. The greenhouses are a novel departure from the ever-popular igloos which can be found on The Roof at Ponce City Market and Publico during the Midtown restaurant’s Santa’s Pub pop-up going on now.
“Perfect for small holiday gatherings, the Greenhouses are located in Ladybird’s outdoor Grove area and are equipped with cozy electric fireplaces, twinkling lights, lush greenery, and communal tables,” a spokesperson told What Now Atlanta in an email.
The Greenhouses can be reserved for two hours for groups of up to 10 at $40 per hour, and guests can order from Ladybird’s a la carte menu. A full bar selection is also available a la carte with seasonal cocktails such as Spiced Mexican Hot Chocolate, Hot Apple Cider, and Hot Toddies. Guests can also opt to order family-style items that feed two to three guests, including the Backyard BBQ Board with pulled pork, St. Louis-style ribs, local cheddar wurst, mac-n-cheese, potato salad, bourbon BBQ sauce, and pickles, and Whole Smoked Chicken with one wood-smoked chicken, skillet cornbread, mac-n-cheese, potato salad, and white BBQ sauce. The Greenhouses have a BYOB (Bring Your Own Blanket) policy. Upon arrival, one guest from the group can check in with the front desk to be seated in a semi-private Greenhouse.
Ladybird’s launch of the Greenhouses in the Grove has gotten off to a rough start, however. Quianah Upton, the entrepreneur opening Nourish Botanica — a “greenhouse and plant-based eatery” — next year, claims the restaurant stole the greenhouse idea from her. “In October I sent [Ladybird’s PR team] a message about our [GoFundMe] campaign,” for Nourish Botanica, Upton wrote over the weekend on Instagram. “They saw the message and lo [sic] and behold their client [Ladybird] suddenly has an idea to upgrade their failed base camp tent to a greenhouse dining concept.” Ladybird last year launched a “Base Camp Tents” concept that has morphed into the greenhouses this year.
Reps for Ladybird on Monday did not respond to What Now Atlanta’s request for comment, but Owner Michael Lennox did address Upton’s claims on Instagram saying, “I’ve visited restaurants using greenhouses in the past and more examples started appearing this year as restaurants around the world started using them for socially distanced dining.” Lennox said he had been exploring ideas for upgrading the base camps and encourages folks to visit Upton’s page “to find out more about her Nourish Botanica concept and visit Nourish Botanica’s GoFundMe page to support.”
