Ex-Red Pepper Taqueria owner opening new restaurant in former Watershed space

The former owner of a celebrated Atlanta taqueria has plans for a new Mexican restaurant in the space that previously housed Watershed on Peachtree.

Mimmo Alboumeh, who left Red Pepper Taqueria in May, will open Botica by Chef Mimmo this November, according to a news release. Botica's menu intends to reflect Alboumeh's multicultural background. The chef grew up in Lebanon, Italy and Spain and started his culinary career in Mexican restaurants more than 20 years ago. The restaurant will serve street-style tacos and Alboumeh's "unique brand of hybrid cuisine," featuring house-smoked meats.

Tony Akly of Restaurants Consulting Group is working with Alboumeh on the restaurant's design, which will showcase pastel colors to create "a next generation Mexican feel," per the news release. Botica will be a departure from its fine-dining predecessor in the space at 1820 Peachtree Rd. NW. The restaurant will come with 40 televisions throughout.

Seating for 180 and a private dining room will be available inside. Accordion doors will open from the bar to a patio that will seat another 100. 

Alboumeh opened Red Pepper Taqueria in January 2012 on Briarcliff Road in North Druid Hills. New locations have since opened in Buckhead and Brookhaven .

Watershed on Peachtree closed in December. Chef-owner Matt Marcus purchased Watershed from Emily Saliers and Ross Jones in 2018 and took over the kitchen from then-head chef Zeb Stevenson, who has since opened Redbird in Westside Provisions District. Saliers and Jones, along with partners Leslie Zweben and Susan Owens, founded Watershed in Decatur in 1998.

At the time of Watershed's closure, chef de cuisine Karl Gorline told Atlanta Business Chronicle the restaurant could reopen at a new address. There has been no news on that front.

By Chris Fuhrmeister – Restaurants and Airport Reporter, Atlanta Business Chronicle

Sep 24, 2020, 7:18am EDT Updated Sep 24, 2020, 9:12am EDT