Paschal's Southern Cuisine — Atlanta, GA

Our Story

History

It started with two brothers from Thomson, Georgia, a sandwich counter with no stove, and hot lunches cooked at home and carried in by taxi. What grew from that has fed Atlanta for more than 75 years.

Hospitality

From family dinners to weddings, business lunches to cocktail receptions — we set the table the way we'd want it set for our own family, because that's exactly what it is.

Home Cooking

Robert Paschal's secret fried chicken recipe put the restaurant on the map, and it still anchors the menu — alongside scratch-made sides, cooked the way they've always been cooked.

Two men behind the original Paschal's soda and sandwich counter

1947

In 1947, James and Robert Paschal opened a 30-seat luncheonette at 831 West Hunter Street where they sold sandwiches and sodas. As the business grew, they expanded the menu to serve hot lunches. There was no stove and the brothers did not own a car, so the hot food was prepared at Robert's home and delivered by taxi.

James and Robert Paschal in the late 1950s

1959

In 1959, Paschal's Restaurant & Coffee Shop opened in its new location at 830 Hunter Street. The new facilities sat 90 in the coffee shop and 125 in the main dining room. The expansion was financed with a $75,000 loan from Citizens Trust Bank in conjunction with Atlanta Life Insurance Company — one of the largest loans the bank had made at that time.

The Paschal brothers beneath the La Carrousel sign

1960

In December of 1960, La Carrousel Lounge opened. It was considered Atlanta's jazz mecca for more than a decade, showcasing some of the finest local and nationally recognized artists — including the Ramsey Lewis Trio, Aretha Franklin, Lou Rawls, Dizzy Gillespie, the Paul Mitchell Trio, and many others.

Groundbreaking ceremony for Paschal's Motor Hotel

1965

In 1965 the Paschal brothers broke ground on what would become Paschal's Motor Hotel, adjacent to the restaurant and coffee shop.

The Paschal's Motor Hotel and Restaurant sign

1967

In March 1967, Paschal's Motor Hotel opened, featuring 120 lavishly furnished rooms, meeting rooms, additional dining spaces, and a swimming pool.

James Paschal signing the Dobbs-Paschal Midfield agreement

1980

James and Robert Paschal entered into a landmark agreement with Dobbs House Inc. to form a joint venture, the "Dobbs-Paschal Midfield Corporation." The partners bid on the airport concession contract and won a 15-year contract to provide food, beverage, and retail services from 1980 to 1995 at the new airport.

Paschal's at Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport

1995

In 1995, the original airport contract expired at Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport. Paschal's entered into a joint venture with Concessions International, Inc. to form Concessions/Paschal's J.V., which won the contract to provide food and beverage services as one of two prime operators at the airport.

The newly named Paschal Boulevard street sign

1997

In 1997, a street was named after James and Robert Paschal by the Atlanta City Council. Jeptha & Taliaferro was renamed Paschal Boulevard.

The Paschal's restaurant in Castleberry Hill

2002

In March of 2002, business leaders James Paschal and Herman J. Russell joined together once again to open the 21st-century version of Paschal's on Northside Drive in the Castleberry Hill area.

2005

In October of 2005, James Paschal was inducted into the Atlanta Hospitality Hall of Fame. Robert Paschal was also inducted, posthumously.

James Paschal with a guest in the restaurant lounge

Legacy

James Paschal died in 2008. The restaurant and legacy of Paschal's continue with the Northside Drive location and a unit at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. The remaining members of the Paschal family carry the torch, running the businesses in the spirit of the founders.

Our Heritage

A gathering place through Atlanta's history

By the late 1950s, the lunch counter had grown into a full dining room, banquet space, and an adjoining jazz club — one of the only integrated venues of its kind in Atlanta at the time. Through the 1960s, the restaurant became a trusted meeting place for civil rights leaders planning the movement. That legacy of showing up for the community is still part of how we think about this table today.

Still carrying the La Carrousel spirit

Turn on some jazz while you browse — live from WCLK 91.9, Atlanta's jazz station.

Some recipes are worth keeping in the family.

A gathering place through Atlanta's history

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Find us in Concourse B

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