8ARM restaurant announces closure as Virginia-Highland property sold to developer

Popular Virginia-Highland bar and restaurant 8ARM announced via social media today that it will close in October after its BeltLine-adjacent property was sold to a developer.

The 8ARM property at the corner of Ponce de Leon Avenue and Ponce de Leon Place, along with the former Paris on Ponce building that was damaged in a fire in 2019, is prime real estate on the Eastside Trail and across the street from expanding Ponce City Market.

The social media post from 8ARM said they did not know who the buyer was or what they planned to do with the property, “but it will not include 8ARM.”

8ARM, which was opened six years by the late Chef Angus Brown, said it would end its current food program on July 2 and open its kitchen to a “variety of up-and-coming and established chefs.”

“Service will run each week from Thursday-Saturday, and include some of our past chefs like Maricela Vega of Chico and Duy Huynh of Yee’s Vietnamese, and also welcome the amazing talents of Cleophus Heathington from Ebi Chop Bar, Molli Voraotsady from SoSoFed, Mike and Shyretha Sheats from Plate Sale, and others, while we will still offer our full bar.”

8ARM will continue in that format until it closes its doors for good on Oct. 8.

The message concluded: “While our future is not long, we are incredibly humbled by the talents and dedication of our staff and partners, and the amount of support the community has shown us over years past. We hope that support continues for all the chefs that pass through our kitchen and our remaining staff in these final months, and beyond. We hope these next few months will be a celebration of the diverse people, delicious food, refreshing drinks, and great parties that graced 8ARM over the last six years. Please help us go out in style, and shine bright the spirit of Angus Brown.”