Holy Smokes! DAS BBQ to Debut December 30th

The wait is almost over!

DAS BBQ, the new barbecue restaurant opening on Collier Road, is expected to open December 30th after months of renovations.  

The counter-service restaurant, which occupies an UTBAPH (Used To Be A Pizza Hut), includes both the original, heavily renovated "hut," as well as a second, smaller "hut" building.  Pizza Hut closed at the location early last year after over 40 years in business.  DAS BBQ Owner Stephen Franklin debuted his restaurant's food at Taste of Atlanta this past October where it received high praise. 

Clover, a POS system produced by Sandy Springs-based First Data, was the system Franklin chose to handle customer payments.  It was a fortuitous choice.  Dan Charron, Executive Vice President-Global Business Solutions for First Data, hand delivered Franklin's unit earlier this month, as it was the 500,000th sold.  Charron brought not only the POS system, but a team of Clover specialists to train Franklin and his team in advance of their grand opening.  

A video First Data produced to commemorate the milestone includes DAS BBQ owner Stephen Franklin describing the restaurant as being "designed to scale" seemingly with plans to open "multiple locations in different cities."

A phone number listed for the restaurant on its website is in fact Franklin's personal cell phone number, and is not answered with any regularity.  With that in mind, I visited the restaurant yesterday, where I found handwritten signs indicating that the opening is scheduled for December 30th. 

Are you excited for the opening of DAS BBQ?  What has become of your local UTBAPH?  What is your favorite place for BBQ in Atlanta?

Please share your thoughts below.