Mary Mac’s Tea Room roof collapses, iconic restaurant temporarily closes

ATLANTA — An iconic Atlanta restaurant is closed after a roof collapsed in one of its dining rooms.

It happened at Mary Mac’s Tea Room on Ponce De Leon Avenue in midtown Atlanta.

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Channel 2′s Bryan Mims saw debris, like bricks, wood, insulation and glass, lying strewn along the sidewalk outside the restaurant when he arrived at the scene.

A burst pipe sent water gushing for hours.

The collapse happened during heavy rain early Wednesday morning, but it’s unclear if that was the cause.

Throughout the morning, people in the neighborhood stopped to see the damage for themselves.

“It’s so sad. It’s an iconic place in Atlanta,” said Trena McWilliams, who was out walking her dog. “And thank God no one was in there.”

Mary Mac’s Tea Room opened in 1945 and remains the quintessential eatery for Southern comfort food. It’s known across the country for its Southern staples such as fried chicken, collard greens, pot roast and fried green tomatoes.

One of its owners declined to do an interview but said he doesn’t know when the restaurant can reopen. His main concern is for everyone’s safety.

The restaurant posted on social media that the restaurant would be closed.

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Tony Monachese of Paul Davis Restoration of North Atlanta said it’s likely that rainwater accumulated on the flat roof and forced it to give way.

“This is a pretty catastrophic structural failure,” he said. “Situations like this typically last several months.”

Police blocked Ponce De Leon Avenue for a couple of hours until Georgia Power crews could cut electricity to the building.

The collapse happened adjacent to Dialysis Clinic, Inc., which did not sustain damage, employees said.

Walter Mitchell, who works there, said he frequently eats at Mary Mac’s.

“I know it’s a big tourist attraction,” he said. “Everybody who lives out of state, they always talk about Mary Mac’s, and they come over here and eat. There’s always a line around the corner.”

Corwin Robison lives in the neighborhood and figures he eats there twice a month. “I see this and I think I just hope they can put it back the way it used to be.”

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