Business owner struggles after city closes her restaurant over zoning issue

SOUTH FULTON, Ga. — Nina Martin said she’s pivoting to try and cover bills after she said the City of South Fulton ordered her to abruptly close her restaurant, Boulevard Bar and Grill, last November.

“I’m liquidating, taking stuff down, I have to sell things,” said Martin.

Martin, who’s rented in this plaza for years, said she was stunned.

“They came up, and they said it’s a cease and desist,” she said.

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Since being closed, Martin said she’s lost thousands and plans on taking legal action.

“I think overall it’s close to $300,000,” she said.

In a letter from the City of South Fulton to Martin, it says businesses in operation before the City of South Fulton was established in 2017, were grandfathered in as commercial zoning areas.

But because Martin owned a previous restaurant at this location, she allowed her license to expire and didn’t renew it within six months.

This caused her property to fall under the City’s nonconforming statute, meaning ‘new restaurant’ use in this area is no longer permitted because it’s zoned for heavy industrial use.

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Martin said she wished the City would have told her, before opening her business last year.

“Now I’m in the hole, and I’m fighting to get out of that hole,” she said.

The City said Martin can file an appeal with the City’s Planning and Zoning Commission to have the zoning changed from heavy industrial to commercial if approved.

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