Mary Mac’s Tea Room will mark its 80th anniversary on October 20. The restaurant, located on Ponce de Leon Avenue in Atlanta, first opened its doors in 1945. Over the years, it has expanded from a single dining room with space for 75 guests to a facility that now includes six dining rooms and a full-service bar across 13,000 square feet.
Despite changes and growth, Mary Mac’s continues to maintain traditions started by founder Mary MacKenzie and later continued by Margaret Lupo. These include making desserts in-house and preparing vegetables by hand.
The restaurant recently completed renovations that included new décor, paint, and carpeting. Operational updates have also been made to improve the experience for customers.
“Mary’s Mac’s has always been about family, tradition and creating memories,” said Tina Leftwich, general manager of Mary Mac’s. “For years, long waits were a by-product of our success, but we’ve worked hard to make sure today’s guests can count on less waiting.”
Throughout its history, Mary Mac’s has served multiple generations of local residents as well as notable visitors such as the Dalai Lama, James Brown, Alan Jackson, President Jimmy Carter (deceased), and Congressman John Lewis (deceased). The State of Georgia has formally recognized the restaurant as “Atlanta’s Dining Room.”
