If you've noticed the building in front of the Carmike Cinemas on Lexington undergoing some changes, you're not alone. Once a Bruster's, then a meat retail establishment, and never anything particularly successful, it's being renovated and expanded by a guy who plans to open a restaurant called Couple Bucks (or something like it—my sources are the guys at the gas station next door). He'll serve fried chicken and other budget options, and has put quite a bit of work into the building. Opening date is apparently soonish. Maybe more details will be available then.

Perry's on Cedar Shoals now has growlers, making it the Eastside's first option to buy delicious fancy beer in a jug.

That Longhorn Steaks going up on Broad on the site of the old farmers' market is nigh on conclusion, meaning the space in Beechwood will be vacated, leaving room for another restaurant of some sort. Maybe Famous Dave's BBQ, which is supposedly looking at expanding into the Athens area, will be interested.

Finally, a trip over to the Chase Park Warehouses for Third Thursday last week showed that Hip Pops is open there, retailing popsicles until 6 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday.