Athens Bagel Company, in the space by Jackson Street Books on Jackson Street downtown that was most recently a tanning salon and before that, for many years, The Loft art supply, is, believe it or not, open. Months of stop and start work on the interior and a very intermittently updated Facebook page (founded more than a year ago) led me to think it might not ever happen, but it's a go.

I also heard from Chris Lloyd of Hilltop Grille, whose request for a zoning variance to open his next restaurant at the Five Points intersection, on Milledge, in the house on the corner, was approved. Here's what he had to say:

We hope to start renovation of the house in June and open in October. It will be a very casual “Oyster Bar” seafood restaurant you would expect to find on the Gulf Coast. Lunch menu continues thru dinner with a few items for dinner only. Most of our dinner entrees will be put up on a chalk board based off what we can get fresh daily. There will be a full bar open 7 days a week along with a deck opened out into 5-points off the side of the house. We have 15 parking spaces approved for the site but will count heavily on walk up and bike up traffic from the surrounding area. Price points for lunch will be @ $8 and $12-15 for dinner. We are very excited about restoration of this historical home that has so much character and turning it into a neighborhood destination.