YEPPA&co Bar e Ristorante Now Open at Buckhead Village
YEPPA&co Bar e Ristorante, the latest concept from Pietro Gianni and Stephen Peterson of popular Italian restaurants Storico Fresco, Storico Vino, and Forza Storico, is now open at 306 Buckhead Ave. in Buckhead Village. YEPPA&co is a bar-centric, hospitality-driven Italian concept focused on interpersonal connection and food, wine and cocktails, many from Rimini in the Emilia-Romagna region. The restaurant serves lunch and dinner seven days a week in the central bar area plus approachable to-go fare. Next month, YEPPA&co also will feature a separate interactive bar called Dryver Bar dedicated to Formula One racing fans and offering a unique beverage menu designed by Jose Pereiro and private event space.
“Yeppa” is an expression that describes an existential vision. It is the ability to live life passionately and intensely, where one seeks and accomplishes highly gratifying ideas. This experience developed in Europe—particularly in Rimini, Italy in the Emilia-Romagna region—where the joy of living and hospitality are perfectly expressed in conviviality.
“Yeppa is the word that springs spontaneously from your mouth when you are living in this paradigm,” says Peterson, who grew up in Rimini. “Yeppa means sticking your tongue out at the futile ideas that complicate life. Yeppa is all about living life to the fullest but in a simple way. Calling this restaurant YEPPA&co is a big step for us, it’s like opening a sacred chest,” he adds.
YEPPA&co was originally inspired by Roberto, a close friend of Peterson’s family who was a restaurateur and entertainer in Rimini. “Yeppa” was his saying, a way of spreading excitement and positive energy. Now it is a philosophy and a way of life for Peterson and Gianni.
“Roberto changed the way people dined,” Gianni adds. “This is a celebration of his life. We want to share that same energy by naming this new restaurant YEPPA&co.”
This energy is something Gianni feels has been missing in Atlanta, especially since 2020 when personal engagement among diners began to drastically decrease due to COVID-19. In speaking with his guests, Gianni found that many are entertained by sports but still wanted great food, wine and service, and like him, had been discouraged by traditional sports bars.
“This is not a sports bar, but when there is a big event on, like a Formula 1 race, hidden TVs will be turned on for guests to watch. YEPPA&co is a way to connect with sports and other significant events while still building personal connections,” he says. “This restaurant is a statement to ‘come and have fun.’ YEPPA will have great vibes and high energy like our other restaurants, and we can add the element of entertainment when it is needed and requested.”
The restaurant’s menu is elegant in its simplicity and includes a variety of regional items along with imported delicacies from Emilia-Romagna that reflect the way they are prepared in Italy. The Emilia-Romagna region, located in the northern part of Italy, is home to the country’s best cuisine and some of the world’s most beloved ingredients including ragù alla Bolognese, prosciutto di Parma, Parmigiano-Reggiano and balsamic vinegar.
YEPPA&co is considered a “chefless” restaurant meaning there is true teamwork and not one chef with one interpretation and an ego. Omar Casali of Maré is overseeing the kitchen and is responsible for refining the menu and training the culinary team. The menu was developed in collaboration with very talented chefs from Rimini and surrounding areas. Peterson and Gianni have collaborated with Emilia-Romagna restaurateurs to offer Atlantans dishes that are prepared just as they are in Rimini.
To begin the dining experience at YEPPA&co, the bar offers guests “sapori d’Italia” (flavors of Italy)—small bites of exceptional food such as cured meats, cheeses and other small appetizers that express simple Italian flavors. The main dining menu features a curated selection of dishes ranging from grilled vegetables and fresh Adriatic seafood imported from Ecopesce to panini, piadina and focaccia pizza to a few pasta dishes for an overall healthier approach to Italian food. Menu highlights include:
Gnocco fritto – fried piadina (Italian flat bread), prosciutto di Parma 30 mesi, mortadella and coppa
Cacio e pepe – mezze maniche, Parmigiano-Reggiano, pepper and crispy prosciutto di Parma
Cotoletta ala Bolognese – lemon-rosemary brined breaded fried chicken breast topped with fried prosciutto, thinly melted toma cheese and arugula and artichokes salad
Mazzancolle al sale – grilled Adriatic prawns swimming in extra virgin olive oil, garlic and rosemary, Maldon sea salt and grilled bread
Fritto di calamari – Adriatic fried calamari and lemon
Tagliolini e cozze – house-made tagliolini, out-of-shell Adriatic mussels, sugo di pomodoro, white wine, garlic and parsley
Storico veteran Jose Pereiro is the beverage director for YEPPA&co as well as Storico Fresco, Forza Storico , Storico Vino and soon to open Dryver Bar. The beverage menu boasts premium Italian beers such as Birra Viola and all Italian wines such as grechetto and sangiovese from Enio Ottaviani. The vineyard collaborated with Peterson and Gianni to create P’s Rosé Please Don’t Touch, a testament to the use of Sangiovese grapes for the upcoming spring.
The 7,000-square-foot space features low wood ceilings with light off-white shiplap walls to honor the beach town feel and colorful artwork lightens up the vibe. Furnishings have been repurposed to offer a wide variety of seating options, string lighting provides a warm, intimate glow and Italian photographs adorn the restaurant’s walls and ceilings for an intimate look at life in Rimini. YEPPA&co’s environs are divided into four different zones:
The main dining room is centered around a huge u-shaped bar where guests can order small bites and antipasti. This central area boasts a combination of bar stools, high-top tables and booths along with several smaller television screens elegantly set inside the furniture for viewing American and international sporting events. The bar and tables are intentionally narrow to allow for maximum interaction.
The Corner, which is located across from Fetch Dog Park, offers approachable takeout fare such as focaccia pizza, panini and salads along with coffee and juice. This dog-friendly area is open all day and features patio seating.
A spacious indoor/outdoor patio, which Jamestown LP has graciously expanded, is accessible from bustling Buckhead Avenue and serves as YEPPA&co’s front entrance, allowing prospective diners to see and feel the restaurant’s energy as they approach.
Dryver Bar, a Formula One-themed independent cocktail bar, will complement the space starting next month and is connected to the main dining area via garage doors. This hidden gem boasts an interactive racing experience with a 2023 Formula One full-size replica mounted on the ceiling, televised Grand Prix races and an elevated cocktail menu by Jose Pereiro.
“Rimini is love at first sight,” says Peterson. “The entire northeastern coast of Italy is known for exceptional hospitality with thousands of beach resorts, restaurants, bars and a boisterous nightlife while also offering scenic mountain views, a rich Eno-gastronomic environment and an unmatched nature reserve. Once you get to know the people, the traditions and the food, you won’t want to leave. Now we can bring our guests from Atlanta to Rimini to enjoy the full experience.”
About YEPPA&co
YEPPA&co is located in Buckhead Village at 306 Buckhead Ave.NE, Atlanta, GA 30305. The restaurant will be open seven days a week, initially for lunch, all-day dining and dinner. Dryver Bar is open Tuesday through Saturday from 5-10 p.m. During Formula 1 season, Dryver Bar will be open on Sundays as well. Self-parking is available in the Buckhead Village garage with two hours validation, and valet parking also is offered in the center. To keep up with the latest updates, visit yeppaco.com and follow along on Instagram.