The Optimist wants Atlantans to contribute to the restaurant's décor | Restaurants

The Optimist and The Oyster Bar at The Optimist, Ford Fry’s highly anticipated seafood restaurant and oyster bar located on Atlanta’s west side, is asking future patrons to be a part of the restaurant’s oceanic culture. The soon-to-open eatery is looking for images of guests enjoying fun in the sun and the sea. Suitable photos include any image portraying surfside fun, from fishing, surfing and other water sports to playing in the sand and relaxing with family and friends on the beach.

“When I look at my own beach photos, I am reminded of feeling completely relaxed while spending quality time with my family and the sense of excitement for what the day’s catch might bring,” says Fry. “I want our guests to recall these very same feelings when dining at The Optimist or The Oyster Bar at The Optimist.”

Over the coming weeks, the restaurant’s designer, Smith Hanes, will be creating storyboards using these photos and will hang them on a wall in The Optimist to be a permanent part of the restaurant’s décor. 

“I think these photo boards will add a really personal touch to the restaurant,” says Hanes. “Images of families having fun at the beach will evoke the relaxed vibe and coastal way of life that The Optimist seeks to create.”

Guests who have photos to share can email their digital files to theoptimistatlanta@gmail.com or mail printed photos to Kimberly Powell’s attention at JCT. Kitchen & Bar (1198 Howell Mill Road, Suite 18, Atlanta, GA 30318).

The Optimist and The Oyster Bar at The Optimist are located at 914 Howell Mill Road in Atlanta. The restaurant’s menu will focus on sustainable seafood prepared in a wood-burning grill and oven, and the oyster bar will be a more casual venue offering a raw bar and shellfish selections that encourage sharing. For more information, visit theoptimistrestaurant.com or the restaurant’s Facebook page.