Dogwood opens soon inside The Westin in Uptown
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
You can gaze at the skyline through the floor-to-ceiling windows in a room with 30-foot ceilings. Photo: Ashley Mahoney/Axios
Dogwood: A Southern Table will open in a new space inside The Westin on Jan. 22 as part of the Uptown hotel's major renovation.
Why it matters: The addition of a popular name like Dogwood points to Uptown's post-pandemic revival, as a growing number of highly anticipated restaurants have either opened or will open there.
By the numbers: Upgrades for the 700-room hotel cost about $25 million, including more than $6 million for the restaurant space.
Context: Dogwood closed in August 2023 after nearly 10 years in SouthPark.
- The restaurant, owned by Kim and Jon Dressler (whose Rare Roots Hospitality Group includes Fin and Fino, Chapter 6, Dressler's and Joan's Bakery & Deli), was known for Southern classics and use of seasonal produce.
- Dogwood was also known as an "incubator for some of the city's mixology talents," Unpretentious Palate reported.
- The staff at Dogwood moved to the restaurant Chapter 6 in South End. The goal was to possibly revive Dogwood one day, Dressler tells Axios. When The Westin approached Rare Roots about bringing a restaurant to the hotel, Dressler asked if they would be amenable to Dogwood, and they said yes.
What to expect: The new space is larger and brighter than the previous restaurant, Dressler tells Axios. You can gaze at the skyline through the floor-to-ceiling windows in a room with 30-foot ceilings.
- Sip on a cocktail at the 36-seat bar. Sit in a booth, on a couch, at a table or at a high top and order familiar favorites like duck and dumplings.
- The restaurant seats roughly 200 people, including bar seating. There's also a small private room where you can wait for a table or pop in from the hotel.
- "The feel is very much different, but the same elements of the menu should exist," Dressler tells Axios.
Dig in: Familiar favorites like bacon jam served with house saltines, fried oysters and shrimp and grits are on the menu. The kitchen will be led by Rare Roots Hospitality Group executive chef Scott Hollingsworth.
- Brittany Kellum is the bar director.
Stop by: Dogwood is at 601 S. College St. and will be open daily from 11:30am. The bar will be open until midnight. It'll serve lunch and dinner and will eventually add brunch. It'll begin taking reservations later this week.
What's next: Dogwood will host Dogwood Housewarming Party on Jan. 15 at 6pm. The fundraiser for food service workers benefits Giving Kitchen, a James Beard Award-winning nonprofit that supports food service workers during times of crisis.
- The evening includes elevated snacks, craft cocktails and an auction emceed by Jon Dressler. Tickets start at $250. The goal is to raise $100,000.
- Editor's note: This event has been postponed due to construction delays. A new date will be announced at a later time. People who purchased tickets have been notified and refunded, according to the Dogwood team.
Between the lines: Dressler's mother Joan began making cheesecakes for her son's restaurants in 2003. Joan recently passed, but her legacy lives on and you'll find her classic cheesecake on Dogwood's menu.
- "My mom was thrilled and enamored at, not as much my success, as but the impact we've been able to have on the community and the people within the community," Dressler says.
Go deeper: Dogwood will unveil its new Uptown space with a fundraiser for restaurant workers
Editor's note: This story was first published on March 18, 2024, and last updated on Jan. 9, 2025.