Nani's In Ponce City Market To Close As Company Focus Shifts

ATLANTA, GA — Nani's Piri Piri Chicken, a rotisserie chicken-based eatery at Ponce City Market, is permanently closing this month, according to a news release.

The last day of service for the restaurant is Feb. 28.

Kelsey Burrow, a company spokesperson, told Patch Nani's is one of multiple establishments owned by Meherwan and Molly Irani, who co-own the Chai Pani Restaurant Group.

Chai Pani plans to center its attention and resources on its Indian street food eateries, Burrow said. The restaurant group has locations in Decatur and Asheville, North Carolina.

The group owns Botiwalla and Spicewalla retail stores at the Ponce City Market in Atlanta and a Botiwalla at Optimist Hall in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Nani's was opened in December 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic and offered take-home meals. The original Nani's opened in November 2020 in Asheville.

The Asheville location closed in summer 2022 and was transformed into a Spicewalla retail space and a secondary kitchen for Chai Pani, Burrow said.

"Nani's was imagined when the pandemic began and Chef Meherwan Irani saw a need for comforting, take-home friendly food like never before," she said. "We wanted to make familiar food both extraordinary and convenient. We did this."

Customer favorites were the chicken salad melt, Nani's chicken burger and the Piri Piri Barn Box, Burrow said.

"It's bittersweet but we feel Nani's accomplished its mission and lived its best life," she said, speaking to the closure of Nani's.

Botiwalla and Spicewalla will remain open, she said.

Future plans include expanding Botiwalla outside of the southeast, according to the company release.

Chai Pani has won in the past the Outstanding Restaurant Award from the James Beard Foundation, according to the company release.