Athens Says ‘Willkommen’ To Couple Renovating Downtown Athens Building For German Restaurant

By: Holly Hollman

Downtown Athens is welcoming a German restaurant that Eric and Amy Miller plan to open next year on Marion Street.

The couple owns Hildegard’s German Cuisine in Huntsville. They purchased the former Diesel and Lola building across from the Limestone County Courthouse and are renovating for a Hildegard’s in Athens.

“It is wonderful to see new restaurants like Panera Bread and Hildegard’s locate in Athens and offer options for our growing community,” Athens Mayor Ronnie Marks said.

The Millers announced their new restaurant Monday night. Panera Bread held its ribbon cutting on May 28.

“We are experiencing growth across our city, so the more options like these we can offer in our various commercial districts, the more we can keep people dining and shopping locally,” Marks said.

The couple said they plan to expose the original brick, wooden floors and ceilings.

“We want to restore it and make it a showcase,” Amy Miller said.

They want to add back the three original windows on the third floor, paint the exterior, create room for some outdoor dining and utilize the first and second floor for the restaurant. The first floor would be for dining and the second floor would be a lounge area. The third floor might serve as a loft apartment.

The couple said the Athens restaurant will offer the same menu as the Huntsville restaurant.

“We will be rotating in specials such as a German burger or other dishes Athenians may crave,” Amy Miller said.

Plans are to serve lunch and dinner. The couple hopes to open by March or April 2020.
By: Holly Hollman
City of Athens Communications Specialist