Marietta's Gabriel's Expands Dining Area

Faced with almost daily requests for private parties and special events, recently completed an expansion that adds more room for folks eager for one of the Marietta Cake Lady's delectable offerings.

The celebrated Marietta bakery last week cut the ribbon on the new dining space, right next to the main dining room. Will it end the standing room only issues? Time may tell.

While the new area will provide more seating during the restaurant’s peak hours, Johnnie Gabriel and her staff plan to use the space for private events such as birthday parties, wedding and bridal showers, retirement parties, book club meetings and corporate meetings.

Gabriel, also known as “Marietta’s Cake Lady,” and Ed Gabriel opened Gabriel’s in 1996.  They started with a small bakery which has since quadrupled in size and evolved into a full-service restaurant, serving breakfast, lunch, dinner and desserts six days a week.  

Similar to her cousin Paula Deen, Johnnie Gabriel has become known nationally for her cookbooks, cooking demonstrations and television appearances. But loyal Marietta patrons and other nearby customers know, she is often seen at Gabriel’s mingling with guests, signing customers’ cookbooks and overseeing the creation of her signature wedding and birthday cakes, cupcakes, pastries and daily menu items.

In addition to Paula Deen's television programs, Gabriel's recipes have appeared in national magazines and in her own popular cookbooks, Cooking in the South with Johnnie Gabriel and Second Helpings.

Gabriel’s Restaurant and Bakery is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday and Saturday and from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. For information, call 770-427-9007 or visit www.gabrielsdesserts.com.