A new watering hole in downtown Dahlonega celebrated its grand opening late December of last year and the restaurant has been consistently packed both weekends and weeknights ever since. The historically dry Lumpkin County has limited options by way of bars and breweries, with only a handful of restaurants in the city serving alcoholic beverages.
Prior to the launch of The Station, no businesses had occupied the relatively large property adjacent to “Gustavo’s” on the Dahlonega square in over a year. Now that property is home to the county’s largest bar.
Cook Hunter Lakhicharran, who works at The Station and Rolling Fuel, a food truck extension of the restaurant, says The Station was opened with the intent of providing a “place for anyone to enjoy a good drink and some amazing food – even after 10 p.m.”
Lakhicharran says, “The entire theme of our conglomerate is to represent a soldier’s everyday lifestyle in a military setting,” with dining areas “‘The Station,’ ‘The Garage’ and ‘The Landing Zone’” meant to represent “a soldier’s career in the army.” The Station aims to provide a “light, friendly vibe,” says Lakhicharran, in which “everyone can feel comfortable” and be “treated with kindness and respect.”
Based on its Google reviews and opinions of University of North Georgia students, “The Station” has had positive reception from the community. Senior marketing major Marie Jordan says she and her friends “like The Station,” though “it may draw a little bit of an older crowd compared to [Johnny B’s].”
Senior cybersecurity major Annelyssa Destin, hostess at The Station, says, “Although [The Station] gets many college students, the overall atmosphere is more of a higher-end bar rather than a college bar.” Jordan says The Station is a “good option if you want a bar atmosphere that’s a little more laid-back and a bit cleaner.” Lakhicharran says thus far “the community and students have been welcoming to a new eatery.”
The Station is distinctive from other restaurants in Dahlonega because it employs “a lot of cooks from many different culinary backgrounds,” who have all “worked together outside The Station,” according to Lakhicharran.
“I believe The Station is just what Dahlonega needed,” says Destin. “It fits any aesthetic a consumer could want from a bar: the Liquid Nation Brewery bar, which has a great selection of local beers brewed in Gainesville; and The Garage bar, which is your typical liquor and wine bar.”
Destin says she believes “the ample options The Station provides gives downtown Dahlonega just what it needs to offer locals and college students a fun place to go.”
