A family-owned breakfast spot on Grayson Highway got a fresh introduction to the local business community this month. The City Bodega Café, owned by Monica and Craig Philip, celebrated a ribbon cutting with the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, October 1, marking a relaunch of its restaurant at 1417 Grayson Highway, Suite A, in Lawrenceville.
The café serves all-day breakfast, brunch, and lunch built around family recipes the Philips trace back to their Virginia, Charleston, and New York roots — think shrimp and grits, salmon croquettes, French toast, and cheesesteaks, alongside specialty teas and lemonades. “With a growing legacy rooted in family, food, and community, The City Bodega Café continues serving memorable meals while creating connections throughout Gwinnett,” the Chamber's ribbon-cutting announcement noted.
A Neighborhood Spot, Relaunched
The Grayson Highway location isn't brand new to the area — the ribbon cutting specifically marked a relaunch, the kind of refreshed-concept reopening that's become common among Gwinnett's independent restaurants as owners retool their menus and dining rooms rather than starting from scratch elsewhere. For the Philips, that means doubling down on a neighborhood-style dining room serving Lawrenceville, Grayson, Snellville, and Loganville, with a menu that leans on scratch cooking over shortcuts.
The restaurant is open Wednesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and is closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
A Monthly Brunch Series, Off-Site
Beyond the counter-service café, the Philips have also built out an “elevated brunch experience” that runs the third Sunday of most months at Gran Palais Banquet Hall on Club Drive in Lawrenceville — a buffet-style spread paired with brunch cocktails, live music, and a DJ. Seating is limited and tickets are required, a step up from the everyday café menu for guests who want a full event around their brunch.
Why It Matters for Gwinnett
Family-owned, scratch-kitchen restaurants like The City Bodega Café are exactly the kind of small business the Gwinnett Chamber's ribbon-cutting program exists to spotlight — locally owned, rooted in a specific neighborhood, and now reintroducing themselves to Gwinnett diners with a relaunch rather than a brand-new build-out. For anyone exploring Lawrenceville, Grayson, or the surrounding corridor, it's one more independent kitchen worth knowing about along Grayson Highway.