MetroFresh Celebrates 20 Years of Community, Creativity, and Cuisine

Midtown Atlanta restaurant welcomes, reflects, and partners with the community and neighborhoods it serves; the regulars love it so much, they even adopted a moniker for themselves

ATLANTA, Sept. 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- MetroFresh, the beloved Midtown café founded by actor-turned-chef Mitchell Anderson, is marking its 20th anniversary this fall (Oct. 10)—two decades of nourishing Atlantans with fresh, flavorful food and a deep commitment to community.

Since opening in 2005, MetroFresh has been known not only for its inventive daily soups, salads, and specials, but also for the sense of connection it has fostered among loyal regulars, or "MetroFreshuals." Over the years, the restaurant has become a dining room away from home for neighbors, artists, professionals and families who share a love for good food and genuine community.

"Reaching 20 years in the restaurant business is a milestone worth celebrating," says Anderson. "But what makes this milestone especially meaningful is the way MetroFresh has grown into part of the fabric of Atlanta – a place where people gather, create memories and give back."

A Legacy of Community

MetroFresh's mission has always extended beyond its kitchen. Anderson and his team have built lasting partnerships with local and global nonprofits, neighborhood groups official and not, and supporting organizations such as:

• Midtown High School extracurricular programs that enrich students' learning and creativity.
• DIG: Development in Gardening, an Atlanta-based nonprofit improving nutrition and livelihoods worldwide through regenerative gardening.
• World Central Kitchen, providing emergency meals in crisis zones.
• Atlanta's vibrant theatre community, including Synchronicity, OutFront, Actor's Express, Horizon and 7 Stages, where MetroFresh has supported productions and artists for years—including a few featuring the thespian chef.

"Food is at the heart of community," says Anderson. "Whether we're feeding families through DIG or welcoming audiences after a local theatre show, our goal is the same – to create nourishment, joy and connection."

Honoring the Past, Inspiring the Future

To commemorate this milestone, MetroFresh is reflecting on the thousands of meals served, recipes created and lives touched since its opening. While staff and friends will gather privately to celebrate, Anderson emphasizes that the real anniversary party has been unfolding every day for the last 20 years, with every customer who stops by.

The restaurant will convene frequent-Fresh customers, staff alumni and friends for a festive anniversary evening marking two decades of food and friendship. Live music on the patio will be by Atlanta singer/songwriter Ben Deignan, a MetroFresh favorite performer and just one of the performers who have been part of the 'Fresh experience over the years.

As MetroFresh looks to its next chapter, Anderson remains focused on what has always set the restaurant apart: fresh food made with care, a passion for creativity, and a commitment to serving Atlanta's communities.

"Twenty years in, I couldn't be prouder of what we've built together," says Anderson. "Here's to the next 20!"

The Cookbook, the Husband, the Rock Star

Over the years, MetroFresh has grown alongside Atlanta's Beltline energy, inspired a cookbook ("Food & Thought"), landed a Collective Soul album cover shoot in its dining room, and created a daily ritual for thousands of Atlantans who opened their inbox each morning to see what Mitchell was cooking, thinking, and over-sharing. The cover shoot was by none other than Richie Arpino, longtime Atlanta celeb hair stylist & bon vivant, who happens to be married to Anderson.

As Collective Soul frontman Ed Roland wrote of MetroFresh on its 10^th anniversary, "Mitchell has worked his ass off and put so much love and energy into everything he does. Those daily menu emails gave MetroFresh such passion and soul. It makes everything taste better. It's a little taste of home."

Contact:
Drew Plant
678-637-5532
[email protected]

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SOURCE MetroFresh