Behind the Bar: Dad's

Walk into Dad’s on a Friday night and you’ll likely catch an ’80s action movie projecting on the wall, a playlist rotating between old classics and a wall of familiar faces staring back at you. The bar on North Highland Avenue has only been open since 2022, yet it feels as if it’s been part of Virginia Highland for generations. That’s exactly what owner Randy Pechin wanted when he transformed a former filling station into a warm, nostalgia-inspired cocktail bar.

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A career in hospitality

Pechin has been working in the service industry since his teenage years. Growing up in Gainesville, Georgia, he gravitated toward restaurants and nightclubs early on. “I tried a lot of things outside this industry, but eventually realized I was good at it,” he said. 

After managing high-volume nightclubs in Atlanta, he began to crave a space where he could “nerd out on cocktails” without the chaos of the club scene. In 2018, that passion led him to open Little Spirit, a vibey craft cocktail bar nestled in Inman Park just over a mile down North Highland Avenue. Four years later, that same instinct for character and atmosphere led him to a quirky old building in Virginia Highland that would become his next project.

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A bar that feels like it’s always been here

The space, once a gas station and later the divey Diesel Filling Station, influenced the concept and inspired the retro theme of Dad’s.

“When I found this spot, it felt like the kind of place that could have already been here for decades. We didn’t want it to feel brand new or overly polished. So we leaned into the nostalgia and let that shape Dad’s into something that fits right into the neighborhood’s history,” Pechin says.

Sharing a street with Atkins Park, which opened in 1922, and just a short walk from Moe’s & Joe’s and George’s Restaurant & Bar, neighborhood staples for more than half a century, Pechin wanted something that would fit in with the historic Virginia Highland bar scene.

When Pechin first toured the space, he imagined a bar with the laid-back, nostalgic vibe of a 1970s or ’80s basement. “I like old buildings with character and weird layouts,” he said. After renovating the interior and laying turf across the street-side patio, the concept began to come alive.

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He and his team scoured antique shops across Atlanta, collecting knickknacks, movie posters, vintage games and stacks of VHS tapes that reminded him of growing up. Nearly 200 framed photos of “famous dads” line the walls: everyone from Steve Keaton and Dan Conner to Bob Ross, Darth Vader, Fred Sanford, Uncle Phil and even Peter Griffin. A Golden Girls-themed bathroom, inspired by the show Pechin mentioned he’s currently rewatching, adds a playful, selfie-worthy detail. Old movies flicker on projectors, and the playlist consists of everything from classic rock to hip-hop. For Pechin, the theme isn’t manufactured; it’s built from the things he’s always loved. That’s why, when he sums it up, he calls it simply “nostalgia.”

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Honoring favorites while serving surprises

The menu nods to childhood favorites with loaded disco waffle fries, pizza rolls and White Kastle Burger quartets. Pechin’s favorite, the bacon, egg and cheese biscuit, is served all day and leans into Southern comfort classics. Cocktails balance novelty with craft. There’s a Mezcal Last Word, a classic Old Fashioned, and an appletini made by acid-adjusting Granny Smith apples.

Pechin loves a challenge. From rebuilding the back bar on the patio to finding creative uses for the building’s quirky nooks, he’s always tweaking and improving the space. He’s even opened a second bar in New York, but is still able to focus is on making Dad’s better every day. Seasonal pop-ups, like the neighborhood-favorite "Christmas at Dad's" bar, keep things fresh and fun, ensuring there’s always a new reason to stop by.

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Joining the neighborhood’s lineage

Pechin believes the bar’s sense of history goes deeper than the celebrity photos. He intentionally chose a concept that celebrates the childhoods of multiple generations: people in their 30s and 40s see their favorite movie posters and actors on the walls, while older patrons appreciate the decorative jukebox and laid-back service. “If you were lucky enough to have a dad, there’s a good chance he introduced you to some of this,” he said.

As Virginia Highland celebrates more than 100 years as a neighborhood, Dad’s adds a new chapter to the area’s bar history. Its commitment to comfort, community and a carefully curated version of the past ensures that, despite being the newest kid on the block, it feels like it’s been here all along.

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Address: 870 North Highland Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30306