Maepole, the Athens-born fast-casual restaurant putting a fresh, modern spin on Southern comfort food, will open its first standalone restaurant with a drive-thru pickup lane in Cumming later this year, marking a major step in the Georgia brand's plans for regional growth.

Maepole's expansion is backed by Tony Townley, co-founder of Zaxby's and a principal investor in the company. Townley brings decades of experience building and scaling restaurant concepts as Maepole develops its platform for regional and franchise growth.

Located at the intersection of Bethelview Road and Castleberry Road, the new restaurant will introduce a purpose-built Maepole prototype featuring a full dining room, outdoor patio and the brand's first drive-thru pickup lane. The format is designed to serve as a model for future company and franchise locations as Maepole expands throughout Georgia and, ultimately, the Southeast.

"Cumming has the combination we look for in a Maepole community— growing families, active lifestyles and people who want better everyday food without sacrificing convenience," said Chef Peter Dale, Maepole founder and Culinary Director. "We want to be just as useful on a busy Tuesday night as we are for lunch on Saturday. Sometimes that means sitting down with your family, and sometimes it means picking up a great meal on your way home."

Maepole describes its approach simply: a fresh, modern take on Southern specialties.

The chef-driven menu takes the flavors, ingredients and hospitality associated with Southern food and reimagines them for the way people eat today. Guests build their own bowls from a selection of never frozen, scratch-made bases, vegetables, proteins and sauces, creating anything from a hearty comfort-food meal to a lighter lunch or protein-packed post-workout dinner.

At the center of the concept is a belief that food can be both craveable and something guests feel good about eating.

"Healthy food shouldn't taste like a compromise," Dale said. "We start with flavor and real cooking. We just happen to build those flavors around fresh vegetables, quality proteins and food we prepare from scratch every day. That's been the idea behind Maepole from the beginning."

That approach also makes the menu accessible to a wide range of dietary preferences. Maepole offers extensive gluten-free, vegan and keto-friendly choices, features hormone- and antibiotic-free meats, and operates a 100% peanut- and tree-nut-free kitchen.