Beignets, coffee, po’boys. This new restaurant coming to Macon is not your average cafe.

An Atlanta-based coffee shop with a New Orleans theme is bringing beignets, Cajun dishes and more to downtown Macon.

Yay Beignet and Cajun Bistro, which prides itself on serving “the best beignets this side of the Mighty Mississippi,” will be located at 442 Cherry St.

The location once housed Ladda Bistro, a popular Thai restaurant that temporarily closed in 2022 after its head chef was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer.

Restaurant owner George Drake said he plans for the restaurant’s second spot to officially open within two weeks.

One of Drake’s regular Atlanta customers recommended Macon-Bibb for the restaurant’s expansion.

“I thought it was a good location, and it’d be a good opportunity,” Drake said. “The other restaurants and businesses in the area have reached out to me and have been really supportive so far.”

Yay Beignet and Cajun Bistro aims to satisfy every food craving by serving full breakfast and lunch items, Drake said. The menu sticks to its New Orleans cuisine theme: Cajun shrimp and grits, shrimp po’boys, hotlink sausage sandwiches, Cajun fish and biscuits and more.

But the restaurant’s signature staple is its light and fluffy beignets, which are topped with powdered sugar and accompanied by chocolate, caramel or raspberry sauce options. The deep-fried pastries can be paired with rich Ethiopian coffee, which Drake described as a favorite among the “true coffee lovers.”

Drake, who is Ethiopian and formerly lived in Louisiana, said he likes New Orleans-style dishes because they have spices that are similar to Ethiopian spices.

The new location in Macon will also implement the restaurant’s weekly traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony, where coffee beans are freshly roasted and grounded by the women of a home or business to demonstrate hospitality, Drake said.

Drake said customers can expect something unique and great customer service.

“When people come into my establishment, I want them to feel welcomed,” he said. “Life is stressful, so I want to try to remove some of that stress and treat everybody like family.”

Drake also said the restaurant offers huge portion sizing so customers can get bang for their buck.

Drake said the Macon location will have both soft and grand openings soon.