Brian Maloof, second-generation owner of Manuel's Tavern in Atlanta, keeps 24 chickens in a rooftop coop. The flock -- a mix of speckled Sussex and Australian Australorp -- provides an average of 16 fresh eggs daily that the tavern offers for Sunday brunch while supplies last.
From coop to kitchen —
Brian Maloof, second-generation owner of Manuel's Tavern in Atlanta, keeps 24 chickens in a rooftop coop. The flock -- a mix of speckled Sussex and Australian Australorp -- provides an average of 16 fresh eggs daily that the tavern offers for Sunday brunch while supplies last.
John Bohn for CNN
Maloof, the son of tavern founder Manuel Maloof, visits the coop each morning to collect freshly laid eggs in a basket his daughter made for him. Most of the coop is made from repurposed materials, including old pickle buckets where the chickens lay their eggs.
From coop to kitchen —
Maloof, the son of tavern founder Manuel Maloof, visits the coop each morning to collect freshly laid eggs in a basket his daughter made for him. Most of the coop is made from repurposed materials, including old pickle buckets where the chickens lay their eggs.
John Bohn for CNN
Maloof says you can taste the difference in the eggs compared with their factory-farmed counterparts. Still, Manuel's Tavern sells both because its chickens only produce enough eggs each week for Sunday brunch. Each weekend, the tavern sells out, Maloof says, despite the $4 upcharge.
From coop to kitchen —
Maloof says you can taste the difference in the eggs compared with their factory-farmed counterparts. Still, Manuel's Tavern sells both because its chickens only produce enough eggs each week for Sunday brunch. Each weekend, the tavern sells out, Maloof says, despite the $4 upcharge.
John Bohn for CNN
The chickens eat organic feed from used pickle buckets. "I wanted to be able to say they're organic eggs and have it mean something," Maloof says.
From coop to kitchen —
The chickens eat organic feed from used pickle buckets. "I wanted to be able to say they're organic eggs and have it mean something," Maloof says.
John Bohn for CNN
Constructing the coop was relatively easy because Manuel's owns the two acres of property it sits on. Plus, there's enough room between the tavern and its neighbors so noise is not an issue. Even if it were, Maloof says, insulation in the coop would help buffer sound.
From coop to kitchen —
Constructing the coop was relatively easy because Manuel's owns the two acres of property it sits on. Plus, there's enough room between the tavern and its neighbors so noise is not an issue. Even if it were, Maloof says, insulation in the coop would help buffer sound.
John Bohn for CNN
Maloof, a married father of two, took over the family business in 2006. He prayed for a sign to tell him whether he should keep the business going. "The response I got back was 'chickens,' " he says.
From coop to kitchen —
Maloof, a married father of two, took over the family business in 2006. He prayed for a sign to tell him whether he should keep the business going. "The response I got back was 'chickens,' " he says.
John Bohn for CNN
Manuel's kitchen manager Stanley Barnes says the difference in quality in the farm fresh eggs is evidenced in their color and in the yolk. "See how it sits on top of the egg white," he says.
From coop to kitchen —
Manuel's kitchen manager Stanley Barnes says the difference in quality in the farm fresh eggs is evidenced in their color and in the yolk. "See how it sits on top of the egg white," he says.
John Bohn for CNN
The bold colors, firm texture and naturally creamy flavor of these eggs set them apart from their store-bought counterparts.
From coop to kitchen —
The bold colors, firm texture and naturally creamy flavor of these eggs set them apart from their store-bought counterparts.
John Bohn for CNN