With a steadily growing economy and a range of support services and resources, metro Atlanta is the great place for aspiring entrepreneurs.
The area has recently caught the attention of Business Insider, which identified 19 cool small businesses that have opened in metro Atlanta in the past five years.
What, exactly, is "cool"? BI doesn't define the term — but its choices speak for themselves, with an adventure house, an alcoholic soda shop and more on the list.
Here’s what BI had to say about these businesses:
American Row House — indoor water rowing fitness studio.
“Rowing will work 84% of the muscles in the body when done correctly, and American Row House aims to take the effectiveness of a rowing workout to a studio setting.”
Naughty Soda — alcoholic soda shop
"Naughty Soda makes a number of different flavors, including pumpkin pie, grape, bourbon barrel-aged cream soda, marshmallow cream soda, cherry cola, and apple pie."
Brash Coffee — craft coffee house
“… instead of a traditional brick-and-mortar store, Brash repurposed two shipping containers on a grassy patch in front of Yeah!Burger. With floor-to-ceiling windows and a sleek, modern interior, Brash serves ethically sourced coffee that the baristas roast in-house.”
« Two of the country's 'coolest' new businesses are in Atlanta »
Church Murch — church-themed bar with karaoke and ping-pong.
“ … an eccentric, church-themed tavern and table tennis venue … sells all kinds of bric-a-brac and tchotchkes from vintage choir robes to greeting cards, Bible belts, bumper stickers, and artwork by Sister Louisa's owner Grant Henry.”
Kale Me Crazy — superfood cafe
“The folks at Kale Me Crazy are so crazy for kale that they put it in almost everything, from salads to wraps to juices to smoothies, citing the desire to give people access to real, healthy food.”
Mission: Escape — escape game attraction
“Building off the success of escape challenges like "Escape the Room" or "I Survived the Room," Mission: Escape has two settings — The Study, which involves recovering a royal gemstone stolen from the British Royal Family, and The Hotel, which involves escaping an inn whose proprietor is holding you hostage.”
Nuracode — technology and media company of black coders and developers specializing in mobile applications.
“Nuracode builds a community among people of color in tech and startups while creating elegant and effective products for clients like DreamWorks Studios, Sprite, AARP, and more.”
Revolution Doughnuts & Coffee — doughnut and coffee shop
“The family-owned and operated shop fries fresh doughnuts daily, with flavors ranging from caramel bacon to orange pistachio, to local favorite the 'fresh peach slider' — a round yeast doughnut sliced in half and filled with Georgia peach wedges.”
SafelyStay — provider of security and insurance for guest and rental properties
“Most people who book stays on vacation-home or other rental sites like Airbnb or VRBO generally have positive experiences, but occasionally you hear nightmare stories of a guest who ransacked the home they stayed in or a rental home full of meth pipes. SafelyStay aims to prevent these situations from ever happening in the first place.”
SculptHouse — high-quality fitness studio
“SculptHouse combines strength training and cardio to help gym junkies get the bodies they've always wanted. Members use human-powered equipment to strengthen, lengthen, and tone their muscles.”
Click here to see Business insider’s full list of Atlanta’s coolest new businesses.
