‘Alice in Wonderland’-themed eatertainment venue is coming to The Center
The Center — the downtown Atlanta development that has taken over the former CNN Center — will debut a huge “Alice in Wonderland”-themed dining and entertainment venue from the team behind Your 3rd Spot next year, the business announced Tuesday.
The Looking Glass has signed a lease to begin construction in the former CNN Studios space following the 2026 FIFA World Cup with an anticipated opening in the spring of 2027, according to a news release.
The multilevel venue will span 28,000 square feet and comes from the Amp Up1 Hospitality group, which operates west Midtown’s Your 3rd Spot — an “eatertainment” venue that combines games, food and cocktails.
The Looking Glass will offer a variety of carnival-style games, immersive art inside a Hall of Illusions, challenge-based attractions, nine-pin bowling and tabletop games.
An experiential, choose-your-own-adventure activity called the Curiosity Quest will take participants through a mystery narrative a bit like a scavenger hunt. Customers will find clues and surprises while working “through different chapters of the story in their own way, uncovering different aspects of the world as they explore,” according to a news release.
The business will be open for lunch and dinner with a menu of small plates and pastries like lemon pepper shrimp, spicy tuna crispy rice, beignets, brown butter tea cake and raspberry rose macarons.
This is the latest tenant set to join The Center (styled as The CTR) redevelopment in downtown Atlanta. Real estate firm CP Group bought the building several years ago before CNN started moving out of its newsroom. In 2023, CNN announced it would completely move its Atlanta operations to the Turner Techwood campus in Midtown.
Since then, the CP Group has shared its ambitious plans to transform The Center into a bustling mixed-use development with a food hall, apartments, hotel rooms, a public atrium and a temporary FIFA exhibition site on the ground floor.
Mastro’s Ocean Club, an upscale steakhouse and seafood restaurant, is also set to take over the former McCormick & Schmick’s space on the ground floor of The Center.
Its food hall, CTR Food Works, and the revamped atrium are set to open in June with a large central bar and a dozen food and beverage offerings.
About the Author
Olivia Wakim is a reporter on the lifestyle team. She joined the AJC as an intern in 2023 after graduating from the University of Georgia with a journalism degree. While in school, she reported for The Red & Black, Grady Newsource and the Marietta Daily Journal.
