Pizza shop, underground cocktail bar to be part of downtown Atlanta redevelopment

The exterior of 219 Mitchell St. in downtown Atlanta. / Courtesy of Kristin Ferro

Credit: KRISTIN FERRO 2020

Credit: KRISTIN FERRO 2020

The exterior of 219 Mitchell St. in downtown Atlanta. / Courtesy of Kristin Ferro

The first tenants for the Historic Hotel Row project in downtown Atlanta include a concept from the team behind How Crispy and a pizza shop from the team behind the Roof at Ponce City Market.

Hotel Row, part of the first phase of the South Dwntn redevelopment project from real estate investment firm Newport, will be located along Mitchell Street, within walking distance of Mercedes-Benz stadium.

Named for the early 20th-century historic hotels located on the stretch of Mitchell Street, Hotel Row will include restaurants, retail and office and artist spaces.

A mural depicting Atlanta hip-hop duo Outkast, located in Historic Hotel Row in downtown Atlanta. / Courtesy of Kristin Ferro

Credit: KRISTIN FERRO 2020

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Credit: KRISTIN FERRO 2020

The team behind How Crispy Express, the fried chicken pop-up that’s slated to open a brick-and-mortar location in Summerhill this summer, will open a yet to be named new concept at 235 Mitchell St.

Slater Hospitality, the group behind 9 Mile Station and Skyline Park at Ponce City Market and the forthcoming Rooftop L.O.A. at the Interlock development in West Midtown, will open a pizza shop at 219 Mitchell St. that will feature pizza by the slice and a walk-up window.

“We are honoring my family’s Italian heritage and making pizza the way my grandmother made it,” said Mandy Slater of Slater Hospitality in a prepared statement.

The Slater team is also planning an underground cocktail bar that will be built around an existing spraypainted Outkast mural, as well as a rooftop concept at neighboring 222 Mitchell St.

Hotel Row’s renovation will be completed in late 2021, with the first tenants opening in the first half of 2022.

Newport altered the building’s design after COVID hit in 2020, adding more and larger elevators to the building to meet the expected demand for a less-dense gathering of workers and shoppers. It added outdoor seating areas to restaurant space.

In 2016, Newport opened an office in Atlanta and purchased 48 buildings within the South Downtown district, and four acres of mostly unused surface parking lots, which could be used for new buildings.

Brooke Dewey, executive vice president at JLL, which is managing the office leasing for the project, told the AJC in 2020 that though developers have overlooked the neighborhood for years, it contains many historic buildings that remain in good condition and include distinctive design features. It’s also near several MARTA rail stops, Mercedes-Benz Stadium and State Farm Arena.

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