The long-planned food hall at Colony Square in Midtown has changed hands, with a new operator and post-pandemic plans.
The 50-year-old mixed-use development at 14th and Peachtree streets is undergoing a $400 million transformation, with food hall Politan Row at Colony Square set to open in spring 2021. The hall will be operated by Politan Group, which has opened and operated six other food halls in Chicago, Miami and Houston, among other cities.
Politan Row at Colony Square, the company’s largest project, will offer room for 11 food and beverage concepts, a central bar and a secret bar as well as three event spaces.
Politan Group is talking with local chefs and restaurant owners to fill the slots in the hall, with an eye toward creating a diverse mix of culinary offerings.
“We are methodically crafting Politan Row at Colony Square to serve the multitude of cultures represented throughout the district and curating a lineup of concepts that will accommodate the varied palates of our community,” said Adam Schwegman, partner and senior vice president of leasing at North American Properties, which acquired Colony Square in 2015.
Credit: Bell-Butler
Credit: Bell-Butler
A digital interface will give customers the option to place orders remotely without approaching counters of individual eateries and utilize contactless pick-up and drop-off options. The food hall will also be equipped with movable furniture to accommodate occupancy restrictions and distancing between groups.
The hall will join other food and beverage concepts at Colony Square including Sukoshi, 5Church Atlanta, Establishment, Freshii, Starbucks, Chick-fil-A and Moe’s Southwest Grill. Brown Bag Seafood Co. is set to open in the next few weeks, with dine-in movie theater IPIC to open later this year above the food hall and Holeman and Finch Public House and Rumi’s Kitchen slated to open next year.
The food hall was designed by design firm Bell-Butler “to reflect the Midtown aesthetic and urban lifestyle,” according to a press release.
“We want people to enter our food hall and see all their options at once, nobody is hidden,” said Lindsay Butler of Bell-Butler in a statement. “The design is warm and cozy; it’s the kind of place you want to live in. Because of the history at Colony Square, we are taking cues from the mid-century modern era. It’ll look unlike any other dining destination in Atlanta and be truly unique to Midtown.”
Politan Row at Colony Square will feature moving glass wall system NanaWall, which will create more options within the interior space. More than half of the 40,000 square feet of the food hall will be dedicated to outdoor dining, with spaces including the Plaza, the Patio and the Grove.
Credit: Bell-Butler
Credit: Bell-Butler
The Patio, which fronts the stage and Plaza, will feature a variety of covered seating options and shuffleboard courts. Separately, there will be an outdoor bar, which will allow open carry of beverages throughout Colony Square.
The Plaza will open to the public following the local nonprofit City of Refuge’s annual fundraising event on Oct. 8. Developer North American Properties will host community programming including comedy shows and live music in the space.
The Grove, which opened in May 2019, offers shaded seating for outdoor dining.
Politan Row is the latest iteration of Colony Square’s planned food hall, which was previously called Main & Main. When it was first announced in 2017, the food hall was set to be curated by Steve Palmer, restaurateur and managing partner for Charleston-based hospitality and consulting group Indigo Road, which also owns Sukoshi at Colony Square. Texas-based Oz Rey LLC took over from Palmer in early 2019.
Politan Group was founded in 2014 by CEO Will Donaldson. The company’s mission is to “foster exploration by connecting people through food and chefs through back-of-house collaboration,” according to a press release.
The multi-phase redevelopment of Colony Square, which began in 2017, includes pushing out street-level retail and adding two office buildings and a concierge program in addition to the new outdoor spaces and dining concepts.
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