PRESS

Politan Row is hoping to become a triple threat on the Atlanta food hall scene, opening yet another location in Dunwoody later this fall. The New Orleans-based Politan Group already operates a Politan Row food hall location at Colony Square in Midtown and is working on a forthcoming food hall at the Forum in Peachtree Corners, opening in 2024.

Colony Square’s design-forward food hall POLITAN ROW is Midtown’s latest cultural destination. Politan Row, Midtown’s newest hot spot, is the latest addition to Atlanta’s list of food halls that have popped up in the last few years. Run by New Orleans-based Politan Group, the 20,000-square-foot upscale food hall is a sight for sore eyes with 1970s-inspired design choices that suavely dress the hall.

Thanks to a three-year, $3.7 million renovation, the refurbished building — a shining beacon among the fading, crumbling charm of the historic neighborhood — retains its original steel columns but now boasts bright, 30-foot ceilings and 100 places to sit along the now bright-white corridor. There’s also outdoor seating — an obvious choice given the climate, but also a throwback to the market’s roots: It dates back to 1875, and counts itself as one of the first open-air Southern markets.

On a cool Friday evening, stylishly dressed crowds scurry up an escalator toward the recently opened St. Roch Market. The 10,000-square-foot food hall holds 12 distinct food and drink concepts. You can sample house-made Italian ravioli, wolf down a bowl of spicy ceviche, and slurp a few oysters on the half-shell. The idea is based on the successful flagship of the same name in New Orleans.

Remember fun? Good friends, good drinks, good music? Atlanta Cocktail Lounge Jojo’s Beloved opened last summer inside the Politan Row food hall, aims for just such a vibe with their disco-tinged, neo-futuristic take on a speakeasy.

Last week, Politan Row opened at Colony Square in Midtown, hosting a series of press, public and ticketed events designed to create excitement around the new upscale food hall from the award-winning New Orleans-based Politan Group.

Chicago

Bar Politan

What: A craft cocktail bar inside of the new food hall from the owners of New Orleans’ St. Roch Market.Who: Sophie Burton, Politan GroupWhere: West Loop

When: May

Why It’s Important: Sophie Burton (formerly of Chicago’s Dove’s, Cindy’s and Big Star) has been tapped to run the drinks program at Bar Politan, which will serve as the hub of the new marketplace that also includes a beer garden called Perle and multiple chef-driven food stalls.

Food halls have been in Europe forever, but the American food hall invasion has happened fast. From New York to San Francisco, Detroit to Nashville, the past few years have brought a flood of food halls, and there's a race to build more.