A food hall designed for Midtown is coming to Colony Square, the 50-year-old mixed-use destination undergoing a massive $400 million transformation at the corner of 14th and Peachtree Streets. The food hall will open this spring and is being carefully crafted to align with the way people want to dine post-pandemic. Politan Group will operate the food hall known as Politan Row at Colony Square, announced project developer North American Properties (NAP).

Meet Politan Group

Founder and CEO of Politan Group Will Donaldson launched the company in 2014 with St. Roch Market in New Orleans, the first food hall in the South. Politan Group has since opened six food halls in Chicago, Miami, Houston and New Orleans. Of Politan Group’s food halls, three have won best restaurant awards and three of its original food concepts have been nominated for James Beard awards. The company’s mission is to foster exploration by connecting people through food and chefs through back-of-house collaboration. Colony Square marks the seventh and largest food hall in Politan Group’s portfolio, with room for 11 food and beverage concepts, a central bar and three event spaces (plus a secret bar).

Politan Group builds design-forward food halls with original food concepts from up-and-coming local chefs. The options are always global and offer culinary exploration without the chaotic feeling you can get at many food halls.

“Food halls provide an unparalleled social and cultural environment where people from all walks of life can mingle over a shared experience and experiment with unique fare at approachable price points,” said Donaldson. “There is pent-up demand for socialization brought on by the pandemic, and we expect food halls to play a major role in the resurgence of the experiential food and beverage economy. Our food hall will be designed to elevate local culinary talent and deliver a dining experience that resonates with post-pandemic foodies.”

The Post-Pandemic Food Hall Experience

More than half of the square footage at Politan Row at Colony Square is dedicated to outdoor dining. Interior space makes up approximately 20,000 square feet, while outdoor space encompasses 22,000 square feet. The food hall also features a “NanaWall” that opens up the interior space to engage with the outdoors. The outdoor experience includes The Plaza, The Patio and The Grove.

The Patio features a variety of covered seating and shuffleboards and fronts the stage and Plaza at Colony Square. Separately, there will be an outdoor bar, which allows 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 October 8. NAP will activate The Plaza daily with community programming, such as comedy shows and live music. Already, Colony Square hosts more than 200 events a year. The Grove opened in May 2019 and has become a popular spot for alfresco dining, especially with its excellent tree cover and seating shaded from the sun.

Politan Group is also implementing a full digital interface that provides an alternative to the traditional counter-order experience – meaning guests don’t have to approach the counter unless they want to. Guests can use the technology to easily place orders and utilize contactless pick-up and drop-off options. The food hall will also be equipped with movable, flexible furniture to easily accommodate occupancy restrictions and create comfortable space between groups.

“The food hall model already complements the way people want to dine post-pandemic, with quick, counter-service, quality, cost-conscious food and flexible seating,” said Mark Toro, chairman of NAP Atlanta. “Our food hall will take these benefits even further by providing ample outdoor space and enhanced technology that creates a seamless dining experience for people who are coming out of social isolation and desperately craving community togetherness.”

A Food Hall Crafted for Midtown Atlanta

Upon opening this spring, the food hall will be energized from day to night, weekdays to weekends. Politan Row at Colony Square was intentionally designed by female-duo-led design firm Bell-Butler to reflect the Midtown aesthetic and urban lifestyle.

“We want people to enter our food hall and see all their options at once, nobody is hidden,” said Lindsay Butler of Bell-Butler. “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.”

When NAP acquired Colony Square in 2015, the team recognized the Midtown market’s desire for a walkable gathering place with great food and approachable prices. Politan Group is talking with local, independent chefs and restaurant owners who are looking for low-risk, high-reward opportunities to grow their businesses post-pandemic. The team is focused on creating a diverse mix of culinary offerings that deliver something new to Midtown’s dining scene.

“Not only is Midtown home to one of the fastest growing technology and innovation hubs in the country, the market also boasts an extremely diverse talent base thanks to the Fortune 1000 companies located here as well as academic institutions such as Georgia Tech, John Marshall Law School and Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD),” said Adam Schwegman, partner and senior vice president of leasing at NAP. “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.”

Redevelopment Progress at Colony Square

NAP started construction on the redevelopment of Colony Square in October 2017. The complex, multi-phase project involves demolishing the former mall, breaking up the fortress-like footprint, pushing out the street-level retail, adding two office buildings and creating new pedestrian connectivity throughout the community. The reimagined Colony Square features a variety of open-air gathering places, such as The Grove and The Plaza; a resort-level Concierge program; and modern dining and entertainment experiences, like luxury dine-in movie theater IPIC which will open later this year above the food hall.

New restaurants at Colony Square include Sukoshi, Freshii, Holeman and Finch Public House (opening soon), Rumi’s Kitchen (opening next Spring) and Brown Bag Seafood Co. (opening late September), along with pre-redevelopment favorites 5Church Atlanta, Establishment, Starbucks, Chick-fil-A and Moe’s Southwest Grill. A food hall has been part of NAP’s redevelopment plan from the onset.

For more information, follow Colony Square on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or visit colonysquaremidtown.com. 

About Colony Square

At the corner of Peachtree and 14th Streets, Colony Square is not only the heart of Midtown, it’s the heart of Atlanta – an original icon at the very center of the ever-rising capital of the modern South. Today, Colony Square is becoming an icon of another kind, bringing the Art of Modern Life to Midtown. Featuring 912,000 square feet of Class A office, 160,000 square feet of best-in-class retail, a 466-room hotel and 262 luxury residences, the reimagined Colony Square will be known as a foodie haven; shopping and entertainment destination; sophisticated business hub; and an amenity-rich, arts-infused place to gather with community and soak up Midtown’s vibe. Open, walkable and transit friendly, the reimagined Colony Square, like all great city squares, will be seamlessly connected to the vibrant energy of the streets around it.

About North American Properties

Founded in 1954, North American Properties is a privately held, multi-regional real estate operating and development company that has acquired, developed and managed more than $7 billion of mixed-use, retail, multifamily and office properties across the United States. Rooted in its purpose-driven approach to development, North American Properties is creating great places that connect people to each other; cities to their souls; partners to opportunities; and individuals to experiences that move them. Headquartered in Cincinnati, with offices in Atlanta, Dallas and Fort Myers, Florida, the company has developed 22 million square feet of commercial space and 19,000 residential units in 15 states and 67 cities. In the past three years, North American Properties has launched 36 projects totaling $2.2 billion in total capitalization. In metro Atlanta, North American Properties led the turnaround of Atlantic Station and the ground up development of Avalon. Currently, the company’s mixed-use pipeline includes: Colony Square in Midtown Atlanta, Newport on the Levee in Newport, Kentucky and Riverton in the New York metro area. For more information, visit www.naproperties.com.

About Politan Row

Politan Row is a talent-driven food hall platform. Founded in 2014, we create design-forward destinations for the culinarily curious. We offer an elevated food hall experience that encourages the exploration of shareable dishes in beautiful, inviting, and communal spaces. We believe that enjoying a meal in one of our design-forward spaces has the power to inspire sharing, community, and conversation. Our mission is to serve people who crave unique flavors, experiences, and ideas while creating opportunities for local food and beverage talent to showcase their creativity and advance their careers. We hope to foster a spirit of exploration by connecting people through food. For more information, visit www.politanrow.com.