Those little shipping-container shops along the trail just got a lot more interesting. The Atlanta Beltline Marketplace, which gives local entrepreneurs cheap commercial space and business mentoring, has grown its new class to 13 businesses, more than double the six in its last round, per Rough Draft Atlanta. Eighty-five percent of the new class is Black-owned, and the group was chosen from more than 125 applications.
There is also a brand-new spot, Marketplace @ Irwin at 680 Irwin St. NE in Old Fourth Ward. Here is who is where:
| Location | Businesses |
|---|---|
| @ Irwin (680 Irwin St. NE, Eastside Trail) | ELEVEN17, eLo Vegan Lifestyle, Try Deas and Other Treats, Vine & Olive |
| @ Freedom Parkway (by the Thomas Taylor skatepark, Eastside Trail) | Kronchy, Life Bistro, Mason's Super Dogs |
| @ Pittsburgh Yards (352 University Ave. SW, Southside Trail) | Carrot Dog, Coffyn Pyes, Ideal Barber Group, The Creamy Spot by GOAP |
| @ Allene (1089 Allene Ave. SW, Southwest Trail) | Glaciers Italian Ice, Good As Burgers |
The vegan and plant-based lean is strong this round, and Kronchy's Mexican-Colombian tacos and arepas are going straight to the top of my list. Rent is the thing that kills most first-time food and retail businesses in intown Atlanta, so a program that takes that off the table on the busiest trail in the city is worth rooting for.
