The lights were low and the energy was high inside the Atlanta Municipal Market, the century-old hall on Edgewood Avenue in the heart of the Sweet Auburn District, as four new businesses celebrated their arrival with a ribbon-cutting, food tasting, and mini-tour on June 5. The Atlanta Voice reports that several of the new tenants are Black woman-owned.
Chefs Niddy Rodriguez and Miish Hudson are behind A Taste of Secrets, a Jamaican-Puerto Rican fusion spot opening June 13 with island dishes and empanadas stuffed with seafood, oxtail, curry chicken, or beef. Both have worked as executive chefs, and the chance to open in a historic, busy market made the decision easy. "This Atlanta Municipal Market is a hub for Atlantans," Niddy Rodriguez said. A few feet away, Dolce Tropical, a juice-and-shake bar owned by Latasha Smith and run with her daughter Jordan, opened after a June 3 soft launch with fruitnadas, milkshakes, sundaes, and tropical lemonade. "I wanted to bring these flavors to Atlanta," Latasha said.
The Retro Grill, owned by Kheli Archer, and Edgewood Pizza are set to open soon, joining existing Black woman-owned tenants like Miss D's Gourmet Candy. "This is a very special day in Atlanta. The Municipal Market is an institution," said Greg Clay, deputy chief of staff in Mayor Andre Dickens' office. The market, a fixture since 1924, sits steps from the Sweet Auburn historic district and the King Center.
