First five restaurants for Peachtree Center’s downtown ‘Hub’ project revealed

A refreshed menu is coming into focus for one of Atlanta’s original and most-recognizable transit hives.

John Portman’s midcentury Peachtree Center complex is expected to see its plaza and retail core remade into an airy, brighter place called “The Hub” by the spring of 2019. As part of the transformation, developers on Monday revealed five new restaurants that’ve been inked thus far.

Expect to find all five eateries (see descriptions below) on The Hub’s Gallery Level, located under the soon-to-be-modernized courtyard. They’ll join existing offerings Aviva By Kameel, Panbury’s, Chick-fil-A, and Yami Yami.

The center’s very old-school food court area “will receive a complete facelift, better connecting it to the outdoor courtyard and bustling Peachtree Street,” officials say.

It’s all meant to cater to a burgeoning downtown population, plus the 6,000 office tenants (in six towers) and guests at 4,000 hotel rooms currently connected to Peachtree Center. Property owners Banyan Street Capital expects The Hub to see 12 million annual visitors.

Beginning later this year, the restaurants will open on a rolling schedule through early 2018. They’re described as follows:

Salata at The Hub will be the build-your-own salad chain’s third location in Atlanta, bringing a healthy, fast casual option to Peachtree Center, with dozens of delicious toppings for your greens and house made dressings and beverages.

BEP! at Peachtree Center is its first location in Georgia. BEP! means "kitchen" in Vietnamese and for most Vietnamese, the kitchen is where all the memories are made. BEP! offers fresh and delicious Vietnamese cuisine in a fast and casual atmosphere, including the option to fully customize your own dish, from Banh Mi, a French style baguette stuffed with savory traditional Vietnamese meats and vegetables, to Pho, a light and flavorful rice noodle soup that has been stewed overnight and topped with your choice of proteins and fresh herbs. Additionally, BEP! will also offer weekly chef specials, such as Bun Bo Hue (Spicy Beef Noodle Soup), Banh Xeo (Savory Vietnamese Crepe), and desserts like Che (pudding).

From the Southern Proper Hospitality team behind fellow Peachtree Center eatery Tin Lizzy’s Cantina, the first intown Atlanta location of Beni’s Cubano will open at The Hub. Featuring robust, authentic Cuban recipes, diners can expect classic Cuban sandwiches, plates piled high with vaca frita, mojo grilled chicken, rice, beans, and plantains, and flavorful bites like yucca fries, empanadas, and maduros.

Taste of India, from Paradise Biryani’s Siva Gandikota, will offer a true mix of authentic north and south Indian cuisine specially prepared to give customers the essence of a rich heritage of taste and culinary culture.

Southern Candy Company has experienced resounding success as a current favorite in The Hub’s retail pop-up concept, and is excited to expand and move into a permanent location after 20 years in downtown Atlanta. Treat your sweet tooth or pick up goodies for the whole office, including their famous pralines, chocolate-covered pretzels, fudge, and caramel turtles.

Elsewhere in the city, Banyan Street Capital plans to build an apartment tower atop a downtown parking garage on Peachtree Center Avenue, and they’re revamping a MARTA-connected building in Buckhead near Lenox Square as well.

• First look: Downtown landmark Peachtree Center to be reborn as ‘The Hub’ [Curbed]