ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — The Busy Bee is coming to Centennial Yards.
On New Year’s Day, developer CIM Group announced the iconic Atlanta restaurant signed a lease for a new 2,985-square-foot location at The Mitchell residential tower, which is part of the $5 billion mixed-use Centennial Yards development in Downtown Atlanta.
It will be the soul food institution’s third location. The Busy Bee announced in April that a second restaurant was coming to Atlantic Station in 2026.
The Centennial Yards eatery is expected to open in 2027.
“This lease underscores our vision to create a district that is authentic to Atlanta, where global entertainment meets local culture,” CIM Group said in a press release.
Founded in 1947, The Busy Bee’s original location off Martin Luther King Jr. Drive has been a celebrated cornerstone of Atlanta’s culinary scene for nearly eight decades.
In recent years, it’s been recognized by the James Beard Foundation and received several Michelin Bib Gourmand honors.
“The Busy Bee has always been about love, tradition, and doing things the right way — slow, from scratch, and with care,” Busy Bee owner Tracy Gates said in a statement. “Centennial Yards lets us honor our Downtown Atlanta roots while welcoming new guests to the neighborhood.”
The Mitchell location will introduce a “quick-service format” highlighting the “slow-cooked flavors and soul the restaurant is known for,” CIM Group said.
The new location will also feature the first full cocktail, beer and wine menu in the restaurant’s nearly 80-year history.
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Dining and Cooking