5 New Businesses To Know In Metro Atlanta

METRO ATLANTA — What's that you smell? Could it be the scent of a hot cup of joe being poured into a mug?

Maybe. After all, two new coffee shops are brewing in Milton and Buckhead.

If not coffee, it's probably the sweet scent of chocolate being made from scratch in Suwanee. Or perhaps it's the owner of a new dog park cooking up the park's accompanied restaurant.

But Buckhead is not only dishing out java. The town is also handing out looks at its new upscale shoe boutique.

Patch has compiled a list of these new businesses that have opened or will open in metro Atlanta.

Suwanee may have its very own Willy Wonka after the recent opening of Bitzel's Chocolate.

The 7,000-square-foot immersive factory opened at 453 Northolt Pkwy. on Jan. 17 and is owned by chocolatier and entrepreneur Ray Bitzel and his business partner Dave Rose, according to a company news release.

Celebrity pastry chef Sabrina Coombs crafted gourmet confections for Bitzel's, which also offers a behind-the-scenes look at the chocolate production process from "bean to bar," the release said.

“We want our guests to enjoy what we think will be the best chocolate they’ve ever tasted,” Bitzel said in the release, “and we want them to see what makes it so special. To see how it’s made, how the cacao is harvested, fermented, dried, sorted, all the way to the packaging—to get the full chocolate experience.”

The "Journey of Chocolate" acts as the factory's main attraction and guides visitors through an artificial cacao forest, teaching them how to grow and harvest cacao from farmers in Ecuador and Uganda, the release said.

Visitors can learn about fermentation, drying, and sorting to bar molding, panning, spinning, enrobing and packaging.

A "Chocolate Theater" can be used for special events, and a retail store offers chocolate bark, chocolate-covered fruits and nuts, ice cream-filled bonbons and truffles and molded chocolate products.

Hours of operation: 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday and Wednesday-Saturday; noon-6 p.m. Sunday.

Milton, Caribou Coffee is now pouring java in your town.

But, don't worry Loganville and Kennesaw. Caribou is planning to open new locations in these cities, as well.

Caribou in Milton is located at 12996 Highway 9, near the intersection of Milton Alpharetta Highway and Windward Parkway. A grand opening celebration was held on Jan. 19.

The coffee shop also has six additional locations in Atlanta.

On its menu, Caribou offers the tastes of the following: Northern Lite latte, the white chocolate espresso shaker, caramel high rise, the lumberjack breakfast sandwich, a maple waffle sandwich, chicken chorizo burrito, oatmeal, bagels and lemonades and teas. Gluten free options are available.

Indoor and outdoor seating is available, as well as drive-thru ordering.

Per its website, Caribou will open its Kennesaw location at 3280 Barrett Lakes Blvd. Northwest. The site says the restaurant is "opening soon." It is unknown where the coffee shop will open in Loganville.

Hours of operation: 5:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday and 6 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

The smell of a brewing cup of joe can soon be found at Cultivate Food and Coffee in Buckhead's Phipps Plaza.

With its second Atlanta location, Cultivate will open a farm-to-table brunch and coffee eatery at Citizens Market Food Hall at Phipps Plaza, according to a company news release.

Phipps is located at 3500 Peachtree Road Northeast.

Cultivate's first location sits at 1952 Howell Mill Road, Suite 200, and was opened in 2019 by owner Johnny Liu. He also owns Café at Pharr and The Hungry Peach in Atlanta.

“Growing up in Buckhead, where I have many personal and professional memories as a resident and owner of several fast-casual restaurants, I’m ecstatic to open an additional Cultivate Food & Coffee location at Citizens Market Food Hall at Phipps Plaza,” Liu said in the release.

“I could not pass up the opportunity to open a concept at Phipps Plaza, where I passed through the doors countless times as a child and adult. It’s a dream come true to offer workers and residents of Buckhead a convenient breakfast and lunch spot to experience our signature items from all our brands under one roof.”

Cultivate's menu includes vegan sausage balls, vegetarian goat cheese croquets, various styles of biscuits and sandwiches, Nashville hot chicken and waffles and gluten-free sauteed cajun shrimp.

A full coffee bar and grab-and-go items will be available, including: the honey pot latte and the lavender matcha green latte, the company said in the release.

“We are thrilled to add Cultivate Food & Coffee, one of Atlanta’s most popular coffeehouses, to augment our lineup of unique fast-casual brands serving visitors at Citizens Market Food Hall at Phipps Plaza,” said Lindsey Jones, area director of marketing for Phipps Plaza and Lenox Square, in the release.

“To create the best dining experience possible, we wanted to evolve our current offerings with a widely known coffee shop concept admired by locals. This Atlanta-based brand with its large loyal customer base is the perfect partner to add community personality to our diverse food hall options.”

Hours of operation for Cultivate will be from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. daily.

Coffee is not the only thing Phipps is serving - the plaza is also serving looks at its new Christian Louboutin Boutique.

Inspiration for the new boutique comes from namesake Christian Louboutin's holiday house in Portugal, which features two salons resembling daytime lounges with Maison's signature red carpet, according to a company news release.

The store is the first retail venture to open this year in Phipps, the release said. Phipps is located at 3500 Peachtree Road Northeast. An official opening date was not provided.

Men and women's shoes, leather items and various styles featuring a crystal strass heart in the popular red hue is offered at the boutique.

According to Phipps, the store allows visitors to journey into Louboutin's "creative universe" with floral wallpaper illustrated by French artist Alexandre Poulaillon and a woven raffia-constructed ceiling.

"Within the space the shoes are displayed on the Maison’s iconic niche walls, with the curved alcoves drawing inspiration from the arched windows at the first Christian Louboutin store at Galerie Véro-Dodat in Paris," the company said in the release.

Hours of operation: 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Saturday and noon-6 p.m. Sunday.

Guess what will soon be barking in Decatur and Alpharetta - the Off Leash dog park and restaurant.

With its second location in metro Atlanta, Off Leash plans to be a home for dogs to "let loose and wag freely" in a park among other canines, according to a company news release.

Off Leash is set to open at 240 E. Trinity Place in Decatur in the fall in addition to its Alpharetta location at 142 S. Main St., which is slated to open in the summer.

Memberships will be offered, and trained "dogtenders" will help supervise dogs while ensuring a clean and safe environment, the company said in the release.

The dog park caters to more than canines. A restaurant will serve their owners menu items that span from breakfast to dinner in an indoor seating area. Off Leash also features a dog-friendly outdoor patio area.

Sandwiches, salads, a grilled burger, cocktails, chardonnays and beers are all part of Off Leash's menu, the company said in a news release. An assortment of dog treats will also be available.

“I have called Decatur home now for many years and have walked our dogs from our home to the Decatur square countless times while passing 240 E. Trinity,” Wendy Newman, co-founder of Off Leash, said in the release. “I have always thought it would be an incredible location for a dog park, bar and restaurant. It is surreal to see my vision come to life, and I can’t wait to see the park full of pups and folks enjoying great food and cocktails.”

Hours of operation were not immediately available.