In the Krog District, the Experiments Keep Doing More Than Planned

Over the past six months, the biggest changes on the Inman Park side of the Eastside Trail came from formats that were meant to play a smaller role. One was a pop-up with a 120-day trial in the old BrewDog building. The other was a book vending machine by the front door of Krog Street Market, set up to advertise a shop that hadn't opened yet. Both ended up doing more than they were set up to do, and both now shape a fall weekend on Krog Street more than the national brands that arrived this year.

Those brands mostly moved into spaces other businesses had already built out and then left. In 2026, the experiments did more to change what the district feels like day to day than the new signs did.

The 120-day trial that's still pouring

BrewDog left its Krog District space suddenly in March. That freed up 14,700 square feet next to the Eastside Trail, including 2,700 square feet of patios. Urbanize Atlanta reported in May that the people behind Westside Motor Lounge in English Avenue would fill it with a large pop-up called LikeMinds. The plan included live music, billiards and bar games, a sports-viewing setup, and food and drinks rotating in from local restaurants and brands.

Kelly Campbell of Westside Motor Lounge leads the concept. Southern Culinary & Creative, Smith's Olde Bar, Frazie's Meat & Market and Bunker Design are among the Atlanta partners.

At the time, nobody would commit to how long it would last. In June, a project representative told Urbanize Atlanta:

"LikeMinds holds the lease through the end of the year. As the concept approaches 120 days [a trial period], it will assess and potentially continue on based on several factors."

A 120-day run from a late-spring opening would have ended around September. As of mid-October, the LikeMinds website says "the pop-up continues through 2026." It lists the address as 112 Krog Street NE and bills itself as a sports bar with barbecue and live music. College football gets top billing in its rotating banner. The site doesn't say when the extension was decided, but its current hours describe a place running seven days a week:

• Monday to Wednesday: 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.
• Thursday and Friday: 4 p.m. to midnight
• Saturday: noon to midnight
• Sunday: noon to 10 p.m.
• Kitchen: closes an hour or two before the bar, at 9 p.m. most nights and 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday

So the building's biggest tenant this fall is a pop-up that, on paper, was still being evaluated a few months ago.

A vending machine that now has a street address

The second experiment started much smaller. Rough Draft Atlanta reported in late May that Kate Kiefer Lee, owner of Long Story Books, had put a book vending machine near the main entrance of Krog Street Market. The district also has a mini-art-print vending machine from Inciardi Prints. According to Rough Draft, Lee's machine was first meant as a kind of billboard for her upcoming storefront and then became a real source of income. Lee told the outlet it has been "such a wonderful experiment" and said she hopes the machine will stay "long after our shop opens." In the same article, the district's management company, 26th Street Partners, said smaller-format tenants let it support independent businesses and test new ideas.

The bookstore is now working toward a full shop. In April, the AJC listed Long Story Books among six new Atlanta indie bookstores trying to become third spaces for readers. The paper gave its planned address as 717 Edgewood Avenue and expected it to open in late summer 2026. Late summer has come and gone. The Long Story Books homepage now says "Opening this fall" and asks visitors to follow along for updates. No opening date has been announced.

The bookstore and LikeMinds both started with a test in a busy spot that turned out to do more than planned. LikeMinds is still open after its 120-day evaluation window. The book machine was set up to advertise the Edgewood shop and is now a business in its own right while the shop gets ready to open.

The national brands moved into finished rooms

This year's chain arrivals worked differently. Each one took over a space a previous business had already shaped.

Nando's PERi-PERi opened its first intown Atlanta restaurant inside Krog Street Market on June 9, in the former Bar Mercado space. The AJC announced the June 9 date in May, and Urbanize Atlanta reported the grand opening that Tuesday. Urbanize put it next to Superica and noted that the South African chain has nearly 50 U.S. restaurants, with Georgia its newest state. Rough Draft Atlanta's August roundup listed it as now open.

YETI, the Austin-based outdoor brand, planned a grand-opening weekend for June 18 to 21. Its store is at 124 Krog Street NE, on the southwest corner of Lake Avenue that Outdoor Voices used to occupy. The Atlanta BeltLine's July roundup confirmed the store had opened along the Eastside Trail.

The third chain hasn't arrived yet. In June, Urbanize reported that Eggslut planned to open its second Atlanta location sometime this fall in SPX Alley. The space faces the Eastside Trail, next to the dog bakery and groomer Woof Gang, and Urbanize noted it is technically in Old Fourth Ward. Atlanta's first Eggslut is at the Moxy Atlanta Downtown hotel. We found no later report confirming an opening or a new date.

A short walk up the hill, the Highland side picked up a new name too. Rough Draft's September roundup lists Mister O1 as open in Inman Park. The restaurant's location page gives its address as 299 N Highland Ave NE, Suite S.

The district is testing its calendar the same way

The Krog District's events this fall look like trials too, each one checking whether a format draws a crowd. On Saturday, September 26, the district held Stove Works Supply at Atlanta Stove Works, a market with 20 local artists, vintage sellers and handmade vendors. Inside Krog Street Market, the district's events calendar lists a free jazz series every other Thursday starting September 3, with an October 1 show from 7 to 9 p.m. If the every-other-Thursday schedule holds, the next shows would land on October 15 and October 29. The calendar is the place to confirm before you go.

Two neighborhood dates, back to back

The Inman Park Neighborhood Association's own fall events fall on consecutive days this year. The Inman Park Festival and Tour of Homes isn't one of them. It happens every year on the last full weekend in April.

1. Friday, October 23: Porch Parties. IPNA lists the gathering from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The listing has the location.
2. Saturday, October 24: Inman Park Wine Stroll. Runs 1 to 6 p.m. The official event page promises two-ounce pours at 15 stops along tree-lined streets, plus live music, local artwork and food trucks. Standard tickets are $55 plus tax and fees. Map pins on the page mark Edgewood at Waddell and Edgewood at Hurt, and the page still says "planning is under way," so final details are pending.

Put those together with the district and you have an easy weekend. Friday evening at Porch Parties. Saturday afternoon on the Wine Stroll route near Edgewood. Then a late Saturday at LikeMinds, which stays open until midnight, a few blocks from where Long Story Books plans to open at 717 Edgewood.

SET Real Estate Group keeps track of the Krog District storefront by storefront, from the spaces changing hands to the ones still waiting for a date. If you're curious how a new opening on Edgewood or Krog Street could affect your own block, our team is glad to talk it through.