A development company has pitched a new restaurant idea for a parcel of land along 4400 North Shallowford Road.
The parcel is about 2.5 acres included in Dunwoody’s “Project Renaissance,” a 35-acre redevelopment project meant to revitalize the city’s Georgetown neighborhood by adding parks, trails, restaurants and other commercial uses. The city’s Urban Redevelopment Agency (URA) owns the land and is leading its redevelopment.
In 2021, the agency voted to hire a commercial real estate firm to help market the 2.5-acre parcel, which is the last piece of property the agency controls. At a June 9 URA meeting, a development company called Vantage Commercial Contractors pitched the idea of a taproom and restaurant concept called Bru Foundry.
According to Jay Parekh, a representative from Vantage, Bru Foundry is a two-story taproom concept that would be about 8,000 square feet. The taproom would not only feature drinks, but an open kitchen and a food menu expected to offer items like artisan pizzas, barbecue and more. Parekh also said that Vantage has plans to introduce a concept called “Makr Shakr,” a robotic bartender, within Bru Foundry.
Parekh said that the company is preparing for a future location in Gainesville and has plans to build in other cities in Georgia. A representative from the city of Gainesville said that Vantage has a shell permit for a new shopping center and that one of the future tenants is expected to be the restaurant.
Parekh said the company envisions a “dual restaurant concept” at the Dunwoody location, with Bru Foundry on one side and an attached breakfast concept, similar to First Watch or J. Christopher’s, on the other.
“That would be a separate square footage attached to the building,” Parekh said. “It does not take away from [the Bru Foundry] concept. The vision is to have a two-restaurant building, if you will.”
Economic Development Director Michael Starling said the next steps would be to advertise the possible sale of the property to the public. After that advertisement, the agency would have another meeting to decide whether to move forward or not.
Vantage Commercial Contractors did not respond to requests for comment in time for publication.