Food hall featuring 21 vendors announced for Underground Atlanta

ATLANTA — Another food hall is coming to Atlanta, this time at one of the city’s most well-known landmarks.

Underground Atlanta announced this week a new food hall development will be coming soon to the property and promises to be a one of a kind experience.

Shaneel Lalani, CEO of Billionaires Funding Group, told Channel 2 how he is preparing for the revitalization of Underground Atlanta.

“By the time we open the food hall, we’ll be more than ready, will be probably back to our prepandemic ways, so that’s going to give us really good momentum going into the next year,” Lalani said.

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The 28,000 square foot hall at the Underground will have up to 21 vendors with “mix of local and international fare” to represent the city’s diversity and feature both indoor and outdoor dining areas.

The concept comes from Robert Montwaid, who also behind Atlanta’s Chattahoochee Food Works on the west side of town.

“Atlanta has a thriving culinary scene with some of the country’s most notable restaurants and restaurateurs located here and there is an opportunity to bring that captivating and palate-pleasing experience to downtown,” Mondwaid said “At Underground Atlanta, we plan to highlight the unique flavors found throughout the city and bring together a community of chefs to create a one-of-a-kind experience.”

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Underground Atlanta has not released renderings of the project, but demolition site work has already started. More plans and photos are expected to be released throughout the summer.

It’s not just dining that visitors can expect. The food hall will connect to the Kenny’s Alley entertainment district with the Masquerade, which plans to reopen this summer.

The mixed-development will also be the home Future Showbar and Restaurant. The two-story LGBTQ+ friendly restaurant, cabaret and dance bar plans to open June 4.

YELLE Beauty store also plans to open its first brick-and-mortar store this summer at Underground Atlanta.

“It’s gonna bring a lot of people and it’s gonna bring more money into the area which is great for us,” Ed Chay, a barber at Legends barbershop in Underground, said.

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Underground Atlanta became a 1970s hot spot for nightlife in downtown Atlanta. In the late 1980s, renovations turned the space into more of shopping destination than for entertainment. After a decline of visitors in the 1990s into the 2000s, there were several efforts to keep Underground Atlanta open.

In 2017, the city of Atlanta sold the property to WRS. The developer later sold Underground Atlanta to Shaneel Lalani, the CEO of Norcross-based Billionaires Funding Group, in 2020.

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