Potbelly opened its first Georgia location at Peachtree Station Shopping Center in Chamblee on September 1, with a grand-opening celebration scheduled for September 19. It is the sandwich chain's entry point into an entire state, the first domino in a plan that reportedly covers at least fifteen metro Atlanta locations over the next several years. A few months earlier and a short drive away, Brews & Hops Taproom opened downtown with more than forty self-pour beer and wine taps and a menu that leans into Indian-fusion bar snacks.
Two restaurants opening in the same city in the same year add different options to its food scene. Potbelly brings a national sandwich-chain format, while Brews & Hops offers a self-pour taproom. Chamblee's calendar of recurring events adds another way to experience the city.
The Corner Getting Both Kinds of Attention
Peachtree Station Shopping Center sits along the Peachtree Road corridor, the same stretch that has absorbed most of Chamblee's recent restaurant turnover. Potbelly opened there as its first Georgia location. Its new owner, RaceTrac, is headquartered in Atlanta, and a Georgia franchisee has said the team is actively scouting additional sites across Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb, and Gwinnett counties. Cumming is the other confirmed location in that first wave.
Brews & Hops runs happy hour Monday through Thursday from 4 to 6 p.m.
The table below summarizes reported details about both businesses:
| Potbelly (Peachtree Station) | Brews & Hops Taproom | |
|---|---|---|
| Opened | September 1, 2026 | Early 2026 |
| Model | National chain, first Georgia location | Independent self-pour taproom |
| Backing | Owned by RaceTrac, plans for 15+ metro locations | Local operator |
| Signature draw | Grand opening Sept. 19 with promotions and giveaways | 40+ self-pour taps, Indian-fusion bar food |
Each is one part of Chamblee's restaurant mix, with a different format and offering.
Potbelly's Georgia Debut
Potbelly's spokesperson has framed Chamblee as the start of a broader Atlanta expansion. The grand-opening celebration includes games and prizes, making it a promotional event for the Georgia launch.
National chains are one part of a corridor's restaurant mix, alongside local businesses and recurring civic events.
A Different Format at Brews & Hops
Brews & Hops pairs a self-pour format with Indian-fusion flatbreads and chaat. The menu and service format differ from Potbelly's sandwich-chain offering.
Both places are worth a visit. They offer different ways to experience Chamblee's restaurant scene: a national sandwich chain and a neighborhood taproom.
The Calendar That Doesn't Wait on Either One
Restaurant openings are only part of Chamblee's annual calendar.
Chamblee Restaurant Week runs every April, giving the city's existing restaurants a dedicated week to pull in diners who might not have made it in otherwise. The Chamblee Rocks Summer Concert Series runs June through August in Downtown Chamblee and draws a claimed 15,000 people over the season, wrapping this year on August 7 with a Boy Band Review show built around 90s and early 2000s hits. The city's Independence Day celebration, with fireworks and a performance from Robin Thicke, pulled an estimated 10,000 people out this year, according to the city's own recap.
A Taste of Chamblee returns on Saturday, October 18, for its 16th annual edition, running 3 to 8 p.m. in Downtown Chamblee. The format has stayed consistent for years because it works. Food and craft vendors line the streets, SEC and ACC games play on jumbotrons in the beer gardens, there's a Wine Down Tent for anyone who wants a quieter corner, and a KidsZone for the families. It is not built around whatever restaurant is newest that month. It is built around the restaurants that are already here, showing up the way they do every October.
Recurring civic events are another part of Chamblee's food identity, alongside its restaurants and taprooms.
What This Means If You're Deciding Where to Eat This Month
Potbelly's grand opening on September 19 and a Tuesday stop at Brews & Hops offer two different ways to explore Chamblee's restaurant scene. The first is a launch celebration; the second is a taproom with weekday happy hour. Both are fine choices.
A Taste of Chamblee extends that calendar into October with an annual downtown gathering.
Together, Chamblee's restaurants and annual events offer a snapshot of the city's fall calendar.
If you're already living this rhythm and start wondering what a move within Chamblee, or a move into it, would actually look like, that's a different kind of question, and one Bolst Homes spends a lot of time answering block by block. You can see more of what we're watching in the neighborhood on our Chamblee page. Find a Home. Make an Impact.
