Avondale Estates' Town Green Is Getting a Front Row

"So... Is It Open Yet?" That was the title Dave Deiters, chair of the Avondale Estates Downtown Development Authority, gave his July DDA Dish post. He wrote it because people kept asking him the same few questions about downtown.

Three months later, more of the answers are yes. The places that opened are mostly in one spot. The Dale, the mixed-use building on North Avondale Road, has its storefronts and seating facing the Town Green, with stairs down to the playscapes. Its first restaurant opened there in September. The farmers market, the tree lighting and the winter festival already happen on that lawn. This season, for the first time, you can sit down to dinner overlooking it.

Who's Facing the Green Now

Here is what has opened along The Dale's side of the green in 2025 and 2026, and what was still in buildout at the DDA's last update in July.

Deiters answered the most common question about The Book Bird directly. Is it a bookstore, a coffee shop or a wine bar? "The happy answer is YES, all of the above!" The shop was already part of Avondale before The Dale. When the city announced The Dale's tenants, it said the bookstore would move into a larger space there and that it keeps a section just for local authors.

Green Coyote Is the First Restaurant on the Green

Rough Draft Atlanta reported in late September that Green Coyote Cantina had opened its second location in Avondale Estates. It's on the first floor at 70 N. Avondale Road. On the restaurant's Avondale page, the menu runs from tacos and enchiladas to fajitas and burritos. Margaritas are made with its house "Coyote Juice," cold-pressed from Persian limes and oranges and sweetened with organic agave. The page lists hours as 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

The city's tenant announcement added more menu detail. The rotating taco list includes chicken tinga, fried chicken, veggie, shrimp and a Korean cowboy taco. Skinny and seasonal margaritas are also on the menu. The restaurant also put to-go ordering first, so it's easy to pick up dinner on the way home. The city also scheduled its official welcome, a ribbon cutting on Monday, Oct. 26 at 11 a.m. The listing calls it "a delicious new Tex-Mex restaurant overlooking the Town Green."

Two More Are Coming From the Same Team

Green Coyote, Ophelia Tavern and Bar Top are all one project. The city says all three are run by MooCoo Group, an Atlanta company owned by restaurant veterans Rob Caswick and Jeff Newsham. So once Green Coyote opened, the other two were the next ones to watch.

When the city announced them in 2025, the Italian restaurant was called Parma Tavern. The city described pizzas from a 600-degree brick oven, fresh pasta with scratch-made sauces, house-ground burgers and small plates to share. Bar Top sits above it, with a large covered patio overlooking the Town Green. Inside are a bar, a fireplace and a private event room, and the menu covers classic cocktails, mocktails, light bites, local beer and wine. By this summer, the DDA was calling the tavern Ophelia Tavern.

Deiters explained the wait in July. The kitchen equipment arrived late, which pushed back permitting, and the restaurants were then "working through routine inspection and permitting issues" with DeKalb County. Green Coyote got through that process first. At that July update, Deiters had no exact opening date for Ophelia Tavern or Bar Top. A rooftop patio with a fireplace above the green is the one to keep an eye on as the weather cools.

The Walk From Tudor Village Is Getting Better

The green is also getting better connected to the rest of downtown. The DDA and the city own the stretch of North Avondale between the Ronald Sachs Violin shop and The Dale. That includes 84 N. Avondale, home of the Arts Alliance, and the empty building at 90 N. Avondale. In July, the DDA approved money to add signs and lighting to the 90 N. Avondale parking lot and a clear route up to the sidewalk. The stated goal is a better connection between Tudor Village and The Dale.

The Tudor Village end has news too. Last Dance opened in the former Rising Son space at 124 N. Avondale Road, with a community opening on June 11. Decaturish reported that Kathryn Fitzgerald leads it with co-owners and chefs Lisa Wagner, Joshua Fryer, Chris Marconi and Patrick Daugherty. Urbanize Atlanta described the team as veterans of the General Muir.

Downtown businesses have been helping each other out, too. In July, Deiters wrote that Chef Elek of Billy's was remodeling his kitchen and staying open by handing out sandwich orders at Banjo Coffee. He called it "such a cool story of our business owners forming community to help each other."

East College Avenue Has New Spots Too

Ford's Chicken and Galore Market opened on the west end of East College Avenue this summer, and a kids' boutique on Washington Street had its ribbon cutting scheduled for October.

• Ford's Chicken, from James Maggard's Ford's BBQ team, opened Aug. 12 at 2759 E. College Ave. in the former Taylor'd Bar-B-Q space. It serves rotisserie and fried chicken.
• Galore Market at 2711 E. College Ave. is a converted tire shop. Plans called for organic foods, beer and wine, and outdoor patios. The city held its grand-opening ribbon cutting on July 22.
• Bun & Bombay serves Indian food from an order window inside Galore Market, next to a shaded patio. The Infatuation's August review called it Avondale Estates' only Indian restaurant, praised the samosas and saag paneer, and said a $15 butter chicken "tastes like butter chicken should."
• Birdie & Hale is a baby-and-kids boutique at 2904 Washington St. Its website says it carries vintage-style pieces, one-of-a-kind finds and quality secondhand goods. The city scheduled its ribbon cutting for Oct. 23.

One familiar spot did close. Decaturish reported that Leftie Lee's closed its Olive + Pine shop after brunch on July 26. Vivian Lee said the business would keep going with catering, special orders and wholesale.

Winter Dates on and Around the Green

The new restaurants matter most on the days the green is busy. Here is the city's schedule from November through mid-December:

1. Sundays, starting Nov. 1: The weekly Avondale Estates Farmers Market at the Town Green, 64 N. Avondale Road, moves to winter hours of 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. It runs year-round.
2. Saturday, Nov. 28: Small Business Saturday.
3. Nov. 30: The Town Green Tree Lighting. The DDA's list gives this date, which is a Monday, so check the city calendar for the final day and time.
4. Saturday, Dec. 12: Winter Wanderland.

The DDA has announced dates but not times for the last three events. Small Business Saturday will be the first one since The Book Bird, Sugar Polish, Green Coyote, Ford's Chicken, Galore Market and Birdie & Hale opened. The tree lighting will happen right below Green Coyote's dining room, and possibly below Bar Top's covered patio if it opens in time.

At Atlanta Turtle Group, we keep track of what opens around Avondale's Town Green, along with what is still waiting on inspections. If you'd like to know what a new storefront could mean for your street, or you just want a dinner recommendation before the tree lighting, let's start a conversation.