Here’s Medley’s Latest Opening Lineup—and What to Expect at Each Business

Opening information checked Oct. 24, 2026.

A bookstore founded by a Johns Creek native, a restaurant that carves its cocktail ice from 300-pound blocks, and a familiar Alpharetta boutique opening a second shop: Medley’s first week will bring more than a row of new restaurant signs.

The district’s public ribbon cutting is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 29, at 10 a.m. in The Plaza. Restaurants and shops will open in stages, with more arrivals in the weeks ahead.

The lineup brings together 35 businesses, from local favorites expanding into Johns Creek to brands making their Georgia debut. Here’s what to expect at each, including the restaurants and shops coming next and the already-open Trader Joe’s.

Keep exploring: Our Medley guide brings together the upcoming-events timeline, North Atlanta Planner connection, photographs, housing and hotel coverage, and our continuing reporting.

The restaurants expected Oct. 29

STIR. The restaurant’s first Georgia location will face The Plaza, with an oyster and cold bar, lunch, dinner and weekend brunch. Its cocktail program has an unusually large starting point: 300-pound blocks of ice, cut down for individual drinks. STIR is also making its own tonic syrups. The restaurant and its adjoining bar are scheduled to open Oct. 29.

Tonic House. STIR’s separate cocktail lounge next door will have its own bar and patio overlooking The Plaza. The drinks will explore variations on the classic tonic, using the restaurant’s syrups. It gives visitors a place to stop for a cocktail without taking a table in the main dining room.

Rena’s Italian Fishery & Grill. The Alpharetta restaurant brings handmade pasta, seafood and grilled meats to Johns Creek. Its Italian family cooking includes sauces passed down through generations, with a wood-burning grill central to the kitchen. The restaurant’s name honors the founder’s wife, Rena.

Lily Sushi Bar. Susan Vuong’s restaurant already has homes in Alpharetta and Milton. Medley adds another North Fulton location for its sushi and Japanese cooking. Expect a sit-down sushi-bar experience with cocktails, rather than a quick grab-and-go counter.

The Nest Cafe. Coffee, breakfast and lunch are the focus of this Alpharetta-born cafe. Its croissant sandwiches go well beyond a plain egg-and-cheese: the California Croissant combines eggs, turkey, bacon, chipotle Gouda and avocado. Panini and other sandwiches fill out the daytime menu.

Knuckies Eatery. The sandwich business is broadening its menu at Medley, adding chef-developed dishes, house-made sauces and rotating brunch items alongside hoagies and cheesesteaks. As NAS previously reported, the beverage program includes “dirty sodas,” mixing fountain drinks with flavored syrups and cream.

Coffee, doughnuts and something for the walk home

Five Daughters Bakery. The family bakery from Tennessee is known for its 100-layer doughnuts, which use laminated pastry for a croissant-like texture. Regular flavors share the case with seasonal varieties, giving repeat visitors something different to try.

Cookie Fix. Founder Amy Jason started the business in Homewood, Alabama, in 2016. Along with freshly baked cookies, Cookie Fix sells frozen dough to bake at home—a useful distinction if dessert is for later rather than the walk around Medley.

Amorino Gelato. The signature here is the flower-shaped cone: gelato is arranged in petals, with different flavors combined in one serving. Sorbets offer another option alongside the gelato.

Playa Bowls. The business began with two surfers in Belmar, New Jersey, inspired by fruit bowls they encountered on their travels. Its bowls use bases such as açaí, pitaya and coconut, finished with fruit and other toppings; smoothies are also part of the menu.

Summit Coffee. The North Carolina roaster will add another coffee stop to the district. Its Medley shop has announced an Oct. 29 opening, with pastries, wine and beer as well as specialty coffee.

The shops: a hometown first and familiar local names

Hollow Oak. Johns Creek native Katie Bossie is opening her first retail store in her hometown. Books, stationery, art and home goods will share space with classes and community events. The idea is to give people reasons to put down their phones and spend time making, reading or talking together.

Moop’s Boutique. After nearly two decades in downtown Alpharetta, owner Carolyn Gordon is adding a second store at Medley. The roughly 990-square-foot shop will carry European-inspired clothing and accessories. Our earlier story on Moop’s expansion looks at the owner and the boutique’s long local history.

High Country Outfitters. The outdoor retailer has Atlanta roots stretching back to 1975. Its mix of outdoor gear and clothing brings a locally owned business with more than 50 years behind it into the new district.

Burdlife. Jewelry is only part of the visit at this Texas-based brand. Permanent-jewelry appointments involve fitting and welding a bracelet, necklace or anklet closed instead of fastening it with a clasp. Piercing and jewelry styling are also part of the business.

Sephora. The beauty retailer will carry makeup, skin care, fragrance and hair products. Brands announced for the Medley store include Charlotte Tilbury, Sol de Janeiro, Chanel and Dyson, alongside Sephora’s own collection.

Fitness, appointments and pet care

BODYROK. This is a group-workout studio built around 45-minute, Pilates-inspired sessions on custom reformers. The classes combine strength work and cardio. BODYROK’s North Georgia team has separately announced the Oct. 29 opening.

Kontour Medical Spa. Founder Karishma Lakhani, a physician assistant, is expanding from Duluth to Johns Creek. Kontour’s services include cosmetic injectables, laser treatments, microneedling and facials. Her background includes work in facial plastic surgery and ear, nose and throat care.

Sugarcoat. The locally owned beauty business dates to 2010. Manicures and pedicures are joined by services including lashes and facials, making this a broader beauty appointment than a nail-only stop.

Drybar. The specialty is blowouts: washing, drying and styling hair. Haircuts and color are outside its focus. The shop also sells styling products and tools for use at home.

Petfolk. The veterinary business will serve dogs and cats at 4195 Medley Boulevard. Its care includes wellness visits and diagnostics, with online appointment scheduling.

Shake Shack joins opening weekend

Shake Shack. The burger restaurant has announced its public opening for Friday, Oct. 30, at 10 a.m., at 2100 Medley Boulevard. It will be the company’s 11th Georgia location, serving burgers, chicken sandwiches, crinkle-cut fries and shakes.

The opening-day plans include a $1 donation to Camp Twin Lakes for every sandwich sold Oct. 30.

Already open: Trader Joe’s

Trader Joe’s. The grocery store opened June 11, months ahead of the district’s main celebration. Its private-label groceries, frozen meals, flowers and seasonal products are already available. It remains part of Medley’s opening lineup, but it is not a new Oct. 29 opening.

The next arrivals

The following businesses are expected to open in the weeks after Medley’s Oct. 29 debut.

Northern China Eatery. The restaurant brings a name familiar to Buford Highway diners to Johns Creek. Handmade dumplings and soup dumplings are a central attraction, with noodles, stir-fries and other regional Chinese dishes rounding out the cooking.

CRÚ Wine Bar & Bistro. Wine flights are a useful introduction to the concept: three small pours linked by grape, region or style. The business already operates at Avalon and The Battery, pairing wine with a full food menu.

26 Thai Kitchen & Bar. The number in the name comes from founder Niki Pattharakositkul’s age when she opened her first restaurant in Buckhead. Her Atlanta-grown restaurant group brings Thai cooking and cocktails to Medley.

Fogón and Lions. Chef Julio Delgado’s Spanish-Latin restaurant is expanding from Alpharetta, with wood-fired cooking at its center. Steaks, seafood and ceviche are among the concept’s offerings. Delgado also operates Minnie Olivia, another restaurant coming to Medley.

Minnie Olivia Pizzeria. Delgado’s pizzeria specializes in wood-fired, Neo-Neapolitan-style pizza with seasonal ingredients.

CT Cantina & Taqueria. The family-owned Mexican restaurant plans an expanded cocktail menu and a walk-up window at Medley. That window is a particularly useful part of the announced design, allowing visitors to order without committing to a full sit-down meal.

Tabla. This will be the Indian restaurant’s first suburban location, following its Atlanta restaurants. The Medley plans include an indoor-outdoor bar and weekend street-food offerings. The announced space is beside The Plaza.

Fadó Irish Pub. Medley will be Fadó’s third Atlanta-area pub, joining Buckhead and Midtown. The pub promises its familiar combination of a scratch kitchen and extensive soccer coverage. Opening hours and the Johns Creek menu are still to come.

Warby Parker. The eyewear company will open at 4100 Medley Boulevard. The store will offer glasses, sunglasses, contact lenses and eye exams.

13 Hub Lane. Furniture, lighting and home accessories will sit alongside clothing, jewelry and gifts. The business also offers interior-design help and already has stores in Roswell and East Cobb, giving the Medley location established North Atlanta roots.

More beauty and grooming

Clean Your Dirty Face. The facial bar joins Medley’s opening lineup with 30-minute treatments, offering a shorter appointment for visitors fitting skin care into a busy day.

The Commodore. The Atlanta barbershop brings precision haircutting to Medley, with an emphasis on contemporary styles and a modern take on the traditional barber shop.

Planning a visit? Medley is at Johns Creek Parkway and McGinnis Ferry Road. Our Medley guide has a chronological view of upcoming public events, links to our original reporting and photographs, and separate information on homes and the planned hotel. Individual business opening dates and hours will continue to change as the district fills in.