Around Decatur Square This Fall, the Familiar Places Are Changing Owners and Staying Open

Kelly's Market on East Howard Avenue sold in October 2026 and kept its doors open. Parker's On Ponce is for sale, and it's still taking dinner reservations. The new arrivals downtown, a taco shop and an Italian restaurant, are going into the former Revival space and a building on Commerce Drive. The fall turnover around Decatur Square is arriving through sales of businesses that keep operating, so the places on your regular route stay put while the ownership behind them changes.

That shapes what the next few weeks look like on the ground. Here's where each one stood in mid-October.

Kelly's Market already changed hands, and the deli came with it

Sean Crotty opened Kelly's Market at 308 E. Howard Ave., next to Smiley's Burgers, in 2019 as a family-run neighborhood market and deli. According to What Now Atlanta, Terminus Market & Provisions Company bought the market in October. The new owners are William Atchison, Cian Holmes, Jude Holmes and Stephen Manguno.

The handoff was set up to keep things running. Decaturish reported that the new group was slated to take over operations on Friday, Oct. 9. A city memo said the group had taken over "all business operations from the previous owner, Sean Crotty, including the deli that the community has come to enjoy since this grocer opened in 2019." The Decatur City Commission approved moving the market's alcohol license to the new owners, on the condition that the sale closed by Oct. 30.

No changes to the name, menu or hours have been announced. What Now Atlanta confirmed the sale with the new owners but had no details on plans. The market's own site still lists these hours:

• Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Sunday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• The deli closes at 8 p.m. every day

At the time of the sale, What Now Atlanta described the 4,000-square-foot market as offering sandwiches and deli classics, groceries and everyday goods, and wine and beer ranging from Old World bottles to local craft cans.

Parker's On Ponce is for sale and still serving dinner

The same kind of sale is now on offer a few blocks away. Parker's On Ponce, the steakhouse at 116 E. Ponce de Leon Ave., is listed for $495,000, ATL Vibes & Views reported on Oct. 6. The buyer would get the operating business and its leasehold assets. The building and land aren't part of the sale. Decaturish put the asking price at about $500,000.

Co-owner J.T. Scott is stepping back after nearly 18 years to spend more time with his family. He told Decaturish what he hopes happens next:

"My goal is to keep it Parker's and to keep it thriving."

Scott also said he would consider staying on to help a new owner get started. According to ATL Vibes & Views, the listing says the executive chef, general manager, bar manager and two sous chefs are prepared to stay under new ownership. It also markets the 5,000-square-foot space, with 150 seats, a full bar and a patio, as "Keep or Convert." So the door is open to a buyer who keeps Parker's or one who brings a different concept. No buyer had been announced as of the Oct. 6 report.

For anyone booking a holiday dinner or a December birthday, nothing changes at the moment. The restaurant is open and taking reservations. Its posted hours are 5 to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday, 4 to 10 p.m. Saturday, and 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday.

Muchacho is filling the old Revival space on Church Street

The first genuinely new name downtown is going into a familiar spot. Kevin Gillespie's Revival closed at 129 Church St. in early 2023 after an eight-year run. Muchacho, the all-day taco shop with a West Coast feel, is taking that address for its third restaurant. Its other two are on the Atlanta Beltline along Memorial Drive and in West Midtown.

The paperwork is well along. Decaturish reported that the Decatur Police Department reviewed and approved Muchacho's application. The restaurant has paid its fees, and the city has issued the certificate that allows it to open to the public. The City Commission approved its alcohol license, and a city memo says the restaurant will have live entertainment.

What Now Atlanta lists tacos, burritos, bowls, quesadillas, cocktails, wine, beer, coffee and agua fresca on the menu. The coffee and agua fresca fit the all-day format, which could make it a morning stop on Church Street as well as a dinner spot. Muchacho's Decatur page still says "coming to Decatur this fall" and gives no opening date, so check there before you go.

The other new names are going into new spaces

Muchacho is reusing an old restaurant space. The other two announced openings are going into buildings that don't carry a familiar downtown name.

Luga Italian Eatery is coming to 855 Commerce Drive at Modera Decatur. Its owner, Berin Islami, is part of the team behind Positano Pizza Napoletana and Giulia Italian Bakery, and Robbie Pacheco is executive chef. In September, What Now Atlanta reported plans for all-day brunch, lunch and dinner, with gamberi with house-made focaccia and a 40-ounce dry-aged porterhouse on the menu. Luga's own page adds handmade pastas, pizzas and seafood. That report expected an October opening. The restaurant's own site now says only "this fall," and it notes that patio seating is planned.

On the west side of downtown, The Scoop N Scootery is planning its first Georgia location at 335 W. Ponce de Leon Ave., Suite D, with customizable ice cream and frozen yogurt desserts. What Now Atlanta reported in September that it was aiming to open in November.

Here's where all of them stood as of mid-October:

The Square's calendar runs on through the changes

While these sales and openings play out, the city and local groups have a full calendar on the books. Several events are on the MARTA Plaza at 400 Church St., a short walk down the same street as the future Muchacho.

1. Scream on the Square: Halloween Edition, Friday, Oct. 30, 7 to 9 p.m., Decatur MARTA Plaza.
2. Decatur Wine Festival, Saturday, Nov. 7, 12:30 to 4:30 p.m., 101 E. Court Square.
3. Decatur Makers Holiday Market, Saturday, Nov. 14, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., 605 W. Ponce de Leon Ave.
4. Shop and Sip Decatur, Thursday, Nov. 19, 6 to 8 p.m., at local shops and restaurants.
5. Small Business Saturday and Santa on the Square, Saturday, Nov. 28, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Decatur MARTA Plaza.
6. Decatur Tree Lighting, Thursday, Dec. 3, 6 to 8 p.m., Decatur MARTA Plaza.

Small Business Saturday comes at the end of a fall when two of downtown's longtime independents were sold or listed for sale, and both were still open for business as of mid-October.

At Werner Homes Collective, we follow these blocks around the Square closely, because the market on the corner and the steakhouse you book for birthdays are part of what a Decatur address means. If this fall's changes have you thinking about your own home near the Square, we'd be glad to talk it through over coffee. Schedule a Free Consultation.