Chamblee Becomes Home to a Sprawling Eco-Friendly Entertainment and Restaurant Complex Next Year

Block and Drum, an eco-friendly entertainment district featuring container restaurants, a micro-distillery and tasting room, listening bar, cafe, and hydroponic farm, is opening in Chamblee. The cafe at Block and Drum is expected to open in December serving coffee and espresso drinks and a limited breakfast and brunch menu, with the entire complex fully operational by May 2024.

Located along the Rail Trail at the corner of Clairmont Road and Peachtree Boulevard, Block and Drum takes over a former industrial property, repurposing several shipping containers into a dining and drinking destination in Chamblee open from morning until late in the evening.

Block and Drum

Container restaurant residencies and cafe

Opening in December, the cafe will feature a coffee bar and serve a small menu of breakfast and brunch dishes like sweet and savory waffles. A walk-up window at the cafe can be accessed via the Rail Trail.

Acting as an in incubator program, Block and Drum plans to begin accepting applications for its container kitchens in January, which will offer short-term leases of between six and 12 months. This allows Block and Drum to keep the food lineup at the complex fresh and provide an affordable entry point opportunity for chefs and culinary entrepreneurs looking to break into the Atlanta dining scene.

Block and Drum

Block and Drum

Distillery, tasting room, and hydroponic farm

The tasting room at the micro-distillery doubles as a vinyl records listening room serving cocktails made with the small batch spirits distilled on site. Expect rum, vodka, and gin using fresh botanicals and ingredients grown locally and at Block and Drum’s hydroponic farm (a farming technique for growing plants without soil.) Block and Drum also features a rainwater harvesting system, part of founder Justin Staples commitment to making Block and Drum as self-sufficient and sustainable as possible.

Outdoor stage and gathering spaces

A large courtyard will serve several purposes at Block and Drum, including for pop-up dining experiences, live music and other performances on the outdoor stage, and a gathering space for community events.

Block and Drum joins another adaptive-reuse project currently underway across the street from the new city hall in Chamblee. Taproom and micro food hall Chamblee Tap and Market will feature a taproom with 20 taps serving both beer and wine, four food stalls, and a coffee shop. It’s expected to open in early 2024.

Block and Drum

Block and Drum

Block and Drum

5105 Peachtree Boulevard, Chamblee. blockanddrum.com.