Candler Park Market

A country store with city appeal

By Isadora Pennington

The Candler Park Market is a cornerstone of the neighborhood, housed in a relatively unassuming building on McLendon Avenue. A row of tables lines the side of the building under the awning and it’s common to see kids hanging out after school or locals catching up over lunch.

I came to know the market when I was staying in a drafty attic apartment next to the Lake Claire Land Trust. At the time I was living out of a mini-fridge and I relied heavily upon the market for my daily or weekly groceries. Years prior, I worked at Doctor Bombay’s Underwater Tea Party across the street, and I had become familiar with the friendly staff of the market. The impact of the market on the community was evident by the constant influx of customers and tokens of appreciation on display for all to see.

The board above the cash registers is plastered with photos of children and parents who have been sending Christmas cards to the market for years. Robin

Graham, manager of the deli, told me about the experience of getting to know these families.

“We get the news they’re pregnant, then we feed them through their pregnancy, then we see the kids grow up and they start sending us cards,” she said. It’s clear that the staff of the market feel deeply tied to the community they serve.

Ricky Johnson, store manager, has been working at the market for more than 23 years. Starting off as a stock boy, he worked his way up to his current role. “With the bus stop in front of the store for junior high and high school, I know most of the parents and I’ve seen the kids grow up,” Johnson said. He has been the friendly face at the counter almost every time I have gone to the market, and if you’re looking for something in particular chances are very good that he will know exactly where it is.

Greg Hutchins, general manager and partner, has been with the market since 2004 when his brother-in-law, Dirk, asked him to come on board. It was in 2006 that Greg took over full management with a big influence in the direction of the market’s evolution. In these last two decades, Candler Park Market has become well known for their vast beer and wine selections as well as their locally sourced produce, goods, extensive deli and a large selection of candy (personally, this is my favorite aisle). In addition to sourcing from local businesses like Alon’s and Holeman & Finch, the market often works with individuals who make products on a much smaller scale.

“There’s this one guy called Lion Tamer who started off renting a commercial space making this incredible sourdough,” Greg told me. “That’s all he makes, and he delivers it daily.” Robin nodded in agreement. “It’s really good,” she said with emphasis.

“As far as I can tell there has been a market in Candler Park as long as there has been a business district,” Greg said of the establishment. The market originally began as an A&P supermarket located in the row of retail fronts across the street. The business was purchased by “Mac” McMichael, who built the current market on what was at the time a vacant plot of land. The store has gone through several owners and has changed names since that time, constantly evolving to meet the everchanging needs of the neighborhood.

A regular described the market as a “country store meets Whole Foods,” a phrase that Greg thinks is fairly accurate for their scope of services and goods.

It’s clear that Greg feels strongly about the market’s ties to the neighborhood in listening to him speak about his experiences there. As an example of their dedication, he told me that the market remains open on Christmas and Thanksgiving as “our way of saying thank you to the neighborhood.”

“It’s a point of pride to stay open, because we feel like we are a resource to the neighborhood,” Greg said. “We really believe in supporting the local economy. That’s an important aspect of helping the Atlanta economy grow, and as the Atlanta economy grows, we grow.”

The deli, under Robin’s direction and vision, has undergone the most significant changes in recent history. Tucked into the back of the store, the counter was pretty small and cramped. Knowing that he would need someone to take the helm to get the renovation and revitalization underway, Greg found his solution in Robin.

“When we first hired Robin it quickly became apparent that she was that person,” Greg said. “Whatever success we have there is mostly due to her and her team.” Indeed, the deli has a team, and they’re known as the Deli Babes.

“We have a lot of creative individuals back there, so that makes it easy,” Robin said of the deli staff. Recently the deli began offering catering and prepared meals in addition to their full-service sandwich bar. Boasting Southern favorites like pimento cheese, buttermilk cakes and egg salad, the coolers alongside the deli are packed to the brim with handmade, locally sourced foods to take home as well.

Another recent addition to the deli is the selection of baked goods, ranging from chipwiches to brownies, which are made by Ashley Daxton, one of the deli employees. In the two years since Ashley came on board she started her own baked goods company and has begun to sell them via the deli. It’s just another example of how the market continues to encourage and support the successes of their community.

At the end of the day, the market is an incredibly well-rounded and communityminded shop, providing a valuable resource to the neighborhood it serves. Next time you’re in the neighborhood, stop in and meet the market crew or grab a bite from the deli. “It’s very likely you’re going to find everything you need,” Greg said.

Atlanta’s largest Whole Foods Market could come to the site of a planned mixed-use tower at the corner of 14th and West Peachtree streets in Midtown, according to the Atlanta Business Chronicle. The 60,000 square foot store would anchor the The Related Group’s two-tower project, the first of which would have 400 residential units.

Local entrepreneur Amanda Dossey has opened Painting with a Twist, a place where friends come together to paint, drink wine and discover their inner artist, at 2140 Peachtree Road in Buckhead. Led by local art instructors, guests paint on bare 16” by 20” canvases using paint and brushes provided by the studio. The artwork ranges from landscapes, abstracts and cityscapes, to creative renderings of animals, iconic buildings and florals. With the Painting with a Purpose program, Painting with a Twist of Buckhead donates 50 percent of their proceeds to local organizations and charities. For more information, visit paintingwithatwist.com/atlanta-buckhead.

Phipps Plaza has unveiled its new chandelier as part of the mall’s multi-phase renovation. The former chandelier, which hung in the mall’s Court of the South since 1992, was removed to make way for a new lighting installation – a sixteen-feet wide by 7-feet tall chandelier composed of an illuminated core, surrounded by 88 stainless steel spears and featuring over 2,600 acrylic spheres throughout the fixture.

Local fitness studio Pure Barre is opening a location at 515 Church St. in Decatur this month. Locals Ashley Goot and Katy Bayless Gibson, who also operate a location in Virginia Highland, own the studio. The barre-based workout utilizes small, isometric movements to target areas women struggle with most: hips, thighs, seat, abdominals and arms. For more information, visit purebarre.com/ga-decatur.

PGi, a developer of virtual meeting and collaboration software, held a ribbon-cutting last month for its newly renovated Innovation Lab at the Terminus complex in Buckhead. More than 75 percent of Fortune 100 companies use technology created by PGi and the company recently released a new calendar app, Agenday, that has received high marks from users of Android and iPhones.

The 14th annual Eventeract will be held May 12-13 at AmericasMart in Downtown. The event will feature 90,000 square feet of education, innovation and networking covering a variety of disciplines, including corporate and association events, food & beverage, meeting design, décor & event design, meeting planning strategies, technology, sales, revenue management and more. GaMPI will host its signature charity event “The Gathering” on May 12 to benefit the Atlanta Community Food Bank. For more information, visit eventeract.org.

The Ellis Hotel in Downtown has announced the creation of a “Women’s Only Floor,” and partnership with The Chelko Foundation, a nonprofit organization that empowers women through art and education. From arrival to departure, women guests will enjoy the “princess” treatment, on a floor that can only be accessed by a special keycard in the elevator. Perks include a L’Occitane gift bag of toiletries, a miniature keepsake painting from The Chelko Foundation, robes, slippers, video call capability and services like inroom massage and facial treatments. For more information, visit ellishotel.com.