[EXCLUSIVE] North Carolina Coffee Shop to Open in Dunwoody

Summit Coffee is out to conquer the Atlanta market with plans to open a third metro location in the months to come.  Planning materials reviewed by ToNeTo Atlanta suggest that the new Summit will open at the Shops of Dunwoody shopping center (5482 Chamblee Dunwoody Road, Suite #23A) where it will open in a 1,531 square foot space in place of what was most recently Nancy's Shoppe, a women's clothing boutique.  

Davidson, North Carolina-based Summit Coffee currently operates thirteen locations between its home market and Georgia where the business planted a flag on Atlanta Street near the Mill in Roswell in 2022 before opening a second location March 9 in Emory Village.  The Emory Village location - 1565 North Decatur Road - was the longtime home of Rise-n-Dine which shuttered in October 2020, was replaced by Baker Dude in April 2022, but then became available again soon after.    

In addition to the Dunwoody location, the Summit Coffee website indicates new coffee shops are planned for Cornelius, North Carolina and Charleston, South Carolina.  Reports in 2023 also suggested that a shop is also planned for Medley, a new mixed-use development in Johns Creek.  

Summit's Dunwoody debut marks the third "trendy" coffee shop to open in the popular suburban neighborhood since April 2023, when Alpharetta's Valor Coffee opened at Dunwoody Village, literally across the street.  A few miles away, the local owners of Ark Coffeehaus opened their debut location at The Mill Centre Shopping Center (4448 Tilly Mill Road), just off Peachtree Boulevard, this past November.  

All three shops follow the trend of so-called  "third-wave coffee," a movement toward higher-quality coffee, relationships with local farms, and unique flavors.  That said, while Valor and Ark are locally owned by their founders, Summit is now franchising and its Atlanta expansion is happening through that effort. 

In the Shops of Dunwoody, Summit will join existing eateries such as J. Christopher's, Breadwinner Cafe & Bakery, Porter's Brew & Que, and Vintage Pizzeria, among others.  

Dunwoody is also already home to locations of both Starbucks and Dunkin' as well as the locally owned Créma Espresso Gourmet.

May the best brew win!  

Have you been to all of the mentioned coffee shops?  Where in Atlanta do you think offers the best coffee?  If Summit Coffee continues to expand, where would you like to see them open next?

Please share your thoughts below.