[EXCLUSIVE] Glide Pizza Taking Over Former Taco Spot in Decatur

On the heels of news that Mellow Mushroom is closing its Decatur restaurant after about nine years in business comes news that Glide Pizza, another local spot, is opening nearby.  After nearly three years inside the taproom at nearby Inner Voice Brewing on Ponce de Leon Place, Glide Pizza will end service there on July 13.  

After that, Glide will later this year reopen in their own space at 254 West Ponce de Leon Avenue - around the corner from Inner Voice where the pizza shop will backfill a 3,800 square foot space most recently home to Chando's Tacos. California-based Chando's closed its Decatur restaurant after about a year in business this past November after closing its Buckhead unit last August after about three years in business.  

Prior to Chando's, the Decatur location was home to Bar Crema, a concept from the defunct local restaurant group 10 Apart.  The block along West Ponce where Glide is opening has seen a good bit of turnover in recent years with Bench Warmers having opened last April in place of Taco Mac which closed in September 2023.   

After Glide closes, a new spot called Brainwave Pizza will open at Inner Voice in July, serving sourdough crust pies by the slice and whole pizza.

“As we evolve, we’ve got some new things on deck these next 12 months, which will be the most expansive, transitional, and thrilling times in the company’s history,” Glide posted on Instagram. “We will be sharing a series of different announcements over the next few weeks,” the company added without specifying where or when they would be moving.  ToNeTo Atlanta has confirmed the move to the Chando's space with three separate sources.  

Rob Birdsong, an Atlanta native who spent twelve years living and working in New York, returned to Atlanta in 2018 and found local pizzas were not "hitting" like the pies he enjoyed in New York, so he launched Glide in July 2020.  The original location - opened mid-pandemic - was just a takeout window at the Irwin Street Market along the Atlanta BeltLine.  The product proved popular, and after nearly two years at Irwin Street Market, Birdsong relocated Glide Pizza in 2022 to Studioplex across the street.  

Are you excited about the expansion of Glide in Decatur?  Who in metro Atlanta do you think offers the most authentic New York-style pizza?  If Glide continues to expand, where would you like to see them open next?

Please share your thoughts below.