It marks a shift happening along Marietta Boulevard, Chattahoochee Avenue and other northwest Atlanta corridors. As developers transform land that was once vacant or industrial into commercial or residential uses, residents in neighborhoods like Blandtown, Bolton and Underwood Hills are beginning to notice the impacts.

The burst in new development has also popularized a new moniker for the area: the “Upper Westside.” The term has been used sporadically by the city and community over the years, but is entering the mainstream now as developers use it to brand new projects. While many agree “Upper Westside” is a good geographic descriptor, some worry the term could erase the identities of the area’s neighborhoods, defining them instead by the new shopping centers and luxury apartments.

The Waffle Experience will open its first east coast location in summer 2021 in a 2,200 square-foot space in the development’s Chattahoochee Row area. The Atlanta location will join two others in California.

Founded in 2014 in Sacramento, California by Marine Corp veteran and executive chef Michael Donoho, Waffle Experience specializes in sweet and savory dishes anchored by waffles, including breakfast plates, sandwiches, salads and desserts, with ingredients sourced from local growers. Several items Southern-influenced menu items will only be available at The Works location.