Demolition crews have moved onto the old Decatur Auto Sales property at 541 East College Avenue and 170 Commerce Drive, clearing the way for Café Racer's first metro Atlanta restaurant. The former vehicle-sales offices at the two adjacent parcels are coming down to make room for a standalone building that will bring the Athens-born breakfast-and-burger concept into the city for the first time.
The project traces back to an Aug. 18, 2025 vote, when the Decatur City Commission approved a special exception clearing the way for construction at the 0.67-acre site, according to meeting minutes from the Decatur City Commission. Commissioners adopted Ordinance O-25-Z-04 with a condition that the finished building's exterior substantially match the plans presented at the meeting. As Urbanize Atlanta reports, the planned structure will span 3,861 square feet and was designed by Studio BNA Architects in a modern style, sitting at the corner of East College Avenue and Commerce Drive within a mixed-use district meant to support walkable, transit-served development.
Decatur Auto Sales closed in 2024, and the lot sat vacant for roughly a year before the city commission took up the proposal, according to Decaturish. Developers did not yet know what they would find and expected to remove some dirt.
Parking Debate Settled With a 3-1 Vote
Getting to yes wasn't unanimous. Café Racer petitioned the commission for an exception to raise its maximum surface parking, and commissioners ultimately approved bumping the allowance from 19 spaces up to 30, alongside a reduction in the minimum building height from 24 feet to 17 feet. The measure passed by a 3-1 vote, the same Decaturish report notes.
Representatives for the restaurant argued that most patrons would arrive by car since MARTA's Avondale Station sits more than 0.3 miles from the site. Applicants also contended that nearby on-street parking is either prohibited or would feel unsafe and unattractive for pedestrians trying to reach the restaurant on foot. They framed the added spaces as a safety measure, arguing the extra capacity would keep queuing cars from spilling onto Commerce Drive and would let traffic flow smoothly through the property, with the lot planned largely behind the building and featuring two curb cuts allowing only right turns in and out.
What Café Racer Plans to Serve
The site plans also call for bicycle parking, outdoor seating, turf areas and landscaping along the sidewalk, plus an open patio topped with a pitched roof. The plan includes one interior restroom and one exterior restroom, with a condition requiring the primary restroom to be located inside the building. About 12 employees are expected on site on a typical day, per the same commission account.
Once open, the Decatur restaurant is expected to be Café Racer's fourth location overall and its first in metro Atlanta, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. By day, the menu leans into coffee alongside biscuits, tacos and breakfast burritos; by night, it shifts to burgers, chicken sandwiches, loaded fries, hot dogs, soft serve ice cream and a full bar.
From a Crawford Food Trailer to a Growing Regional Brand
Café Racer's roots go back to 2018, when it started as a small food trailer in Crawford before growing into a brick-and-mortar restaurant at 2343 W. Broad St. in Athens, according to OnlineAthens. The chain opened a third location — its second in Athens — at 377 Oak Street near the Firefly Trail at Oak Street and Inglewood Avenue on March 17, 2026. That 2,660-square-foot space includes a full commercial kitchen, bar and covered patio, with room for about 115 guests between indoor and outdoor seating, the outlet's report states.
The company's own site describes the Oak Street location as leaning into brunch on weekends, running breakfast service until 2 p.m. before the menu pivots toward its burger-and-bar offerings, according to Café Racer's website. With two Athens locations now up and running, the Decatur project marks the brand's push beyond its college-town origins and into the Atlanta market for the first time.
