Business on the Atlanta Beltline: Red’s Beer Garden

To kick off National Small Business Administration (SBA) Week 2021, we are excited to share about Red’s Beer Garden.  This new neighborhood joint has been providing great beer, hot dogs, and a chill environment in the South Atlanta neighborhood of Benteen Park since early 2020.

Owners Kristen and Ed Sumpter moved to Atlanta from Wilmington, North Carolina with a dream. With the support of ABI’s economic development department, Kristen, or “Red”, navigated the City of Atlanta’s permitting process to secure the location, acquire business licenses, and everything else that goes with starting a small business.

In 2019, Red’s Beer Garden was selected to participate in ABI’s Business Façade pARTnership Improvement pilot program. Designed to catalyze business growth within the Beltline Tax Allocation District (TAD), the program pairs businesses with local artists to make capital improvements to the façade of a business site. Red’s was paired with artist Lily Reeves to create a fun, neon storefront that welcomes customers in to all that the business has to offer.

Shortly after Red’s Beer Garden opened its doors near the Southside Trail, the pandemic hit. Thanks to the resourcefulness of the Sumpters, the ability to provide delivery and take-out, and the dedication of their clientele, Red’s was able to weather the lockdown and has been steadily building clientele and neighborhood support ever since.