How The Avenue Became Peachtree City's Downtown In The Year Since Trader Joe's
"We do not have a traditional downtown, but people still want a place to gather," Kelly Page Lawrence, marketing manager for The Avenue Peachtree City, told the Peachtree City Rotary Club in March, as The Citizen reported. Her point was that the open-air center on City Circle "has naturally become that place."
A year in, the record mostly backs her up. Since Trader Joe's opened in October 2025, The Avenue has added businesses people visit every week instead of once a season. It has also built a calendar that now covers more of Peachtree City's holiday season than the city's own schedule does. Peachtree City planned its villages and paths around neighborhoods, and a private shopping center has ended up doing the job a town square usually does.
Trader Joe's opened at 258 City Circle on Monday, Oct. 27, 2025, according to The Citizen's opening coverage. In her Rotary talk, Lawrence said average daily visits to The Avenue rose from about 6,400 a day before the store opened to more than 9,400 after. She said the store logged nearly 20,000 transactions and close to $1 million in sales in its first week alone.
A grocery run happens every week, so it brings back the same households again and again. Roughly 3,000 more visitors a day gave the center the steady foot traffic a downtown runs on, and Lawrence said the trade area has widened to draw more shoppers from outside the immediate community.
The physical work that came with it was not glamorous. Ahead of the opening, The Avenue worked with the city on expanded entrances along Highway 54 and adjusted traffic light timing. "They're not the most glamorous updates, but they made a huge impact on how people experience the Avenue," Lawrence said, per The Citizen.
With more people coming through, the center had leverage. Lawrence said vacancy was limited, which let management be selective about new tenants. The businesses that arrived this year share one trait. Each gives people a reason to stop by on an ordinary weekday morning or evening.
| Business | Where | What it adds |
|---|---|---|
| Biscuit Belly | 238 City Circle, Suite 1020 | A breakfast stop, open since April |
| Southern Home and Garden | 312 City Circle, next to Ted's Montana Grill | Locally owned home and garden goods |
| Pure Hair Artistry | The Avenue directory | A high-end salon from Charleston |
| Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams | 232 City Circle, Suite 800 | An evening dessert stop, with its grand opening set for Nov. 5 |
Biscuit Belly opened to the public on Tuesday, April 21, The Citizen reported. The Fayette Chamber of Commerce held its ribbon cutting there on April 24, according to the Fayette County News. Breakfast fills the morning hours, when a mall built around shops and dinner restaurants would otherwise be quiet.
Southern Home and Garden is owned by Grant and Melinda Gers and sits at 312 City Circle, beside Ted's Montana Grill. The City Menus described its stock as home accents, seasonal décor, garden-inspired pieces and gifts. Pure Hair Artistry is on The Avenue's directory and is running a promotion through Nov. 30 on the center's events and sales page.
Lawrence highlighted local ownership in the mix, saying many of the new businesses have local owners "even when tied to national brands."
Jeni's is the newest arrival. The ice cream company set its grand opening at 232 City Circle for Thursday, Nov. 5, and calls this its first shop in South Metro Atlanta, according to Peachtree City Daily. The Fayette Chamber scheduled its ribbon cutting for that afternoon. The opening-night menu included Brambleberry Crisp, holiday flavors and a new Sticky Toffee Pudding. Regular hours are on the Peachtree City shop page.
The other half of The Avenue's 2026 was free events on a set schedule. Lawrence described the programming as a way to "create consistent traffic in a way that feels natural and enjoyable," and The Citizen reported that recurring events sit at the center of the property's strategy.
The main piece in 2026 was the First Friday music series with local band Venus Kings, which The Citizen announced in February as a March through October run. It started March 6. The schedule followed a monthly rhythm on The Avenue's First Friday page, with dates on June 5, July 3, Aug. 7 and Sept. 4. The fall lineup The City Menus published set Unity Fest on Oct. 10 as the series finale, with the Fall Festival on Oct. 30. The center also started a pet ambassador program this year that encourages visitors to bring their dogs.
From March into October, the center put free live music on the calendar month after month, the way a town green would. That role gets bigger in December, when the city's own calendar has just one event.
The city's 2026 Recreation and Special Events calendar lists one December event, Hometown Holiday, on Saturday, Dec. 5, at Drake Field, 155 Willowbend Road, with a 4 p.m. start. Drake Field is next to City Hall and the library and is on the multiuse path network, so a golf cart or bike gets you there easily.
The Avenue has the rest of the month. Here is the local holiday season in order:
Putting Santa on Monday nights keeps him clear of weekend crowds and of the city's Saturday event. Over the Thanksgiving weekend, the nearest parade and tree lighting are in neighboring towns, according to Peachtree City Daily's holiday roundup. Fayetteville's Christmas Parade starts at 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 27, followed by Light Up City Center Park from 6 to 8 p.m. Tyrone holds its Christmas Tree Lighting and Market at Shamrock Park from 2 to 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 29.
The Avenue sits at 239 City Circle. It is open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. A few details make holiday visits easier:
The center's March plans also called for refreshed exterior paint, restriped parking, better golf cart charging and redesigned seating, all intended to encourage longer visits and more gathering.
If the past year at The Avenue has you thinking about how a new gathering place nearby fits into your own plans, from walking-distance errands to the golf cart route to Santa night, Cyndi Williams at True Atlanta Real Estate is glad to talk it through with you. Schedule your free consultation.
I listen to your needs and utilize the best information and market data to guide, inform and equip you with the best negotiation position. From the first phone consultation, I will listen intently and ask appropriate questions to ensure I understand your expectations throughout the process.