Canopy Atlanta produced this story in partnership with Rough Draft Atlanta.
For many people living inside and outside Atlanta’s perimeter, Norcross—located around 20 minutes north of Atlanta along I-85 —has become a destination worth traveling to for food.
Like many metro Atlanta cities, Norcross benefited from the passage of the Hart-Celler Act, also known as the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, which eliminated immigration quotas based on national origin that previously excluded Asians and “non-whites” from entering the United States. The 1996 Olympics also resulted in a boom in business and immigration due to the expansion of construction sector services. Today, 30.2 percent of the population in Norcross are foreign born, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Hailing from countries like Vietnam and Cuba, the diverse communities that now comprise the population of this small Gwinnett County city lend a global perspective to its dining scene. In the following profiles, the owners of five restaurants share why they chose to open in Norcross, and what it means to share their food and culture with the community there and people living beyond its borders.
Click here to read more from Rough Draft reporters Logan Ritchie and Cathy Cobbs and Canopy Atlanta journalism fellow Jack Rose on Norcross restaurants Mojitos, Nam Phuong, and Sabores del Plata and food trucks Spice the Americas and Blaxican.
How and why Canopy Atlanta reported this story
Canopy Atlanta asked over 100 Norcross community members about the journalism they needed. This story emerged from feedback: “I love that there is a strong multicultural presence in Norcross,” one respondent told CA. “Lots of good food and restaurants from different communities.”
Canopy Atlanta also trains and pays community members, our Fellows, to learn reporting skills to better serve their community. Jack Rose, a reporter on this story, is a Canopy Atlanta Fellow.
Click here to read more stories from Canopy Atlanta’s Norcross issue.