The Krog District in Inman Park is welcoming unconventional small businesses into its retail and dining space thanks to a pair of unique vending machines.
Kate Kiefer Lee, owner of soon-to-open Long Story Books, established a viral book vending machine near the main entrance of the Krog Street Market. Initially meant to serve as a pseudo-billboard for the nearby storefront, it became a legitimate source of income.
Lee got the idea for the machine from her kids’ public school, which has a similar concept that dispenses children’s books for tokens. The Long Story Books vending machine is the only publicly accessible one of its kind in Atlanta.
“We’re selling through titles, and there are a couple of titles that we’ve had trouble keeping in stock, and so we’re there all the time, refilling it and moving things around just to keep it fresh for everyone,” Lee said. “So it has been such a wonderful experiment.”
The machine stocks new, favorite, or buzzy titles, serving as a uniquely formatted “staff picks” selection.
“[The Krog District] is really the perfect location for us for a couple of reasons. One, it’s just a block away from our shop, and we hope that the vending machine will be there long after our shop opens. Since Krog is both a retail area and a food market, it’s a great way to kind of catch people coming in and out,” Lee said.
The mutually beneficial partnership sees increased foot traffic for the vending machine and the surrounding businesses, she said.
Artist Anastasia Inciardi also owns a vending machine in the Krog District, but this one dispenses mini art prints. It is one of over 120 in the country since the first was established in 2022 in Maine. Her company, Inciardi Prints, went viral on social media and has been featured in USA Today, NPR, and the New York Times.
Despite costly storefront rent for high-traffic locations like the BeltLine, entrepreneurs are finding new ways to adapt and find their audience in Atlanta: some forgoing brick-and-mortar altogether.
“We think a lot about how space is best used and who it can best serve,” the Krog District’s management company, 26th Street Partners, said in a statement. “These smaller-format tenants allow us to activate the district in a way that supports independent businesses, tests new ideas, and contributes to the overall energy and sense of community.”
