Weeks after opening The CTR and its food hall ahead of the World Cup in downtown Atlanta, commercial real estate developer CP Group announced an incoming wave of hospitality concepts headed to the city’s Bank of America Plaza in Midtown.
The conspicuous skyscraper dominating the corner of Peachtree Street and North Avenue is often referred to as the “pencil building.”
CP Group partnered with New York-based Episcope Hospitality to open three food-driven spots inside the Bank of America building, including a lobby restaurant and bar, a gourmet market and cafe, and a tenant-exclusive club located on the 37th floor.
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Former CNN Center opens as The CTR, with Atlanta’s newest food hall
The hospitality project encompasses the next phase of CP Group’s investment exceeding $70 million, and Episcope’s first project in Atlanta.
“This partnership represents the next phase of our long-term vision for Bank of America Plaza,” Chris Eachus, CP Group founding partner said in a press release.
“We’ve invested heavily in transforming the building, and bringing on a hospitality partner like Episcope allows us to build on that momentum with experiences that benefit both tenants and the broader community,” he added.
What’s in store for the pencil building
CP Group and Episcope plan to replace the dismantled food hall with a hotel lobby-inspired restaurant called the West Wing. Hoping to court both the building’s workforce and outside guests, the West Wing will feature distinct dining areas and lounges that can also host working lunches, watch parties, and board meetings. Look for the West Wing to open by early 2027.
Adjacent the West Wing in the lobby, a market and cafe will provide more flexibility for people working in the building, offering grab-and-go items such as coffee, sandwiches, salads, and prepared meals. Spire Espresso + Spirits, a lobby barista cafe, is also in the works.
Located on the 37th floor, a tenant-exclusive club called The Perch will span nearly 18,000 square feet, and be available from morning through evening. The Perch should open by the end of 2026.
All of the building’s tenants will have access to in-office catering and food delivery via “room service,” along with preferred reservations at the West Wing.
CP Group declined to comment on whether the restaurant and food concepts will work with local chefs, or if hospitality plans will include a bar or restaurant on the observation deck at the top of the building.
According to 11Alive, Eachus said during an episode of the Sun Belt Developers podcast that CP Group was “actively working on a potential observation deck,” calling it “one of the worst kept secrets” in Atlanta real estate.
The Bank of America Plaza was completed in 1992 and is currently Atlanta’s tallest skyscraper at 55 stories. The post-COVID decline of office culture, however, created an abundance of empty space at the building.
CP Group purchased the skyscaper in 2022, with Eversheds Sutherland leasing 94,000 square feet of office spaces in 2024.
