Sequel Coffee Co., a new specialty coffee brand, is set to open its flagship location in Peachtree Corners in the summer of 2025.

The new coffee shop will open alongside shared workspace provider, Roam, at Town Center and will feature a convenient drive-thru complemented by an inviting in-shop experience.

Premium coffee and locally sourced offerings

Committed to delivering an elevated coffee experience, Sequel Coffee Co. will serve freshly brewed coffee and handcrafted espresso beverages with responsibly sourced beans from Valor, a local metro Atlanta roaster.

The food menu will feature a curated selection of locally sourced café favorites and convenient grab-and-go options from local vendors Two Chefs and A Seasonal Affair.

Guests can expect a variety of delicious offerings, including breakfast sandwiches, quiche and freshly baked pastries, as well as yogurt parfaits, homemade granola bars and protein-packed power bites for on-the-go fuel.

In addition, rotating seasonal flavors and limited-time menu items will offer new and exciting food and beverage options throughout the year.

Strengthening community connections in Peachtree Corners

A concept created by Roam, the hospitality-focused work and meeting space, Sequel Coffee Co. is built on the belief that coffee is more than just a morning ritual — it’s a catalyst for creativity, productivity, community and connection.

Sequel’s tagline, “start your story strong,” reflects its mission to inspire the potential in every day by championing stories, embracing moments and thoughtfully crafting coffee.

Sequel seeks to become an integral part of the Peachtree Corners community by fostering meaningful interactions through hospitality-driven experiences. With a brand philosophy centered on people, purpose and belonging, the company aims to inspire customers through delicious coffee and intentional service.

Bringing Sequel Coffee Co. to you

Ahead of its brick-and-mortar opening this summer, Sequel Coffee Co. is currently serving the community through its mobile coffee cart, offering a full-service espresso bar and trained baristas for offsite events.

Ideal for corporate offices, networking events, school functions and private gatherings, the mobile cart provides an opportunity to enjoy Sequel’s signature coffee experience in any setting — before the shop even opens its doors.

To book Sequel’s mobile coffee cart, visit sequelcoffeeco.com/mobile-coffee-cart.

Career opportunities

Sequel is also currently hiring a Shop Manager to lead daily operations and cultivate an inviting experience for customers. Interested applicants can learn more about the position and apply at sequelcoffeeco.com/shop-manager-job-listing.

About Sequel Coffee Co.

Sequel Coffee Co. is dedicated to inspiring potential in every day through thoughtfully crafted coffee and warm hospitality.

Offering handcrafted espresso beverages, freshly brewed coffee and a curated menu of café favorites — along with a convenient drive-thru and cozy café space — Sequel aims to create a welcoming spot for guests to fuel their day and transform the daily coffee routine.

For updates and opening announcements, follow @sequelcoffeeco on Instagram or visit sequelcoffeeco.com.

About Roam

Roam is a comprehensive workplace solution offering co-working memberships, private offices and meeting space for professionals and businesses of sizes.

Opening in Peachtree Corners at 3847 Medlock Bridge Road in summer 2025, Roam provides flexible and inspiring environments to help individuals and teams accomplish their best work. Now leasing private offices and pre-booking meetings and events.

Learn more at meetatroam.com.

Politan Row at The Forum is officially open!

Peachtree Corners’ newest hotspot has arrived, and they’re serving up a wide variety of delicious food, drinks and incredible vibes.

The food hall’s chef-driven restaurants include:

• 26 Thai Kitchen & Bar
• Boca Taqueria
• Gekko
• Kimchi Red
• LOL Burger Bar
• Sahirah Kebab & Curry
• Sheesh Mediterranean

Preview event

Peachtree Corners Magazine was invited to see the space and sample the food before the big grand opening. Here are a few photos from that sneak-peek, preview event.

Photos by George Hunter / Rannulf Media (@rannulf.media on Instagram)

The space

The food

The people

About Politan Row

Politan Row is a talent-driven food hall platform. Founded in 2014, they create design-forward destinations for the culinarily curious, offering an elevated food hall experience that encourages the exploration of shareable dishes in beautiful, inviting and communal spaces.

Their mission is to serve people who crave unique flavors, experiences and ideas while creating opportunities for local food and beverage talent to showcase their creativity and advance their careers. For more information, visit politanrow.com.

About The Forum Peachtree Corners

The Forum Peachtree Corners (The Forum) is a 500,000-square-foot outdoor lifestyle center originally opened in 2002.

Today, The Forum is home to 100,000 square feet of office, 10,000 square feet of community gathering space and nearly 70 retailers, restaurants and service providers, with more to come as part of an ongoing redevelopment project designed to transform the property into a mixed-use destination. The Forum is owned by Nuveen Real Estate and Jamestown through a joint venture partnership.

For more information, visit theforumpeachtree.com/politanrow.

Once the travel restrictions mandated by the coronavirus were lifted, it seems the world chose to shake off its cabin fever. Even people who weren’t all that adventurous found themselves headed to foreign lands.

That wanderlust wasn’t just good for the travel industry. It proved to be a boon for restaurants as well. Those specializing in exotic cuisines found new customers who’d either traveled abroad and wanted to relive their vacations through food or who were heading to an overseas destination and wanted to sample local flavors before arriving.

Marcia Reid, co-owner of Jamaican restaurant Kool Runnings said that since opening 30 years ago, they’ve prided themselves in educating diners about Caribbean food — what makes one island different from another and what to look for in authentic cuisine.

“Throughout the Caribbean, we’re known for using spices, coconut milk and fresh ingredients,” she said. “You’ll probably find some form of rice and peas or beans everywhere, but that’s where the similarities end.”

To aid readers who are contemplating a trip to the Caribbean or who are interested in trying the cuisine closer to home, Southwest Gwinnett magazine sought out local restaurateurs and dug into some of the history behind the bold flavors.

Variations on similar ingredients

The Caribbean, a region located between North and South America, is made up of 13 independent countries and several territories: 

• Independent countries: Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago
• Territories: Anguilla, Aruba, Puerto Rico, Cayman Islands, Curaçao, Saint Martin/Sint Maarten, Turks and Caicos Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands and other dependencies and municipalities

Although local produce plays a big part, Caribbean cuisine as a whole is a vibrant tapestry woven from the rich cultural heritage of the islands, as well as the region’s complex history of colonization and cultural exchange. African, European, Indigenous and Asian culinary traditions are all reflected in foods of the Caribbean.

Common ingredients include rice, beans, cassava, cilantro, bell peppers, chickpeas, tomatoes, sweet potatoes and coconut. The cooking methods, levels of heat, variations of spices and other factors take those staples in many different directions.

More than jerk

When many people consider Caribbean food, the first thing that comes to mind is Jamaica and perhaps its most famous dish — jerk chicken. But according to Reid, there is much more to her island home than spicy barbecue.

One of Kool Runnings most popular dishes is the Rasta pasta. A fusion of Italian and Jamaican flavors, the dish is penne pasta tossed with a jerk-infused cream sauce and colorful bell peppers. 

“That’s a good introduction to Jamaican food,” said Reid. “It’s a little bit of the familiar with that extra little bit of Jamaican flair. It’s colorful, it’s very healthy tasting and it’s not as spicy as traditional jerk.”

The pepper of choice in Jamaican cuisine is the Scotch bonnet, which measures 100,000–350,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU) — making it 40 times hotter than the jalapeño, which typically measures 2,500–8,000 SHU. There’s a fruitiness to the pepper though, and the heat comes at the back end.

Still, Reid suggests washing down the meal with the famous Red Stripe beer or any other cold beverage to help with the heat.

Curries and more

For those who may be a little sensitive to spicier foods, curries are another Jamaican staple.

“There were so many different cultures that [helped] make up Jamaica,” she said. “It was like a trading post, and all kinds of spices were introduced.”

Indian influences brought about curries — from chicken to goat to chickpeas.

“We took the basic curry and made it our own,” Reid added.

With many people forgoing meat, Kool Runnings sells a lot of curried chickpeas. While naturally low in saturated fat, chickpeas are nutrient dense. They provide nearly 20 grams of protein in a half-cup serving, along with five grams of dietary fiber. That’s more protein than a boiled egg.

But Reid said many vegetarians enter the restaurant and revert to what she calls “flexitarians.”

“They’ll order rice and peas and ask for oxtail gravy,” she chuckled. “They don’t want to eat the actual meat, but the gravy is so good they can’t resist.”

Two countries, one island

Cristino Hiraldo had been studying medicine in his home county of Dominican Republic while working at a restaurant at the airport to support himself and his family. A car accident caused him to lose sight in one eye, and that derailed his medical career. Looking to change directions, he moved to the U.S. in November 2002. His wife and children came later in February 2003.

Having a passion for food and the skills obtained in the restaurant, Hiraldo found work at different Dominican restaurants in the area. When a place he was working at closed down, he decided to sell meals out of his house.

“A lot of people got used to his flavors and the way that he cooked, so it was pretty successful,” said his son, Cristian Hiraldo Garcia.

Although his dishes were based mainly on the cuisine he grew up on, he added a few touches from his training in international dining. Word of mouth kept the family busy, and soon they had saved enough to purchase a stand-alone restaurant that was going out of business.

Café Dominican

Since Café Dominican is open for breakfast, Milagros Garcia, Cristino Hiraldo’s wife and the restaurant’s co-owner, suggested serving traditional mangú tres golpes. Tres golpes means “three hits,” and the dish is considered the breakfast of kings.

It consists of mangú, or mashed plantains, queso de freir (a white cheese that gets crispy when fried because of its high melting point), fried salami and eggs. The dish is often topped off with tangy, pickled red onions to balance the richness.

Those familiar with Puerto Rican food may mistake mangú for mofongo. Although they both start with raw plantain, they end up very different. Mangú consists of boiled mashed plantains (green or ripe) mixed with butter, garlic and salt.

Shared roots, different flavors

The Dominican Republic shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, so much of the food has similar roots but tastes decidedly different. A typical Haitian lunch is rice and beans, also known as riz et pois. Traditionally, it was meant to provide crucial carbohydrates to field workers. It is often preceded by a plate of viv — boiled plantains, boiled roots and tubers and meat.

Another must-have Dominican dish is la bandera, a traditional Dominican lunch. This dish’s name translates to “the flag” because its elements are meant to depict the colors of the Dominican flag (red, white and blue). Traditionally, the main ingredients are white rice, red kidney beans (although they can be substituted with black beans or pigeon peas) and either chicken or beef. This dish is paired with some type of salad and, quite often, tostones (fried green plantain).

Contact information

Kool Runnings

5450 Peachtree Pkwy., Norcross
(770) 441-0207 • For orders: (770) 441-0206

koolrunningsrestaurant.com

Café Dominican

4650 Jimmy Carter Blvd., Norcross
(770) 758-3374

cafedominicanoga.com