BY SHIKHA DAS SHANKAR
Atlanta, GA, November 6, 2026: Medley, a $560 million mixed-use development in Johns Creek, celebrated its grand opening from October 28 to 30, giving the North Atlanta suburb the downtown it had been missing. The live-work-shop destination, similar to Avalon and by the same developers, received a warm welcome from the diverse community that occupies Johns Creek and surrounding suburbs.
“Medley is more than buildings and businesses. It’s a place where people live, work, gather and make memories,” Mark Toro, founder of Toro Development Company, said at the October 29 ribbon-cutting.
Even the name carries that idea, the company says.
“From day one, Medley was designed for the people of Johns Creek. Named for its diversity of flavors, experiences and people, Medley is the city’s Third Place, a destination beyond home and work where neighbors come to connect and experience life together,” Mabry Lyden, the company’s marketing manager, said in written responses to NRI Pulse. Twenty-eight retailers and restaurants welcomed the community on October 29, with more openings to follow in the coming months. The 43-acre project also includes offices and residences, with a hotel planned for 2028.
A Downtown, Finally
The Boardwalk and Medley together aim to be the downtown, the gathering place for Johns Creek residents, something the city had been missing despite being one of the most sought-after suburbs in metro Atlanta.
Johns Creek Councilmember and Mayor Pro Tem Dilip Tunki was on the town center task force before he was elected to the City Council in 2021. Johns Creek has always had the schools, the neighborhoods and the quality of life, he says, but it never had a downtown. Now, Tunki says the city is “creating a place for gathering.” He hopes “the city becomes a wonderful place to gather, not just to live.”
The stakes include keeping young people close. “Today’s Johns Creek is fine,” Tunki says, “ranked best in safety and as a place to raise a family.” The question is the next generation. Ask the kids where they would want to come back to, he says, and they would rather pick Midtown or Buckhead. Creating a place with connectivity where they can gather in the evening gives them a good reason to move into Johns Creek and stay in the area.
Asked about residents worried about traffic and congestion from a project of this size, Tunki says the city has to balance economic growth with quality of life. The city is working on it, he says. “We need to continuously evaluate the traffic, the connectivity.” The city is also adding sidewalks to improve connectivity.
“We want to get to a point where you can go from point A to point B without getting into the car, like on bikes,” Tunki says. He points to a pedestrian tunnel that has been built to make the Boardwalk more accessible. “Everyone on the other side of 141 doesn’t have to get in the car. They can just walk through the tunnel and get to the park.”
The city is looking into adding lanes, but he says, “There’s only so much we can do to increase the number of lanes.” He adds that the city is looking at artificial intelligence to study traffic. The worst of it is during a couple of hours each morning and evening. “So those are the two big bottlenecks that we need to address, and we also need to work with the neighboring cities.” He cites the widening of McGinnis Ferry Road as an example. “There are so many public entities involved,” he says, referring to Fulton and Forsyth counties and the cities of Alpharetta and Johns Creek.
Designed for a Diverse Community
For South Asian families here, the draw goes beyond shopping. Tunki calls the area, from Johns Creek to Alpharetta and South Forsyth, “a huge Indian community,” and credits Indian Americans with the city’s progress. “The Indian American community has definitely contributed significantly to Johns Creek’s progress and success. So now we have an opportunity to showcase our rich culture, like in the downtown,” he says. The benefit does not stop at the city limits. Tunki says neighbors from surrounding areas, including Forsyth County, are all connected and within easy reach by car.
The first big celebration on the calendar is Diwali. This year, the festival moves to the Boardwalk on Nov. 7, with a drone show being one of the main attractions. Asked why the Boardwalk, Tunki says, “The whole point of creating the Boardwalk is for the parking and the connectivity. That’s the reason we are doing Diwali there now.” With Medley now open, he sees the two working together. “Medley will bring people to the town center,” he says, and the Boardwalk behind City Hall gives them a place to gather. “Celebrations like Diwali will give people a reason to come together.”
Medley has big plans of its own, keeping in mind the diversity in the area. “On March 21, 2027, we’ll host Holi at Medley with Tabla, celebrating the Festival of Colors and welcoming spring with color, culture and community,” Lyden said. “It’s part of a year-round calendar on The Plaza that includes Merry Medley on November 27, Lunar New Year with Northern China Eatery on Feb. 6 and Shamrockin’ with Fadó Irish Pub on March 13.”
“The South Asian community is a big part of what makes Johns Creek special, and Medley was designed for every family here to see themselves in it,” Lyden said. “You’ll feel that in The Plaza, designed as a central gathering space where families of every nationality, size and generation can come together, as well as in our programming, which celebrates the traditions of the people who call Johns Creek home. It’s also reflected in our tenant mix, which brings together flavors and experiences from across the world.” The local restaurants alone show the diverse experience Medley is set to bring.
The Buzz Is Tabla
The developer’s aim was to bring local favorites and first-to-market concepts to the area. The lineup includes Northern China Eatery, Lily Sushi Bar, 26 Thai Kitchen and Bar, CT Cantina & Taqueria, Rena’s Italian Fishery & Grill, Minnie Olivia Pizzeria and Fadó Irish Pub, alongside Shake Shack, Five Daughters Bakery, Amorino and Trader Joe’s.
One of the restaurants especially exciting people is Tabla, the upscale Indian restaurant opening its third location, after Midtown and Buckhead, and its first in the suburbs. Owner Sandeep Kothary went to Chattahoochee High School, and the move feels personal. “It feels like coming back home in a way, and I’ve always wanted to come back to Johns Creek,” he says.
The area is already a belt of Indian restaurants. “It seems like there’s one on every corner, and if you go to the bigger shopping centers, there are like three in each of them,” Kothary says. Still, he saw a gap. What the area lacked, he says, was “a true higher-end Punjabi-oriented restaurant,” and “that’s what we thought we could fill.” He does not see his neighbors as competition. “I think the more restaurants open, the more Indian food gets exposed.”
It would not have been an easy pitch years ago. Trying to open the first Tabla in Midtown, Kothary says, “Many of the landlords around the city were just like, ‘No, Indian food, we don’t want it.’” Now, he says, an Indian restaurant is one of the first tenants landlords go looking for.
Customers who once drove into the city are excited, he says, that Tabla is now “right here in our backyard.” The new space sits on a corner next to The Plaza, with a large patio overlooking the green space and an indoor-outdoor bar. Kothary says about 65 to 70 percent of the diners at his other two restaurants are Indian, and that share could climb to 75 or 80 percent in Johns Creek.
Tabla was not open for Medley’s grand opening. Kothary expects to open by the end of the year or in January 2027.
Diwali Across Atlanta
Indian restaurants are marking Diwali in more ways than ever. Pataaka is serving Diwali specials and festive cocktails through November 11. The Chai Box hosted a large outdoor Diwali event with vendors, food and live music. Chai Pani in Decatur hosts its Diwali Mela on November 8, a public block party of sorts, with a DJ, vendors, live pani puri and fireworks at dusk. Once Tabla opens, Medley will join that list, with Indian food, celebration and a large patio on the green.
Lyden said the hope for South Asian families in Johns Creek is that Medley becomes “somewhere to share a meal, celebrate traditions and milestones, and experience life together with their neighbors.”
Cover photo credit: City of Johns Creek.
