The sound of Carleigh Knight’s loud falsetto wafted through the air, along with the scent of the gourmet hotdogs she was advertising. On the swelteringly hot Sunday afternoon, Knight was trying to peddle some business for Doggy Dog, the food cart at which she is employed, on a slow day at the BeltLine Shed.
Starting on Sunday, July 14, from 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., four food carts have taken part in the BeltLine Bites, a weekly food event where everyone is welcome to walk, skate and bike in to devour some sweet or savory treats on the BeltLine.
Despite the sparse crowd on this Sunday, Knight and James Hammerl, the owner and operator of Doggy Dog, said that in the past few weeks of the event, the BeltLine Shed has been packed with customers. Hungry patrons have their choice of Doggy Dog’s uniquely flavored hotdogs, Atomic Ice Cream Sandwiches’ decadent ice cream sandwiches, Dancing Goats’ thirst-quenching coffees and King of Pops’ homemade popsicles.
“It’s been in the background that we needed to do something like this, and with the shed opening up, it just made sense,” Hammerl said. He welcomed the idea of BeltLine Bites when he was first approached with the profitable opportunity, and his cart has raised more and more money every week.
In addition to food carts, the shed contains multiple picnic tables for families, as well as plenty of space for people who prefer to stand and snack. And after grabbing a bite, people can squeeze in a quick game of beanbag toss on the lawn of the shed before continuing on their way.
Jamestown Properties, the company that has acquired the old Sears, Roebuck & Co. Building immediately adjacent to the BeltLine Shed, initially proposed the idea of BeltLine Bites.
“We really take pride in restoring great old buildings and turning them into centers of community,” said Matt Bronfman, the CEO of Jamestown Properties. The company started tours of the aged structure before renovating the building.
“We are doing things like tours for free and food truck events because we are really trying to create community, get people on site and get people invested and committed to the project,” Bronfman said.
Thomas McCulloh, the owner of Atomic Ice Cream Sandwiches, also feels that BeltLine Bites has been worthwhile to his business.
“We’re just a start-up business, so we’re still learning the ropes,” McCulloh said. “When starting up, you’re happy to get involved in anything.”
The first three weeks of BeltLine Bites were extremely busy and popular, mainly due to a large amount of promotion prior to the start of the event. McCulloh believes, however, more can be done to help the program.
“You can’t just have food here and expect people to necessarily come,” McCulloh said. “You need another attraction.”
Knight and Hammerl wholeheartedly agree.
“We all think that there should be music,” Knight said, referring to herself and her fellow food-cart vendors. “There’s an insane amount of potential.”
Even with the absence of music, Knight has enjoyed her time working with Doggy Dog.
“Best crappy summer job ever!” she said with a laugh. Additionally, she has enjoyed making connections with the clientele, pointing out that the BeltLine Bites have started generating a few regulars, including a father-and-son duo that come via bicycles for a quick snack.
Bronfman believes that BeltLine Bites, or at least a version of the program, can continue even after Jamestown Properties launches the revamped Ponce City Market in the fall of 2014.
“We are going to continue to interface with the BeltLine,” Bronfman said. “We believe the BeltLine is a really special outlet to the city of Atlanta and we completely embrace it.”
