Bottle Rocket, the sushi and cocktail bar that has called Castleberry Hill home since 2011, is packing up for a new neighborhood. The owners have signed on for a new space at 231 Mitchell St SW in South Downtown, putting the bar on the stretch of Mitchell Street known as Hotel Row, with a move planned for this fall.
The reason is simple math. The current restaurant covers about 1,000 square feet and seats 35 people, and co-owner Josh Calvin told What Now Atlanta that the team outgrew it a while ago. Expansion had been on the owners' minds for years, but the COVID-19 pandemic and other disruptions kept pushing the plan back. The team looked at a number of possible sites that did not work out, and when South Downtown went looking for a neighborhood bar to anchor part of its redevelopment, Calvin said the fit was clear.
On paper the jump is modest. The Mitchell Street space measures roughly 1,300 square feet. Calvin said the bigger change is control: this time the owners get to design the layout themselves around what they need. That design work produces a kitchen twice the size of the current one, a larger bar, extra storage for the staff and room for 65 guests, nearly double today's 35 seats.
The kitchen upgrade is meant to support a broader menu, which was still being developed when the move was announced. Calvin described the direction as a "pesca-tavern" approach, leaning on seafood and healthier plates, with options running from fresh salads to fish and chips. Bottle Rocket built its following on sushi and Japanese-American fusion alongside its cocktail program, and the owners said they intend to keep the spirit of the place intact.
The added capacity also changes what the bar can host. The owners said they want to handle larger events and give game-day crowds a better experience. Co-owner and general manager Bonny McKinnon said in a release that the team, its food and its drinks are staying the same, and only the part of downtown is changing.
Buildout had just begun at the time of the announcement, and the owners were targeting an October opening on Mitchell Street. Until the new space is ready, the Castleberry Hill location stays open.
Bottle Rocket joins a growing roster of operators who have committed to South Downtown's revival. The list includes Tyde Tate Kitchen, Spiller Park Coffee, Delilah's Everyday Soul, Crates, El Tesoro and Broad Street BBQ, all planning a place in the neighborhood's next chapter. For readers curious about the corridor's past, our look at Hotel Row and Mitchell Street through the years traces how the street got here.
Calvin, an Atlanta native, framed the move as a chance to take part in a downtown comeback that he believes is finally gaining real momentum after roughly a decade of attempts. For a bar that spent 14 years building a loyal crowd in Castleberry Hill, the relocation keeps it downtown while giving it the room to grow.
Original reporting by Emily McGinn for What Now Atlanta.
