Fan Fest is open, the neighborhood is packed, and Downtown's newest pub is arriving right on time. The Irish Exit, the Irish-American bar concept from New York City's Dead Rabbit Group, opens this Saturday, June 13, in Centennial Yards' Entertainment District — one day later than the Friday debut first announced, per Urbanize Atlanta. The storefront overlooks downtown and what remains of the Gulch, which puts it squarely on the busiest stretch of sidewalk in the city this month.
The pedigree behind the pints
This is not a generic shamrock-on-the-door operation. The Dead Rabbit Group, founded in Lower Manhattan in 2013 by Belfast native Jack McGarry, has twice seen its flagship named the World's Best Bar. The group launched The Irish Exit in 2023 inside New York's Penn Station, and Centennial Yards marks the concept's second location — and the company's first venue anywhere in the South, according to developer CIM Group, which signed the 4,735-square-foot lease back in December.
Built for game day
The space at 85 Centennial Olympic Park Drive NW was designed with Downtown's sports calendar in mind, per What Now Atlanta. A custom mechanical clapperboard — the split-flap variety, built by Philadelphia's Oat Foundry — will flip live scores from both State Farm Arena and Mercedes-Benz Stadium, so nobody misses a goal while waiting on a pour. The showpiece, though, is a 45-foot mural by Irish illustrator David McMillan that tells two stories at once: Atlanta's history unspools from one end, Ireland's from the other, and the two narratives meet in the middle. Garage-style doors open the room to the street when the weather — and the crowd — calls for it.
What's on the menu
Guinness, naturally. Opening festivities include a Split the G, Drink for Free challenge, riffing on the viral test of landing your first sip exactly through the G on the branded glass. Beyond the black stuff, expect Irish coffee, craft cocktails, beer, wine, and non-alcoholic options, plus an all-day menu of Irish-leaning comfort food: a ham-and-cheese toastie, a Dublin chipper-style spice bag, and hot dogs.
The bigger picture at Centennial Yards
The Irish Exit is one of two permanent tenants flipping on the lights in the Entertainment District this week, alongside Cosm's immersive-venue debut, while the Rise ATL pop-up district keeps the block buzzing through July 15. Busy Bee Café, Shake Shack, and Chops Lobster Bar are slated to follow as the development builds out. For how it all fits into the next five weeks, see our Centennial Yards World Cup guide — and if you're headed down this weekend anyway, Fan Fest opened today a few blocks north at Centennial Olympic Park.
Source: Urbanize Atlanta (Josh Green, June 10, 2026), with additional details from What Now Atlanta and CIM Group.