Varuni Napoli is coming downtown. The Atlanta-founded Neapolitan pizzeria has signed a lease with Centennial Yards for its fourth Atlanta-area location, to open inside the development's Entertainment District. Owner Luca Varuni confirmed the deal to What Now Atlanta this week, targeting a 2028 opening.
Varuni Napoli built its reputation on 900-degree wood-fired ovens and a Neapolitan-style pie that runs closer to Naples than to New York. The brand launched in 2014 with a Midtown location, expanded to Krog Street Market in 2017, and is preparing to debut a third location in Dunwoody this July. Centennial Yards will be its first restaurant inside the downtown core.
Centennial Yards Company president Brian McGowan praised the addition in the announcement: "Chef Luca Varuni's passion for authentic cooking and his ability to create a welcoming, high-energy environment make Varuni Napoli a natural fit for our vision." The development has recently welcomed The Irish Exit and has lined up additional dining tenants including Chops Lobster Bar and The Busy Bee.
The Varuni deal continues a run of national-caliber restaurant announcements at Centennial Yards as the district builds out its post-World Cup dining and entertainment mix. The Entertainment District sits directly across from Mercedes-Benz Stadium and State Farm Arena and is being positioned as the everyday-anchor half of Centennial Yards' offer — the part that carries the district on Tuesdays and Wednesdays after the tournament crowds thin out.
Original reporting: What Now Atlanta (June 15, 2026)
