In a few weeks, Walton Street in downtown Atlanta will turn into Global Grub Alley as FIFA World Cup festivities transform the city.
Residents and visitors in town for the matches will be able to grab bites from twenty to thirty Atlanta-area food trucks that will be operating on game days and the day before from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. The quarter-mile stretch between Centennial Olympic Park Drive and Broad Street, from Walton and Cone to Broad, where the Global Grub Alley will be located, will be closed to vehicle traffic.
The free activation is part of a broader Showcase Atlanta strategy to ensure that major global events arriving in the city benefit local small businesses and make a lasting impact.
In a statement, Kelsey Maynor, the director of Small Business Engagement for Showcase Atlanta, said, “Atlanta food trucks have been asking for this kind of moment for years.”
“The World Cup is one of the largest sporting events the city has ever hosted. We told Atlanta from the beginning that this would be done with the city, not to it,” Maynor said. “Global Grub Alley puts our small business owners and our food culture on the street, next to the biggest stage in the world. You will not need a ticket to be a part of it. You will just need to be hungry.”
“This is the kind of opportunity that pays off for years after the final match,” said Montrella Rhodes, an administrator at the Food Truck Association of Georgia. “A truck on Walton Street in front of a global audience is a truck whose phone keeps ringing in 2027 and 2028. We are proud to be the front door for trucks that want to be part of it.”
“Our members are some of the most resilient small business owners in this state,” Rhodes added.
The Food Truck Association of Georgia is partnering with the city for vendor selection. FTAG represents food truck operators across the state and will manage participation through Street Food Finder. FTAG and its members receive first priority, but spaces are also available to non-members and prospective members where space allows.
Food truck companies interested in participating can contact FTAG for details.
