Atlanta

Axios Atlanta

Food prices across metro Atlanta were up 12.5% in December, according to a new analysis of the Bureau of Labor Statistics from Axios' Kavya Beheraj and Alex Fitzpatrick.

The cost of food eaten at home was up 14.6%, while the price of food eaten away from home was up 9.8%.

Why it matters: Grocery bills are one of the most powerful ways in which many Americans experience inflation.

As the cost of eggs, milk and other staples rise, families living on the financial edge are left making difficult choices about what to buy — and what to skip.

For restaurants and other businesses, higher food prices can leave owners with the difficult choice of swallowing the costs or passing them on to customers.

By the numbers: Nationwide, the cost of all foods was up 10.4% year-over-year in December, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

The cost of food prepared at home was up 11.8%, while food eaten at restaurants was up 8.3%. 

Those are all down just slightly from recent highs set towards the end of 2022.

Driving the news: COVID-related supply chain disruptions, climate change and higher energy costs are just some of the factors contributing to higher food prices.

Russia's war in Ukraine, a major wheat producer, continues to affect the global supply — and thus price — of that key foodstuff.

The Federal Trade Commission, meanwhile, is under increasing pressure from lawmakers and advocacy groups to investigate whether egg producers are manipulating prices.

The intrigue: Some businesses have noticed that while consumers may gripe about higher costs, they're willing to pay up, as the New York Times recently reported — disincentivizing them from bringing prices back down to Earth.

The big picture: Rising food prices aren't just changing the kinds of items that Americans are buying, as Axios' Emily Peck recently reported — they're forcing families to buy less food entirely.

"People are starting to think about what they truly need — and what can wait," Emily wrote.

What we're watching: There are some glimmers of hope on the horizon.

Wholesale egg prices, for instance, are beginning to drop, Axios' Kelly Tyko reports. Retail prices usually follow.

The bottom line: Many of the underlying economic and political factors affecting food prices persist, making it all but impossible to predict what your grocery spending will look like this year. 

Energy costs, supply chain push Atlanta food prices to new high

The cost of home cooking — and eating out at restaurants — is up.

Food

Food prices across metro Atlanta were up 12.5% in December, according to a new analysis of the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Bureau of Labor Statistics" data-vars-click-url="https://www.bls.gov/regions/southeast/news-release/consumerpriceindex_atlanta.htm" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.bls.gov/regions/southeast/news-release/consumerpriceindex_atlanta.htm" target="_blank">Bureau of Labor Statistics</a> from Axios&#x27; Kavya Beheraj and Alex Fitzpatrick.<ul><li>The cost of food eaten at home was up 14.6%, while the price of food eaten away from home was up 9.8%.</li></ul>

Food and Drink

News

Cobb County Elections and Registration Director Janine Eveler is retiring after 18 years with the county, including 12 years leading the department.

Why it matters: Eveler is the fourth metro Atlanta elections director to step down since 2021.

Directors in Fulton, Gwinnett, and DeKalb, as well as Augusta-Richmond and Macon-Bibb counties, have all left their posts within the last two years.

Driving the news: The county said Friday that Eveler will remain on the job through the March 21 special election for the new city of Mableton. Cobb will also conduct a national search for her replacement.

What they're saying: Eveler said in a press release that she's "very proud of the accomplishments that I and the elections department have achieved and appreciate the opportunity to serve the citizens of the best county in Georgia."

Yes, and: Cobb County Commission Chairperson Lisa Cupid said Eveler's job has been challenging because her department has had to contend with election law changes, staffing shortages and increased political polarization.

"Our best wishes go out to Janine for a deservedly restful retirement," Cupid said.

Of note: The Cobb elections office came under scrutiny late last year when it did not mail out thousands of absentee ballots in time for the Nov. 8 general election and the Dec. 6 runoff.

After lawsuits filed by civil rights organizations and residents, the county agreed to consent orders requiring the department to give affected voters more time to return their ballots.

Zoom out: Eveler's departure isn't exactly surprising, as election workers across the country have left the profession.

One in five election administrators across the country said they are "very" or "somewhat unlikely" to remain in their positions through 2024, according to a March 2022 survey from the Brennan Center for Justice.

Cobb County elections director announces retirement

Eveler is the fourth metro Atlanta elections director to step down since 2021.

Cobb Elections Director Janine Eveler. Credit: Cobb County government

Cobb County Elections and Registration Director Janine Eveler is retiring after 18 years with the county, including 12 years leading the department.Why it matters: Eveler is the fourth metro Atlanta elections director to step down since 2021.

Miami

Axios Miami

A new professional cycling league is trying to revolutionize the sport with co-ed teams and closed-circuit course races through major cities, including Atlanta, Axios' Deirdre Funcheon reports.

What's happening: The National Cycling League announced on Tuesday its inaugural race will take place in Miami Beach on April 8.

Miami will be followed by Atlanta on May 14, Denver on Aug. 13, and Washington, D.C. on Sept. 10.

Why it matters: The NCL — which touts itself as the first professional sports league that is majority women- and minority-owned — will test out a new concept that aims to value and pay men and women equally, Forbes reports.  

How it works: "Rather than the traditional 'first one to cross the finish line wins' approach, our scoring system is based on points, so each lap counts, and everyone can score," the NCL website explains.

Women and men compete on the same course, but separately at different times. At the end, their scores are combined as one team. 

All NCL athletes are paid salaries in addition to their winnings at races. 

Details: Races will be criterium-style (aka "crit races"), meaning they are loops, with multiple turns, through city streets — more Formula 1 than Tour de France. 

Teams of six will do 30 laps around a closed 1- to 2-kilometer course at 30-45 mph. 

Ten teams will compete to win the 2023 NCL Cup, which has a $1 million prize. 

Of note: Guillermo Rojas, a spokesperson with the league, told Axios that Atlanta has no home team this year, but it hopes that will change in 2024. 

What's next: Rojas told Axios the league aims to expand to eight additional cities in 2024. 

New pro cycling league race coming to Atlanta

National Cycling League's Formula 1-style races will speed through Atlanta's streets.

Sports

A new professional cycling league is trying to revolutionize the sport with co-ed teams and closed-circuit course races through major cities, including Atlanta, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Axios&#x27; Deirdre Funcheon reports" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/authors/dfuncheon" data-vars-content-id="7f6e36e0-57eb-4a60-88c2-64bb94598ace" data-vars-headline="New pro cycling league race coming to Atlanta" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/authors/dfuncheon" target="_self">Axios&#x27; Deirdre Funcheon reports</a>.What&#x27;s happening: The <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="National Cycling League" data-vars-click-url="https://www.nclracing.com/" data-vars-content-id="7f6e36e0-57eb-4a60-88c2-64bb94598ace" data-vars-headline="New pro cycling league race coming to Atlanta" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.nclracing.com/" target="_blank">National Cycling League</a> announced on Tuesday its inaugural race will take place in Miami Beach on April 8.

Things to Do

Former NBA star Shaquille O'Neal had Atlanta buzzing this week with news that he and Krispy Kreme will rebuild the popular doughnut shop on Ponce De Leon Avenue. But some say the store's design leaves much to be desired.

Driving the news: The company announced Tuesday that it will bring back the shop, nearly two years after a fire destroyed it.

The location, which will be around 4,000 square feet, will open in the summer, the company said.

Plans call for the shop to feature an interior mural and the refurbished Krispy Kreme heritage sign that dates back to the 1960s.

Why it matters: Ain't nothing like glazed doughnuts when that "Hot Now" sign comes on.

What they're saying: Shaq, who is part owner of the location, said on his Facebook page that the shop would "bounce back better than ever in Atlanta."

"Can't wait to turn on the Hot Light at our brand-new Ponce shop this summer," he said.

The big picture: The news comes amid plans by Portman Holdings to redevelop an older stretch of bars and nightlife spots east of Krispy Kreme along the thoroughfare near Ponce City Market.

Of note: The Ponce Krispy Kreme location, which opened in 1965, occupies a special place in Atlanta's history. In April 1968, it donated 150 dozen doughnuts to help feed mourners who came to Atlanta for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s funeral. 

Yes, but: A few people took to Twitter to criticize the design of the revamped Krispy Kreme.

One said it was a "waste of precious real estate," and that the company should include a higher-density housing component to the project.

Another Twitter user surmised that Krispy Kreme is using its existing footprint because it "understandably wanted no parts in the rezoning or permitting process."

Yes, and: Darin Givens, co-founder of ThreadATL, an urbanism advocacy group, told Axios he immediately thought of better ways to use the property than to rebuild a "suburban style store" similar to its previous rendition.  

He said there are examples all over the United States where Krispy Kreme locations are housed on the ground floor of apartments or office buildings.

At the bare minimum, Givens told Axios, Krispy Kreme should construct the store closer to the sidewalk and place the parking at the back.

The intrigue: Givens says Atlanta Planning Department staffers could reach out to developers and encourage them to construct something they and the city "can be proud of."

"Every time we're building something new on one of these properties, I think we need to be thinking, 'How can we do better?'" he said. "'How can we better make this land use supportive of walking and biking and transit use?'"

Ponce Krispy Kreme design gets cool reception from some urbanists

The restaurant was destroyed by a fire nearly two years ago.

The rendering of the Krispy Kreme store that will be rebuilt on Ponce De Leon Avenue in Atlanta. Credit: Krispy Kreme

Former NBA star Shaquille O&#x27;Neal had Atlanta buzzing this week with news that he and Krispy Kreme will rebuild the popular doughnut shop on Ponce De Leon Avenue. But some say the store&#x27;s design leaves much to be desired.Driving the news: The company <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="announced Tuesday" data-vars-click-url="https://investors.krispykreme.com/news-releases/news-release-details/krispy-kremer-begins-construction-new-shop-historic-ponce-de" data-vars-content-id="b8ec85d6-97d3-4508-b71a-810986569ce2" data-vars-headline="Ponce Krispy Kreme design gets cool reception from some urbanists" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://investors.krispykreme.com/news-releases/news-release-details/krispy-kremer-begins-construction-new-shop-historic-ponce-de" target="_blank">announced Tuesday</a> that it will bring back the shop, nearly two years after a fire <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="destroyed" data-vars-click-url="https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/midtown-krispy-kreme-historic-doughnut-shop-arson" data-vars-content-id="b8ec85d6-97d3-4508-b71a-810986569ce2" data-vars-headline="Ponce Krispy Kreme design gets cool reception from some urbanists" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/midtown-krispy-kreme-historic-doughnut-shop-arson" target="_blank">destroyed</a> it.

Business

Atlanta leaders are considering a plan that would help some of its public safety personnel to live in the same city where they work.

Why it matters: Most rank-and-file public safety personnel in Atlanta don't make enough money to afford rent or mortgage payments in the city.

"We hear all the time from firefighters and police officers that they want to live in the city, but they're priced out," City Council member Amir Farokhi, the lead sponsor of the legislation, told Axios.

Driving the news: There's a proposal on the table to donate up to $500,000 of American Rescue Plan funds to the Atlanta Police Foundation. 

The foundation and the Atlanta Apartment Association would administer the subsidy to help police, fire and corrections officers reside in the city.

What they're saying: Farokhi told Axios that he hopes the program can also make Atlanta's police, fire and corrections departments more attractive to applicants "at a time when rental and housing costs have increased significantly."

"It makes us better able to retain the folks that we spend a lot of time training, and it makes the total compensation and benefits package more attractive as well," he said, adding that it would allow officers to become more attuned to neighborhood and city dynamics.

How it works: The current legislation, which has to be vetted by the Council's Finance Executive Committee, calls for officers to live within their assigned zones, and for firefighters and corrections officers to reside close to the stations or facilities where they work.

Farokhi told Axios that the city is working on how much of a subsidy each employee would receive under the agreement.

Of note: The city last year opened an apartment building where 30 police recruits live while they complete training.

Zoom out: Subsidizing housing for public safety employees has been done in at least two other jurisdictions in metro Atlanta: Sandy Springs and East Point.

The city of Sandy Springs in 2017 started a pilot program in which it rented a home it purchased on Hammond Drive to one of its police officers. Since then, seven homes on Hammond Drive are being rented out to officers, said spokesperson Andrew Allison.

Tenants pay the city $500 per month to live in the home. If the house needs any renovations before an employee moves in, the city caps the project at $10,000.  

Allison told Axios that any SSPD officer or firefighter can "put their name in the hat," and the city randomly chooses the lucky recipient.

In 2021, the city of East Point entered into a partnership to set aside eight apartment units where its officers and firefighters can live rent-free.

What we're watching: Farokhi said the legislation should come to the full City Council for a vote later this month.

Leaders consider housing subsidy for police, firefighters

Currently, most rank-and-file public safety personnel in Atlanta don't make enough money to afford rent or mortgage payments in the city.

Illustration of a police badge door knocker on a door.

Atlanta leaders are considering a plan that would help some of its public safety personnel to live in the same city where they work.Why it matters: Most rank-and-file public safety personnel in Atlanta don&#x27;t make enough money to afford rent or mortgage payments in the city.

Kristal Dixon

Stories

Leaders consider housing subsidy for police, firefighters

New pro cycling league race coming to Atlanta

Cobb County elections director announces retirement

Energy costs, supply chain push Atlanta food prices to new high

Ponce Krispy Kreme design gets cool reception from some urbanists