East Athens Wellness Center Will Open November 13

The redeveloped Triangle Plaza site will offer shared kitchen and event space for local entrepreneurs.

Updated on Oct. 14, 2026 in Openings & Closings

Bold vector editorial illustration of a clean, shared commercial kitchen with prep tables and wooden shelving, representing community entrepreneurship infrastructure. — The East Athens Wellness Center will open its doors on November 13, offering local entrepreneurs new shared culinary and event facilities. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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The East Athens Wellness Experience is set to hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony on November 13 to mark the completion of its site redevelopment. The community-focused campus at 585 Vine St. will provide public-use facilities and resources for area businesses and residents.

Why it matters

This project repurposes a former commercial plaza into a hub for community services and entrepreneurial training. By integrating a shared commercial kitchen, the center creates infrastructure for local food-based businesses to scale their operations within the neighborhood.

The project transforms the property into a campus featuring gardens and a shared commercial kitchen. This redevelopment was supported by a state grant program utilizing federal American Rescue Plan Act funding, following an application submitted in 2022 and approved in 2023.

The players

Rashe Malcolm

The local entrepreneur who purchased the Triangle Plaza property and manages the wellness facility development.

The details

The site redevelopment turns the former Triangle Plaza into a multi-use campus designed to support neighborhood services. Facility features include walking paths, outdoor gathering areas, and a shared commercial kitchen intended to host culinary instruction, food preparation, and entrepreneurship training. Programming will focus on nutrition, healthy living, and professional development for local food businesses.

2019: Rashe Malcolm opened a restaurant at the site.
2021: Rashe Malcolm purchased the property.
2022: Malcolm applied for the state grant program.
2023: Grant approval was received for the redevelopment.
Nov. 13, 2026: Ribbon-cutting ceremony and public tour occur from 10 a.m. to noon.

Market Landscape

The project follows a nationwide pattern of municipalities and private operators leveraging American Rescue Plan Act funding to revitalize underutilized commercial real estate. This transition from a retail property to a community-focused hub highlights a shift toward utility-based mixed-use developments.

Operators in the food and wellness sectors should monitor the new facility for potential access to shared commercial kitchen equipment and training resources. The site presents a new venue for testing products or services before committing to traditional long-term retail leases.

The takeaway

The transformation of the former Triangle Plaza site into a wellness campus signals an emerging opportunity for small-scale culinary entrepreneurs to utilize subsidized shared infrastructure. Business owners should track the center's programming calendar for future culinary and food-service training opportunities.