Trader Joe's has been selling groceries at 1000 Medley Blvd. since June 11. So why is a ribbon cutting on October 29 being called Medley's opening?
Medley has no single opening day. Toro Development Company, the same developer behind Avalon, is opening the $560 million, 43-acre project at McGinnis Ferry Road and Johns Creek Parkway one stage at a time. The rollout started this past summer and runs into 2028. Toro's own grand opening announcement calls the three-day celebration "the first chapter of Medley's debut, with additional tenant openings following soon after." Its event calendar seems built to bridge the time between those openings.
The Rollout, Stage by Stage
When | What opens |
|---|---|
June 11, 2026 | Trader Joe's, the first Johns Creek location |
October 29, 2026 | 27 more retailers and restaurants join Trader Joe's, for 28 open on day one |
"In the coming months" | 13 Hub Lane, Fadó Irish Pub, CT Taqueria, Warby Parker, Northern China Eatery, Fogón and Lions, Tabla |
2027 | Encore, the second phase: 408 more rental residences and 20,000 square feet of ground-floor retail |
2028 | A 150-key Marriott Tribute Portfolio hotel, anchored by Chops Lobster Bar |
Toro hasn't given dates for any of the seven later tenants. "In the coming months" is all the October 7 announcement says. Fadó Irish Pub has appeared in nearly every early dining roundup, so some people may expect to find it pouring on opening night. It won't be.
What You Can Actually Walk Into on October 29
Fifteen restaurants, cafes and dessert shops are on the day-one list:
- Sit-down dinner: Rena's Italian Fishery & Grill, 26 Thai Kitchen, Lily Sushi Bar, CRÚ Wine Bar & Bistro, STIR, Tonic House, Minnie Olivia Pizzeria
- Quick bites and morning stops: Shake Shack, Summit Coffee, The Nest Cafe, Knuckies Eatery, Playa Bowls
- Sweets: Five Daughters Bakery, Cookie Fix, Amorino Gelato
The retail and services side is also open on day one. It includes Sephora, High Country Outfitters, Drybar, BODYROK, Kontour Med Spa, Clean Your Dirty Face, Moop's Boutique, Petfolk, Burdlife, Hollow Oak, Sugarcoat and The Commodore.
This lineup covers more than a dinner out. Coffee, a blowout, a workout, a gelato, the weekly grocery run and a pet errand can all happen within one property starting the first week. The later wave leans the other way. Most of those seven tenants are restaurants, with Warby Parker the clearest retail exception. So Medley opens covering everyday errands first, and more of its dinner options arrive over the following months.
Medley's website advertises 21 restaurants, bars, cafes and eateries in total. That means a good share of its dining isn't open yet. One roster detail is still unclear. The Creek's October 2 dining roundup listed Little Rey, but the October 7 announcement doesn't mention it in either the opening-day group or the later wave. Until Toro gives a date, treat it as unconfirmed.
Three Nights to Choose From
Each night of the opening is pitched at a different crowd:
- Medley Unveiled, Wednesday, Oct. 28, 6 to 10 p.m. This ticketed, 21-and-over preview costs $175 and benefits the Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra. The ticket covers tastings from all of Medley's restaurants, cocktails and nonalcoholic drinks, a symphony string quartet, a DJ and live violinist at the Tree Bar, dueling pianos in the Plaza, and complimentary valet.
- Ribbon Cutting, Thursday, Oct. 29, 10 a.m. The ceremony in the Plaza is free, open to the public and promises "special surprise moments."
- Party on The Plaza, Friday, Oct. 30, 6 to 10 p.m. This free, family-friendly Halloween night has live music and activities for all ages. Toro encourages costumes.
Families with younger kids get two Halloween events nine days apart. The city's Trunk or Treat runs Wednesday, Oct. 21, from 6 to 8 p.m. at City Hall, 11360 Lakefield Drive.
The Calendar Is Built to Fill the Gaps
Toro says the grand opening "marks the beginning" of a program of about 100 events a year. The first ones are scheduled for the weeks when the later restaurants are still on their way.
On November 23, the Plaza becomes what Toro calls a Rockefeller Center-inspired outdoor ice rink. Skate the Plaza runs through February 7, 2027. On November 27, Merry Medley fills the day with a holiday concert, performances, skating and a fireworks finale. Lunar New Year at Medley follows on February 6, 2027.
Toro's marketing lead says the overlap is intentional.
"The magic of Medley's Grand Opening doesn't end on Oct. 30. Every tenant opening and event adds another exciting layer to the Medley experience and gives the Johns Creek community a reason to come back and discover something new." Carla Cox, vice president of marketing, Toro Development Company
In practice, the rink and the holiday concert keep people coming back during the season when Fadó, Tabla, Fogón and Lions, CT Taqueria and Northern China Eatery could be opening. Someone who skates in December may well find a restaurant that wasn't there in November. Encore keeps the pattern going in 2027, and the hotel and Chops Lobster Bar finish it in 2028.
Where Medley Sits in Town Center
Medley is close to public spaces Johns Creek already uses. The city describes The Boardwalk at Town Center as a trail of about a mile that runs north from Johns Creek Parkway to McGinnis Ferry Road, the same pair of roads that frame Medley's corner. Boardwalk visitors can use the public and ADA parking at City Hall and take the path to the left of the front entrance. The city also notes that the Medlock Bridge pedestrian tunnel links Town Center to the shops and restaurants on the west side of Medlock Bridge Road. The city's Boardwalk page doesn't give a walking route or distance from the trail to Medley, so check the route yourself before you plan a stroll.
In Appen Media's preview, a resident said they expect to visit Medley with friends. The resident also described going elsewhere for coffee and walks. Another resident told the paper they travel elsewhere to eat out and shop.
The Boardwalk has its own event about two weeks before Medley's ice rink opens. The city's Diwali Celebration is Saturday, Nov. 7, from 4 to 8 p.m. at The Boardwalk at Town Center. That same Saturday, Halcyon holds its Holiday Artists Market on the Village Green from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., with Makers + Markets ATL and 20 local artisans.
Parking and Practical Notes
Medley's parking page lists self-parking every day in its deck and north-side surface lots, plus valet at $12 per car. The page doesn't say whether self-parking is free, so look for posted rates when you arrive. Only Unveiled guests on the 28th get complimentary valet.
Construction was still underway in late September, with workers and equipment on site, and Encore is still to come. Expect some work in progress around the edges well past opening week. Watch for the art, too. Atlanta artist Greg Mike leads the property's art program.
Medley's later stages will change the blocks around Town Center over the next two years. If you'd like to talk through how a new restaurant row, more residences and a 2028 hotel might affect your own street, Jared Sapp and our team are glad to share what we're seeing. Let's Connect.
