Begin at the End

If you’re familiar with Stolen Goods, you know we love a theme. You might have noticed that we also have a pretty short attention span when it comes to those themes.

Whether it’s Traptoria, The Bruhserie, Chop House, or even the very abbreviated Three Amigos, we have adopted a 3-and-out philosophy on most of our concepts. We felt (and still feel) that always pushing ourselves to come up with new ideas keeps the creative muscles toned and honed, so to speak. There’s a whole wide world of inspiration out there—why limit yourself?

But there was one exception to this unofficial rule of ours: Bodega. Our first baby. Much of the foundation of Stolen Goods was borne out of the idea of the bodega. The bodega of our imaginations is the heartbeat of a city and her people—emblematic of those nostalgic comforts from the places we’ve called home. It’s not fussy, it’s not complicated. It’s chopped cheese, heros, gyro wraps, smash burgers, po’ boys, not to mention a salty side snack and a sugary carbonated beverage to wash it all down. It’s simple “un-elevated” food that satiates in a way other things can’t. The bodega taught us that, no matter what, if it’s delicious, if it brings you joy, then is has merit. It’s worthy of esteem.

It might not be pretty or refined, but the corner bodega is always there for you. In a similar fashion, the Bodega pop-up concept was always there for us. In some ways it became our fail-safe. When the menu ideas weren’t flowing, we could always fall back on the Bodega. But as Stolen Goods has grown, we have evolved into something more than a pop-up shop. In order to cultivate our collective, and achieve our long-term goals, we have to graduate from dropping mixtapes to producing albums. It’s more than just good food that’s important to us—it’s music, art, culture, mentorship, collaboration. We want to be sure that our events express all of the facets of who we are, while still supporting and putting the spotlight on underrepresented and under-appreciated creative professionals in Atlanta.

To that end, this past weekend we decided to officially retire the Bodega. With help from our friends at Nourish Botanica in Atlanta’s Joyland neighborhood, we gave it a send-off for the books. As we put Bodega to bed, we will also be taking our leave from the pop-up circuit. We as Stolen Goods will always support the pop-up community in Atlanta and beyond. These folks have so much to offer, and are changing the way we interpret dining culture.

But as for what to expect from us? We’re looking to continue growing our network and extending our reach—beyond food, beyond Atlanta, and beyond the southeast. That means bigger features and collaborations, support for art, music, farmers, makers, etc. Executing these types of events requires considerably more planning, resources, time and attention to detail, but we’re aiming for quality over quantity these days. We have lots of things in the works, so it’s time to move beyond our humble beginnings in order to usher in a new era for Stolen Goods. The Bodega will always hold a special place in our hearts; and of course, nothing is ever lost forever.

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