To escape reality in 2020 during the pandemic, friends Jeff Kimmel and David Heymann created Beer Club Sundays to gather outside and rank their favorite beers. That weekly get-together with friends has inspired Chamblee Tap & Market, a taproom debuting Thursday, Aug. 8 at 4 p.m. at 3509 Broad Street in historic downtown Chamblee. A micro food hall with a coffee shop and food stalls will open this fall.

“Our Beer Club Sundays got very involved,” Heymann explains. “We logged our ratings in a Google doc and had a really good time. And then Jeff said, ‘We should do this more often, maybe for work.’” The two former financial industry work friends then ditched their corporate gigs and bought a 5,000-square-foot building adjacent to Chamblee City Hall. With a space too large for just their envisioned tap room, they added a micro food hall and a tap-accented private room to their plans.

“We immediately knew downtown Chamblee is where we wanted to be,” says Heymann. “There’s so much potential here. It’s got this terrific downtown with tons of character that was built decades and decades ago. They aren’t making any more of these.” Designed by the Vickers Group, Chamblee Tap & Market offers a warm, inviting space for guests with lots of brick, wood and natural light.

Chamblee Tap & Market’s Tap Room boasts 26 taps with 20 dedicated to a hand-selected, diverse array of local and seasonal craft beers, national and international favorites and tough-to-get out-of-market selections, along with five wine taps and a draft cocktail selection.

“We wanted to include some of our favorites and bring in different flavor profiles from across the country,” says Heymann.

Among the selections on the tap room’s opening beer list are produced by Good Word, Bold Monk, Maine, Bluejacket and Creature Comforts along with favorites including Sierra Nevada and Pacifico. CT&M Tap No. 1 has been designated ChamWow!, a whimsically named rotating local lager or pilsner inspired by the old late-night ShamWow! infomercial.

A variety of food stalls will follow this fall including Sidecar Coffee, which is operated by Heymann’s wife Leigh. Opening in September, Sidecar Coffee will be located inside the entrance to Chamblee Tap & Market and offer espresso-based drinks, freshly brewed coffee, cold brew, loose-leaf teas plus bakery items, a toast program and protein yogurt bowls with a choice of toppings.

“Leigh has always been a gourmet home chef,” says Heymann. “She takes things to the next level. To prepare, she went to work at the Alchemist in Johns Creek for a year and has been the mad scientist in our kitchen, working on her recipes.”

Chamblee Tap & Market will also offer a private room for 20 to 25 guests, complete with tap lines, that can be booked for parties and social gatherings. A retail beer and wine selection will allow guests to take home their favorites from the tap as well. And in an homage to Chamblee Tap & Market’s inspiration, Kimmel and Heymann are also developing a Beer Club Sunday program for customers to share their new favorite sips monthly.

“Ultimately, you’ll see the owners behind the bar every day; the same two guys who have put the blood, sweat and tears into this,” says Heymann. “It’s been a long two years between concept and opening, but even with the delays, this is a lot more fun than banking. We can’t wait to begin serving our guests in downtown Chamblee.”

Chamblee Tap & Market is located at 3509 Broad Street in historic downtown Chamblee. The tap room opens to the public Aug. 8 at 4 p.m. August hours will be Thursday and Friday 4 p.m.-10 p.m. and Saturday 1 p.m.-10 p.m. When food and coffee service launch this fall, Chamblee Tap & Market will transition to a full-week schedule. To learn more, follow Chamblee Tap & Market on Instagram @chambleetapandmarket or visit chambleetapandmarket.com.