Vintage Eye Candy, a Cold Brew and Meatloaf in Senoia

Truth be told, I don’t make much of an influencer. I forget to take photos of dinner until a bite’s already gone, and I’m not posting a lot of little videos. But I do like sharing the good things I find—the places that are worth your time.

Senoia is one of those places.

Tonight, I grabbed my mom and headed that way with no real plan—just to walk, look around, and see where the night took us. I’ve lived in this area for 27 years, long enough to watch Senoia grow from something small into something extraordinary.

There are so many great places to eat in Senoia. Maguire’s has been a favorite of mine for years, and I have a soft spot for the novelty of Lisa’s Creperie. But this night unfolded a little differently.

We were walking down Main Street when we passed Nic & Norman’s, and my mom mentioned she’d never tried it. That was reason enough to step inside. Mom loves new places. 

At 5:40 p.m., the wait was already 45 minutes.

No problem. In Senoia, that just means you keep walking.

We passed patio restaurants, peeked into storefronts, and found ourselves stepping into a brand-new shop—Vintage Vault, open just seven weeks. The store is the brainchild of Ann Busey and her daughter, Clare, who have been curating pieces for years.

Busey previously owned Beyond the Door, a Senoia shop many longtime visitors will remember.

Inside Vintage Vault, it’s pure eye candy.

Every surface feels intentional—layered displays, interesting textures, unexpected finds tucked into cases that once held fine jewelry. It’s the kind of place where you don’t just browse, you look. And then you look again.

“I love doing it,” Busey said. “It’s nice to see the old stuff coming back. It has a place in everyone’s home.”

She and her daughter divide the work—Clare handles clothing and jewelry, while Busey focuses on home goods.

“Vintage itself is 20 years or more,” she said. “Antique is over 50.”

The building itself adds to the experience. A former jewelry store, gun store, and photography studio, 28 Main Street has display cases that now hold Busey’s collections.

“We rotate them all the time,” Busey said. “So you can’t really see what’s on the tops of them. Then next week, when you come in, they’ll be on the bottom.”

For Busey, the best part comes later.

“My favorite thing is going into someone’s home and seeing a little bit of something that they bought here,” she said. “Or you’re walking down the street and you meet the people that were in the store and they’re wearing the clothes that they bought. It’s just such a feel good moment.”

And working alongside her daughter makes it even better.

“It’s the most fun for me,” Busey said. “It goes beyond a mother daughter—it works into friendship now, and then business partners too.”

We spent about 20 minutes inside—long enough to enjoy it, not long enough to see everything—and then headed back out. I noted that we could return on the Vintage Vault open days—Wednesday through Sunday—check the hours online before heading out. 

With time still left on our wait, we made one more stop at the Mess Hall, where Senoia Coffee shares space with a bakery and dessert counter. The pastries sat lined up along the counter, tempting enough, but we showed some restraint.

I ordered a cold brew with cream, sugar-free mocha, and sugar-free vanilla—somewhere between indulgent and responsible. My mom went with a decaf Americano. The kind barista Emma brought it out to us. 

Then it was back to Nic & Norman’s.

For those who haven’t been, the restaurant is owned by Greg Nicotero and Norman Reedus of The Walking Dead, the show that helped put Senoia on the map. I’ve only been five or six times over the years, but it’s been good every time.

I don’t always order the same thing, but the meatloaf is still my favorite dish I’ve had there. It comes with mashed potatoes and a corn muffin, and while it officially includes green beans, I swapped those for Brussels sprouts topped with goat cheese and bacon. Because bacon makes everything better, and goat cheese elevates flavor. My dinner was $24.

My mom took Busey’s recommendation and tried the meatloaf sliders, topped with mashed potatoes and fried onions. From the appetizer menu, those are $16. 

We had a fantastic server—attentive without hovering. Water glasses stayed full, and takeout boxes arrived before we needed to ask.

It’s easy to talk about Senoia in terms of growth or development. I’ve even interviewed the developer behind much of it, now-Mayor Scott Tigchelaar, about how it all came together.

But evenings like this are what make it matter.

You can show up without a plan, walk a few blocks, discover something new, eat well, and spend time with someone you love—all in the span of a couple of hours.

From my mom’s house in Peachtree City, it’s a 10 or 15-minute drive.

But who’s counting, when you’re on your way to a good time.