RelyEx Solutions

Drayage Brokersin Atlanta, GA

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Because a drayage load can mean a few different things, confusion among carriers is common. Many carriers link drayage with going into a port, but that isn't always true. While all drayage loads typically originate from a port of entry, there are often several legs of a drayage journey before a container turns up at its final stop. Legs of a drayage load may include:

Why Are Drayage Companies in Atlanta, GA So Important?

You may be thinking, what's so important about drayage? It's such a small step in the container storage transport process. In reality, it's an integral piece needed in the logistics industry and a crucial part of U.S. supply chain management.

To truly understand the importance of drayage, let's use flowers as an example. Most cut flower shipments enter the market from areas in South America until they end up at Dutch auction houses. Once there, wholesalers purchase flowers in bulk and send those products to retail outlets worldwide. Because flowers are perishable, they typically need to be refrigerated and are often shipped in reefer containers. These refrigerated vessels must maintain a certain temp to prevent loss.

Drayage companies like RelyEx allow flower shippers to send their products from Argentinian ports to airports in the Netherlands with peace of mind because their products are protected. The only way to accomplish this feat is with the help of swift, meticulous port drayage services. Drayage companies allow flower shippers to send their products from Argentinian ports to airports in the Netherlands with peace of mind, because their products are protected. The only way to accomplish this feat is with the help of swift, meticulous port drayage services.

If port drayage is compromised, it can cause delays and even fines. You know the packages you get delivered to your front door from apps like Amazon? Without drayage and drayage brokers, one or two-day shipping times wouldn't even be possible.

As a multi-billion-dollar industry in the U.S. alone, it seems like drayage shipping issues shouldn't exist. But the fact is inefficiencies and congestion are still major problems at ports. Whether it's a lack of carriers, absent chassis, or overburdened terminals, delays lead to missed deadlines, lost revenue, and worse.

But anytime challenges exist, so too do innovative solutions.

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RelyEx Solves Problems

At RelyEx, we like to consider ourselves problem solvers. The nature of the container drayage industry presents new challenges every day, but we're firm believers that there's a solution to every hurdle we encounter. And while some drayage businesses implement a reactive approach, RelyEx customers choose us for our proactive mindset. We take pride in solving your company's drayage challenges to help you avoid frustrating fees, missed expectations, and delayed shipments. We strive to make every transaction successful and streamlined by partnering with shippers who prioritize transparent, prompt, and accurate communication.

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RelyEx Has a Unique Vantage Point

RelyEx approaches your business from the customer's perspective - a unique approach that helps us provide high-quality, effective drayage services. We've been in the customers' shoes, know their pain points, and because of that, provide first-hand solutions to stressful supply chain issues. With over 30 years of collective knowledge, our team excels in:

  • Inventory Management
  • Logistics
  • Purchasing
  • Finance

Our varied, high-level drayage shipping experience helps us achieve our overarching goal: expertly managing your freight movement needs. That way, you can direct your time and focus on growing the core aspects of your business while we handle the heavy lifting. Throw in proactive planning to avoid bottleneck situations and strong communication for transparent customer relations, and you can see why so many companies trust RelyEx.

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RelyEx Nurtures Strong Carrier Relationships

When it comes to shipping logistics, it only takes one mistake by a mediocre worker to disrupt your business. That's why, at RelyEx, we pride ourselves on forming and nurturing relationships with carriers who match our standards of care. Our founding partner started his career transporting freight for companies as an on-demand carrier. He uses that knowledge to maximize the resources of our carriers so that our customer's expectations aren't just met - they're exceeded.

Based in the port city of Atlanta, RelyEx has a keen understanding of the challenges of managing the inbound and outbound flow of containers. Our team of container drayage experts provides your business with unique solutions to nuanced shipping problems, minimizing demurrage and ensuring the successful delivery of your freight.

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Customers choose RelyEx because:

  • We are a reliable drayage logistics partner that manages your freight from beginning to end
  • We have a rare industry vantage point with 30+ years of client-side experience
  • We foster and fortify the strongest vendor relations
  • We take a proactive approach to problem-solving, not a reactive approach
Let us know how we can help.
phone-number843-885-3082
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Your Drayage Shipments Managed from Start to Finish

Some drayage brokers don't care how customers feel about their service as long as they sign a contract and get paid. As a solutions-oriented team, RelyEx takes the opposite approach. We're motivated by the opportunity to overachieve for our customers and to provide them with the best logistics experience possible. With professional experience as carriers and shippers ourselves, we know the roadblocks and challenges you're facing. We excel at mapping out the best plans of action to solve those problems. But that's just the start.

Our tracking experts monitor and manage every aspect of your drayage shipment from booking to delivery, 24/7. Once booked, we look for the availability of your containers hourly once they're at port. When they arrive, our team acts quickly to access your storage containers when they're available.

Plus, RelyEx ensures your company's requirements are met by the carrier during loading and delivery and provide necessary documentation as fast as possible. With real-time tracking updates and access to our customer service professionals, your team has complete visibility throughout the shipping process.

We Source Top-Notch Operators at the Best Prices

Over the years, RelyEx has built a strong network of drayage carriers, transloading locations, and container storage spaces to provide you with the best possible options to match your drayage service needs. We know that searching for quality service presents an added layer of complexity and stress to our customers. That's why we work hard to take that off your plate by connecting you with our reliable shipping partners.

With a background moving freight as an on-demand carrier, our founding partner understands how to maximize the resources and equipment of our carriers to match your needs.

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We Make Transparent, Timely Communication a Priority

Like other industries, the global logistics space is complex. Mistakes will be made, and problems will happen. With those truths in mind, RelyEx has built its reputation as problem solvers. Unlike other drayage companies, we don't shy away from this industry's complexities because we take pride in solving problems. Even better, we aim to do what's needed to avoid those problems altogether.

As your logistics partner, we will provide your company with accurate, transparent, and prompt communication. If there are unexpected issues, we'll notify you immediately and will provide several options to remedy the problem. We even offer custom reporting for large clients who need at-the-moment updates and quick access to shipment documentation.

We Have Robust Project Management Experience

Why let the unpredictability of your industry dictate your success? With a background working in manufacturing, our founders are familiar with the demands of managing production schedules and sales orders. That experience makes it abundantly clear to us that every business and industry is different. If you struggle with seasonal surges or other factors, our team supports your business with a mapped-out plan and schedule, so you stay ahead of the game.

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Paperwork Errors

Typically, shippers need four specific documents to clear shipments through customs: A Bill of Lading (or BOL), a commercial invoice, a packing list, and an arrival notice. Seasoned drayage brokers like RelyEx are used to preparing these documents, but new shippers tend to miss this step due to inexperience.

Payment Delays

If a shipper only pays for part of their shipment, a vessel operator may refuse to release their freight until their bill is fully paid. Payment delays lead to cargo detention at the port of entry, which triggers demurrage charges.

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Documents Received Too Late

Paperwork is needed when you're shipping goods with a drayage company. When documents like the Certificate of Origin or Bill of Lading arrive at their destination late, you can expect demurrage fees. RelyEx avoids this situation entirely by being proactive when submitting paperwork.

Additional causes for demurrage fees can include:

  • Damaged Container Storage
  • Custom Released Containers
  • Storage Containers Are Too Heavy

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RelyEx:

The Supply Chain Partner You Can Count On

At RelyEx, we know first-hand how stressful supply chain problems can be for business owners. Though drayage shipping might seem minor on the surface, it affects every stage of your shipping process. And when inevitable hurdles manifest, RelyEx propels you over the proverbial roadblocks with a proactive mindset and a passion for challenging projects. We believe that all problems have a solution, and our unique vantage point allows us to provide first-hand solutions to customers in a wide array of industries.

When it comes to your business, don't settle for anything less than RelyEx. Contact our office today to learn more about how we make your shipping experience streamlined and stress-free.

phone-number843-885-3082

Latest News in Atlanta, GA

Dive Bar the Local Returns to Ponce Better Than Ever and Ready for All Your Wing Orders

“In all honesty, the Local never fully reopened after Covid. And the renovations and everything that we’ve done in the last month and a half, it’s two years late,” says managing partner Steven Dixey of the beloved dive bar on Ponce.The Local, known for its chicken wings and karaoke nights, has been in limbo since the beginning of the pandemic, starting with the mandatory shutdown of indoor dining in March 2020, followed by two failed attempts by developers to purchase the property after its reopening.Dix...

“In all honesty, the Local never fully reopened after Covid. And the renovations and everything that we’ve done in the last month and a half, it’s two years late,” says managing partner Steven Dixey of the beloved dive bar on Ponce.

The Local, known for its chicken wings and karaoke nights, has been in limbo since the beginning of the pandemic, starting with the mandatory shutdown of indoor dining in March 2020, followed by two failed attempts by developers to purchase the property after its reopening.

Dixey and co-owner Charles Kerns have been working on plans to renovate the two-decade-old bar since early 2021, put in motion before the partners entered into the first deal to sell the property later that same year. When the deal fell through within six months, Dixey and Kerns resumed with the original renovation plans for the Local, only to enter into yet another sales agreement with Atlanta developer Portman Holdings.

With renovations on hold again, Dixey and Kerns negotiated a short-term lease with Portman to keep the Local open. For the last two years, Dixey says, they’ve been operating the bar under the assumption the property would eventually sell, which is why it came as a shock to the partners and the Local’s 20 employees when the deal with Portman suddenly fell apart over the summer.

Dixey took a chunk of the money he and Kerns had set aside to pay severance to the staff after the sale went through and instead offered employees three weeks paid vacation as renovations at the Local finally got underway in September.

While regulars will find the bar mostly unchanged inside, the building itself needed a lot of work, something long overdue after two decades in operation. Most of these improvements are not visible, but will ultimately make a big difference for the bar going forward into the next decade. The Local also received a massive deep clean, along with a needed purge of all bar items. Even the people attending the Local’s popular Monday karaoke nights are enjoying an upgrade to the weekly event in a fresh sound system.

But the most significant upgrade is to the Local’s chicken wing service. The bar simply couldn’t keep up with demand for its wings anymore, selling out within an hour after opening. People had already missed out on the opportunity to order wings if they showed up after 5 p.m. It prompted the Local to begin posting on Instagram about the bar’s daily wing inventory to keep track.

“It wasn’t like a ‘buy more wings’ situation. There’s a big process that goes into making them,” says Dixey of the reason behind why the Local struggled to meet the demand for wings prior to its makeover.

With the renovations came a reorganized kitchen and new equipment and a shift from table- to counter-service, allowing the Local to increase wing output by 40 percent. Wings are now available Wednesday through Sunday, with Mondays reserved for pop-ups during karaoke. Moving forward, the Local will be closed on Tuesdays — a first for the bar — for routine maintenance and cleaning.

But all of this almost wasn’t. After the Portman deal fell through in August, Dixey and Kerns had some hard conversations about whether to move on from the Local or move forward with renovations. “Do we just walk away from all of this right now? I would be lying if I said I didn’t think about that very hard. Everyone seems to love us for some reason,” says Dixey.

More renovations are in the works, too, including enclosing the patio and upgrading the outdoor seating areas before next spring and summer.

“We’ve been sucked into this monster of the Beltline. We’re a Beltline bar now. But it’s still going to be the same staff,” Dixey says. “We’re still going to stay 21 and up. No kids. No bullshit. We are not afraid. It’s still going to be the Local. We’re just stuck in the middle of the Beltline now.”

And before you even ask, the Local still doesn’t do to-go orders.

Open 5 p.m., Wednesday - Sunday; 8 p.m. on Monday. Closed Tuesday.

758 Ponce De Leon Avenue, Atlanta.

Could Russell Wilson intrigue the Falcons in 2024?

The free agent market at quarterback figures to be thin in 2024. I’ve said repeatedly that I’d like the Atlanta Falcons to draft their next quarterback, given the potential strength of this class, and it’s unlikely anything is going to change my mind between now and next April.I’m not in charge of Falcons personnel decisions—feel free to cheer loudly right now, if the spirit moves you—and there is certainly a legitimate pos...

The free agent market at quarterback figures to be thin in 2024. I’ve said repeatedly that I’d like the Atlanta Falcons to draft their next quarterback, given the potential strength of this class, and it’s unlikely anything is going to change my mind between now and next April.

I’m not in charge of Falcons personnel decisions—feel free to cheer loudly right now, if the spirit moves you—and there is certainly a legitimate possibility that the Falcons go the veteran quarterback route in 2024. That was extremely unappealing with Ryan Tannehill seemed like the best option likely to be available, but it may have become slightly more appealing for team and fans with this week’s big news, depending on where both stand.

That news? That Russell Wilson has been benched by the Denver Broncos, and that the benching is likely a prelude to the Broncos cutting him after the season. If you assume Kirk Cousins will remain in Minnesota, as I do, then Wilson likely springs to the top of any free agent quarterback list. He may just find a landing spot in Atlanta.

I don’t write these kinds of articles as often as I used to, because I think we all get a little tired of wishcasting and exploring unlikely avenues. Wilson feels like he might just be a legitimate option for the Falcons in the right circumstances, however.

Multiple reasons, but the biggest is that he costs too much money. The Broncos now have Sean Payton as their head coach, and he seemed impatient with Wilson from the jump, likely because he wants his own Taysom Hill quarterback to develop. Perhaps Wilson could compete in the summer for this team if it weren’t for the fact that his contract is onerous beyond belief.

It’s so onerous in part because Wilson hasn’t even started playing on the new deal Denver signed him to when he joined the team. In fact, that deal kicks off next year, and will leave the Broncos with a whopping $85 million in dead money if they cut him, either all at once or spread out a bit with a post-June 1 designation. The team has decided there’s no sense in risking injury, which would guarantee the deal, and so they’ll park him and then cut him this spring.

It was explained, the Broncos never told Wilson if or when they would bench him this season, he just played until he was told this morning he was no longer starting.

— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) December 28, 2023

Obviously, if Wilson was playing like a truly elite quarterback, the team would just eat their frustration and the dollars and keep going. But Wilson has not been that guy, with disastrous games against the Texans and Chiefs joining lackluster efforts in several other games this year. Sean Payton has felt compelled, both because of the state of Denver’s receiving corps and Wilson’s own growing limitations, to lean heavily on screen passes and running backs to the tune of 129 combined targets for backs.

Wilson’s tendency to try to extend plays, sometimes by bailing out of a decent pocket, and an uneven ability to feel pressure and simply drop back and pass have conspired with up-and-down line play to lead to ton of sacks. While his surface numbers are still pretty good and Wilson remains a talented passer and scrambler, he’s not anywhere close to height-of-his-powers-in-Seattle Russell Wilson any longer. Denver clearly feels the price of that play is not remotely worth it, and since Payton holds the real power in the building for the Broncos, he’ll get to pick his next quarterback.

Wilson still does have talent, and he’d land on an Atlanta team that (assuming they keep Arthur Smith, as I am) has an established head coach and the pieces of a pretty potent offense. This ground game should be special even if it hasn’t been in 2023, and having Drake London, Kyle Pitts, Bijan Robinson, and maybe Jonnu Smith to throw to is a solid start. Wilson would also enjoy better pass protection in Atlanta, likely a plus for a 36-year-old quarterback who has taken plenty of hits in his career.

Okay, so that’s more about why Wilson might be interested in coming to Atlanta. The reasons the Falcons might be interested in turn?

As appealing as Wilson may be because of his track record, ability to create, and red zone and critical down performance, there are compelling reasons the Falcons may elect to pass.

As things stand today, I’m expecting the Falcons to retain Arthur Smith (based on reporting that it would take a total collapse at the end of the year and Blank’s evident fondness for him) and draft a quarterback for the present and future. It’s the smart long-term play, assuming there’s a player within reach the Falcons like, and it’s important to get that position right regardless of who your coach is. If the Falcons move on from Smith, a new head coach wanting his own rookie to mold makes even more sense.

But I don’t think ruling out Wilson to Atlanta entirely is a wise thing to do, especially well before the next league year begins. A team that has spun through quarterbacks and may well endure its sixth straight losing, playoff-less season in a row will certainly want to ensure the 2024 season is a big improvement, and out of the free agent options available to them only Kirk Cousins and Wilson figure to offer that kind of immediate upside. There are reasons to explore Wilson and some very compelling ones to simply go get that young quarterback instead, but with so much uncertainty surrounding the Atlanta Falcons and the thinning patience for both the franchise and the fanbase, it’s an avenue the team may yet travel.

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Former Atlanta Braves shortstop Andrelton Simmons has announced his retirement

On December 26, 2023, ISE Baseball - the agency of Andrelton Simmons - posted a congratulatory image on their Instagram account announcing Simmons was retiring from professional baseball despite being only 34 years old.It is unclear in the post means Simmons is stepping away from baseball entirely or just from MLB as Simmons had committed to play in the newly formed Middle East and South Asia professional Baseball United league earlier this year.If this is the end of Simmons playing career, he will leave the sport as one of the...

On December 26, 2023, ISE Baseball - the agency of Andrelton Simmons - posted a congratulatory image on their Instagram account announcing Simmons was retiring from professional baseball despite being only 34 years old.

It is unclear in the post means Simmons is stepping away from baseball entirely or just from MLB as Simmons had committed to play in the newly formed Middle East and South Asia professional Baseball United league earlier this year.

If this is the end of Simmons playing career, he will leave the sport as one of the best defensive players of his era. Spending the majority of his career as a shortstop, he won four Gold Gloves and one Platinum Glove for his defensive work. He also won Wilson Defensive Player Awards in six different seasons.

Those honors and awards don’t fully represent how impactful Simmons was with his glove and powerful right arm. As subjective as defensive ratings are, Baseball-Reference gives Simmons 28.5 dWAR for his career with 201 Defensive Runs Saved above average in 10,388.1 innings as a shortstop. Fangraphs credits him with 114 total Ultimate Zone Rating in runs above average in his career.

Simmons was drafted in the second round of the 2010 draft by the Atlanta Braves out of Western Oklahoma State College. A native of Curacao, Simmons debuted for the Braves in 2012 becoming the team’s starting shortstop in June before a hand injury caused him to miss almost two months in early July. He would return that September and begin a run of defensive dominance lasting almost a decade.

Simmons would play in 499 games for Atlanta through the end of the 2015 season after which he traded to the Los Angeles Angels despite signing a contract extension with Atlanta prior to the 2014 season.

With the Braves, he won two Gold Gloves and finished 14th in the NL MVP award voting in 2013. His 2015 may have been his best defensive season as a Brave, although he did not win the Gold Glove that season, he was named Wilson’s Overall Defensive Player of the year when he led the NL with 4.1 bWAR.

In slightly more than three full seasons worth of games with Atlanta, he produced a stunning 13.7 bWAR.

A slightly below average hitter during his career, he did hit a career-high 17 home runs in 2013 and slashed .256/.304/.362 during his time in Atlanta.

As a batter, he did not work deep counts but did have strong bat-to-ball skills. He rarely stuck-out but also walked infrequently, topping 67 strikeouts in a season only once but also never walking more than 47 times. The off set of his contact-based approach was that he did not hit with much power, collecting only 294 extra base hits in 4,816 career plate appearances.

Simmons would play five seasons with the Angles before spending the 2021 season with the Minnesota Twins and concluding his MLB career with a 34-games stint with the Chicago Cubs in 2022 as issues with his throwing shoulder hampered his effectiveness and ultimately led to his release.

While with the Angels, he continued his excellent defensive output, winning two Gold Gloves and leading the AL with a career-best 5.1 dWAR in 2017 when his Infield Range above average was an incredible 31 (he had 75 for his career). He also put-up his best two offensive seasons of his career in 2017 and 2018 with a 102 OPS+ and 108 OPS+, respectively. He finished 8th in the AL MVP vote in 2017 and 15th the following year.

His slash line with the Angles improved to .281/.328/.394 and he also became a stolen base threat, stealing 51 base while being caught only 11 times. That was in stark contrast with his time in Atlanta when was successful in only 16 out of 29 stole base attempts.

Injuries cost him significant time in both 2016 and 2019 and he opted out before the end of the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign to deal with mental health issues.

In parts of 11 seasons, he played in only 1,225 games seeing action in 140-or-more games only five times in his career.

Despite his abbreviated career, Baseball-Reference ranks Simmons’ 28.5 career dWAR as tied for 11th all-time despite playing four fewer seasons that the any of the players ranked above him. He led his respective league in dWAR three times (2013, 2015, 2017) and finished in the top four eight times. As another point of reference on his defensive aptitude, he posted only 1.0 fewer dWAR in his career than Omar Vizquel despite playing in 13 fewer seasons.

Simmons was also part of one of the most controversial plays in modern Braves history as it was his flyball to left field that was ruled an infield fly in the 2012 NL Wild Card game that famously led to a stoppage in play after Braves fans littered Turner Field with debris after what appeared to be a single was called an out.

Five years ago, Simmons was heading into his age 29 season on an apparent track to become one of the best defenders in the history of the game. Injuries hampered and ultimately brought an early end to his career - and while he still takes a claim as one of the best defenders of his era - it is fair to wonder if a longer and healthier career could have seen him ascended to the inner sanctum of defensive wizardly alongside all-time great defensive shortstops Ozzie Smith and Mark Belander and third baseman Brooks Robinson.

Looking ahead to Braves' 2024 season

This story was excerpted from Mark Bowman’s Braves Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.As teams were preparing to go to Spring Training this year, my colleague Anthony Castrovince put together this ...

This story was excerpted from Mark Bowman’s Braves Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

As teams were preparing to go to Spring Training this year, my colleague Anthony Castrovince put together this top 10 list of teams that had won the offseason.

The top two teams on the list were the Mets and the Padres, a pair of teams that paid a lot of money only to miss the 2023 postseason. The World Series champion Rangers, though, ranked third. So, you can’t totally discount making big offseason moves. But the Braves ended up winning a Major League-best 104 games despite not vying for that mythical offseason championship.

It’s great to see fans get excited about what is happening during the offseason. Dodgers fans should be thrilled. That’s good for the game. It was also fun to see D-backs owner Ken Kendrick react to the Shohei Ohtani signing by reminding reporters the superstar is just one of nine players for a team his club beat in this year’s postseason.

The offseason is fun, but it’s different for every team. Some teams need significant upgrades. Other teams just need some patchwork. At the end of the day, October is really the only month you want to win. You can help yourself from November to January, but nothing is guaranteed during these winter months.

My mother has always preached that it’s not how much money you have -- it’s how you spend your money. Spending lavishly is fun. Spending effectively is rewarding.

Here are four topics to ponder as we look forward to the upcoming season:

Biggest question to answer before Spring Training: Do the Braves need to add a starting pitcher?

Yeah, adding a difference maker like Aaron Nola or Sonny Gray would have given the Braves a proven starter who could add significant value in October over the next few years. There are still other potential difference makers like Blake Snell on the free agent market. But if the cost doesn’t fit projected value, president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos has proven he won’t spend just to spend.

He gained some insurance with Reynaldo López, who could be used as a starter or reliever. AJ Smith-Shawver, Darius Vines and Allan Winans provide further depth to a rotation that starts with two Cy Young Award candidates in Max Fried and Spencer Strider. Getting the right starter might help. But this is also a potential need that could be addressed again before the Trade Deadline.

One player poised to have a breakout season: Jarred Kelenic

In Seattle, Kelenic was always going to deal with the pressure of being the top prospect who the Mariners gained when they dealt All-Star closer Edwin Díaz to the Mets. Yeah, the Braves have made a significant financial investment (nearly $17 million) in Kelenic’s future. But in Atlanta, he should be free from the pressure he felt while playing with the Mariners.

He’ll have the potential to hit 20-plus homers while sitting near the bottom of a lineup that features Ronald Acuña Jr., Austin Riley and Matt Olson. Having the chance to work with Chipper Jones and the Braves’ many other hitting instructors should also help this left-handed slugger begin to realize his great potential.

Prospect to watch in 2024: Hurston Waldrep

All eyes will be on Hurston Waldrep, the heralded right-hander the Braves took out of the University of Florida with the 24th overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. Waldrep guided the Gators to the brink of a College World Series title with the assistance of an impressive splitter. He watched a lot of video clips of John Smoltz while developing the swing-and-miss pitch. Across four different Minor League levels in ‘23, Waldrep posted a 1.53 ERA and struck out 41 batters over 29 1/3 innings. He’s still getting acquainted with the professional scene, but it won’t be surprising if he arrives in Atlanta at some point during the ‘24 season.

One prediction for the new year: Fried takes home hardware

We’ll save the predictions of a seventh straight division title and third straight 100-win season for later. The Braves won 104 games with Fried making 13 healthy starts. We don’t know if Fried will be in Atlanta beyond next season. But we certainly know what kind of competitor he is. As he distances himself from this year’s injury-blemished season and prepares for his final season before hitting the free agent market, he seems primed to win the NL Cy Young Award, which he strongly vied for in 2020 and 2022.

The Atlanta Restaurant Trends That Got Us Excited in 2023

Today we continue our Year in Eater review, where we surveyed Atlanta food writers, industry insiders, and readers about their dining experiences over the past 12 months.We’ve already asked Atlanta food writers and readers to name the best new restaurants and pop-ups of 2023, their best meals in Atlanta this year, and to offer up their favorite spots to regularly dine in Atlanta. Now, each shar...

Today we continue our Year in Eater review, where we surveyed Atlanta food writers, industry insiders, and readers about their dining experiences over the past 12 months.

We’ve already asked Atlanta food writers and readers to name the best new restaurants and pop-ups of 2023, their best meals in Atlanta this year, and to offer up their favorite spots to regularly dine in Atlanta. Now, each shares their thoughts on what got them excited about dining in Atlanta in 2023.

Check back tomorrow for the final installment of the Year in Eater for 2023, with feedback from Atlanta food writers, industry insiders, and readers.

It’s cool to see restaurants and diners embracing a more “intimate” style of dining between the rise of omakase restaurants (two of them earned Michelin stars) and supper club experiences like Dirt Church and Maria. Larger restaurants are still opening, but there’s clearly a desire for smaller-scale, personalized dining. That said, the other trend I see is places going really big or thematic, as restaurateurs seek to make their places more immersive in a TikTok world. Some of this delivers on style and substance, like Verdure Kitchen, but not always.

I continue to feel excited about all the ways chefs lean into vegetables. Atlanta has always been a seasonally-driven city, but you don’t have to look that hard to find mushrooms used in interesting, prominent ways (Think Daily Chew’s mushroom schnitzel pita.)

I love seeing people realize that we have much better Italian food than we’ve been given credit for in the past—or maybe were willing to try because of loyalty to the old guard spots in Atlanta. Gigi’s is just fantastic, and BoccaLupo just never misses. And, the pasta at Lyla Lila is still very good. No shade to Maggiano’s, but I remember being very embarrassed a few years ago when they consistently had the best bites at the big local food festival tasting tents. Also, our local wine shops are killer now! I can’t say I love 3 Parks Wine enough, and I’m so geeked for Sarah Pierre and her new Old Fourth Ward location.

I have covered Atlanta restaurants for many years and cannot keep up with the current openings, but it is a great sign for our city’s restaurant growth. I also love seeing local restaurants open multiple locations throughout the city. You don’t have to drive 40 minutes for your favorite ramen or Korean bakery because they have downtown locations. It also means that local restauranteurs you love, but don’t frequent due to traffic, probably have concepts closer to you.

I think pre-ordering and online ordering for pop-up chefs with set amounts has made me excited, especially when they sell out. The limited amount helps pop-up chefs plan, prep, and not waste food appropriately. Any wasted food at a pop-up is literally money out of the pocket of the chef. Diners selling out these pop-ups makes me excited, and I’ve seen Mighty Hans and Brave Wojtek do it successfully.

Atlanta’s wine scene is booming. Finally. This is evident in the number of excellent wine menus now found at restaurants all over the city, and not just at the expected spots. Shout out to wine bar pop-ups Dive Wine Bar and Long Snake. Also, Larakin coffee and wine bar in Midtown is rad and we need more places like it in every Atlanta neighborhood.

I am also extremely excited for the future of our thriving pop-up restaurant scene and seeing so many of these chefs turn their transient food operations into permanent locations. The success of these pop-ups led to restaurants like Gigi’s, Leftie Lee’s, BOK (the Bite of Korea), and Little Bear opening, and the establishment of the Punk Foodie pop-up food stall at Ponce City Market. I suspect we’ll see quite a few more pop-ups turning permanent in 2024—looking at you, Mother’s Best.

The following food trends spotted by some readers in 2023 got them excited about dining out in Atlanta:

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