True cost — by city
Among lowest major-metro TI/rent bands. Lease-related startup ~$25,000-$75,000 before construction (Atlanta 2026 guide, depending on rent commencement). TI allowances $30-$100/sq ft for credit-worthy operators, $30-$60/sq ft typical for second-gen fast-casual in that guide.
Mid-tier retail TI $88-$145/sq ft for Atlanta/Charlotte/Nashville (Terrapin July 2026) — right-to-work labor, competitive GC market. Full-service buildout $200-$450/sq ft hard costs in Atlanta guide (Terrapin/CBRE/JLL benchmarks cited there), plus soft costs 15-25% on top. Permits 90-180 days. Totals by concept in Atlanta guide: ghost $50,000-$150,000; fast-casual second-gen $150,000-$350,000; full-service second-gen $300,000-$600,000; raw full-service $500,000-$1,200,000; fine dining $750,000-$2,000,000+.
Overall cost level: typical for a US restaurant opening. The city moves the rent and the build-out; the state moves the permits, the certificates and the liquor clock — and Atlanta sits in Georgia.
Start with the state layer: Georgia permits · Georgia liquor · Georgia hub.
Don't read the table — run your verdict. Pick Georgia, add your format and rent — the regulated lines fill themselves.
Included in the $49 Opening Pack: the filled templates, trackers, calendars and worksheets for this door — built from the same dated datasets as the free checker above.
Sources: Jimmy Carey Commercial Real Estate — Restaurant Startup Costs Atlanta: 2026 Complete Guide; Terrapin Construction Group 2026, 2026-05. Dataset checked October 23, 2026. Where a fee or rule is set by a county or city, this page says so instead of guessing a number.