Melt Yard Expanding to Dallas with 2026 Opening

DALLAS, GA — Melt Yard, the Marietta-based restaurant known for its elevated comfort food and nostalgic arcade experience, is expanding with a new location at 300 W. Memorial Drive, Dallas, GA 30132. Co-owner Matt DeBusschere told Business Debut the team signed the lease last week and is targeting a late summer 2026 opening. DeBusschere and his business partner, Justin Wilfon, will open the Dallas restaurant as the brand’s second location.

What to Expect

The Dallas Melt Yard will be a full-service restaurant offering the same fan-favorite menu from the original Marietta location, along with added features that take advantage of its larger standalone space. The building, a former 1940s car dealership, will feature an estimated 6,500 square foot dining area and a large patio of about 1,000 square feet. Seating is projected to accommodate around 160 to 180 guests.

“We’ll have the same core concept, great food, great drinks, and a place to hang out, but we’re adding more live music and outdoor seating,” DeBusschere told Business Debut. “We want it to be a gathering spot for the whole community.”

Menu and Vision

Guests can expect Melt Yard’s signature comfort food and elevated bar classics, including its top sellers such as smashed burgers and patty melts. “A lot of melted cheese all over the place, that’s where the name came from,” DeBusschere said. The menu also includes playful nods to food festival favorites like deep fried Oreos and deep fried birthday cake.

Arcade games will again be a staple. “Our arcade is curated by Marietta Kingpins, friends of ours who helped design the lineup at our first location,” DeBusschere said. “You’ll see the same kind of pinball and 90s era games in Dallas.”

Market and Space

The roughly 9,000 square foot building will anchor a new mixed-use development underway in downtown Dallas. “The city purchased about five blocks around us to connect this corridor to historic Main Street,” DeBusschere said. Plans call for townhomes, apartments, an amphitheater, and green space for families. “This area will become the epicenter of something very big for this city.”

Community Focus

DeBusschere said Melt Yard has long aimed to be more than a restaurant. “In Marietta, we’ve become a community gathering place,” he told Business Debut. “We host fundraisers and spirit nights where we give back a percentage of revenue to schools, baseball teams, and nonprofits. We definitely want to do the same thing in Dallas.”

He added that the team has already seen excitement from residents online. “The Dallas community has been incredibly supportive, and we want them to take ownership of it. We’re building this to be their place as much as ours.”

Opening Timeline

Melt Yard Dallas is targeting a late summer 2026 opening.

Hours

Tentative hours are 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. on weekends, with possible adjustments based on community demand.

Learn More

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