The Third Door succeeds with creative cocktails, concept

Not many bars got their start with a trailer, but that’s exactly how the idea for Marietta’s The Third Door came to life.

Owners Ted and Lara Ferreira were architects selling Happier Camper vintage-looking fiberglass trailers. First, they decided to renovate a few into mobile bars. Then, they thought it might be great to have a place near the Marietta Square that operated as a camper showroom by day and a speakeasy-type prohibition era cocktail space by night.

That’s how the Third Door was born, opening in the weirdest of years in August 2020 to 50% capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic with its large patio space at 131 Church St. at an old 1920s pump station.

It’s an idea that was popular from the start, with lines down the sidewalk when it opened, and has evolved into what was voted Best of Cobb’s Best Cocktail Menu for the second straight year while having Owen DeLaMater voted as Best Bartender/Mixologist/Sommelier and The Third Door finishing runner-up in the voting for Best Overall Bar. Back in 2021, it was named the Best New Bar.

“It’s voluminous how much we now know that we didn’t know then,” said Lara Ferreira.

Like everything at The Third Door, it’s evolving, from the staff to the seasonal signature cocktail

By JON STYF

menu. DeLaMater is the only staff member remaining from August 2020, but The Third Door has developed a collaborative staff that makes it their job to always be working on creating the perfect drinks for the next menu.

“Everyone on the staff has an opportunity to have their say,” DeLaMater said.

They bring a concept and then they hone it, trying to have different flavors and ideas from each season to the next. They taste test the ideas, then the ideas continue to evolve until the new menu arrives.

“We have a bunch of mad scientists on hand, which might not be too surprising,” Ferreira said.

She added that the bartenders also know the full canon of classics and are sure to be able to find something for every taste, from light and refreshing to heavier and boozy to the non-alcoholic zero proof signature menu.

“Our No. 1 value is inclusivity,” Ferreira said. “We aim to be a place where people feel welcome.… It’s like you’re stepping away from your day-to-day life.”

There were issues, like needing a larger icemaker, that they have fixed. And challenges, like not having a kitchen, that have evolved.

The Third Door, in a partnership with The Butcher on Whitlock, is

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