Roswell has a new kind of main street, and it sits entirely indoors. You42 Studios in Roswell, GA opened in June 2026 inside the former Andretti Indoor Karting and Games building on Alpharetta Highway, and it has quietly become one of the most unusual places to visit, eat, or film in North Fulton. Walk the interior streetscape and you will pass an Oval Office, a jail cell, a courtroom, a corner store, a coffee shop, and a broadcast news desk, every one of them a working production set that creators rent by the hour. Walk a little further and you will find a pizzeria, a western bar with line dancing, and a live-fire restaurant from a celebrity chef.

If you are building out your list of things to do in Roswell or hunting for new Roswell restaurants worth the drive, You42 belongs on both. And if you run a local business and have been meaning to film ads, a podcast, or social content without building a set in your back office, this may be the most useful new address in town. You can also find You42 alongside 950+ other local businesses in the Roswell Business Directory.

Roswell Pulse took a closer look at what is inside, what it costs, who it is built for, and how to make the most of a visit.

Understanding You42 Studios

You42 is an Atlanta-born digital entertainment company. Its core product is an online platform where creators upload podcasts, music, and video, and according to the AJC, creators on that platform keep 100% of their revenue. The company also runs You42 Productions for its own content, and You42 Studio as the physical side of the business, where creators get access to sets, equipment, and production space.

Before Roswell, the studio operated in Midtown Atlanta. The Roswell location is an expansion of that original space and, per the AJC, is more than four times larger. Founder Ashley Johnson has been clear about who the studio is for: everyday content creators who do not have big budgets or the resources to build sets around their ideas. The mix of rooms inside was shaped by feedback from creators who already use the You42 platform.

That focus is what makes the Roswell building different. It was designed around the solo podcaster, the comedian with a sketch idea, the micro-drama director, and the small business owner who needs a professional backdrop for a 30-second ad. Johnson described the project to the AJC as “the first step in really kind of a new age of entertainment.”

The second thing that sets it apart: several of the storefronts along that indoor street are real, operating businesses open to the public. You can come in to film, come in to eat, or come in for a show, and many visitors do some combination of all three.

You42 Studios at a Glance

What’s Inside	What It Is	Best For	How to Access
Themed production sets	Compact rooms (many about 14×14 ft) styled as an Oval Office, jail cell, courtroom, corner store, coffee shop, kitchen, news desk, and more	Creators, podcasters, small business ads, micro-dramas	Book by the hour (approx. $70 to $75/hr)
Podcast and talk-show rooms	Purpose-built rooms for interview and talk formats	Podcasters, business owners, interview shows	Book by the hour
Blank canvas room	A customizable room creators can dress themselves	Custom concepts, brand shoots	Book by the hour
AJ’s Pizzeria	Counter-service, Chicago-style tavern pizza, wings, chopped salads	Quick bite, families, crews on a shoot	Walk in, pickup, or delivery
Big Shots	Upstairs western-themed bar with line dancing and a mechanical bull	Nights out, groups, game days	Walk in
High Horse	Katsuji Tanabe’s flagship live-fire restaurant	Date night, celebrations, client dinners	Reservations via OpenTable
Theater and event space	Venue for shows plus rentable space for birthdays and corporate events	Private parties, team events, comedy and live shows	Event booking and ticketed shows

Pricing and offerings current as of November 2026. Refresh before reshare.

The Building: From Indoor Karting to an Indoor Town

Longtime North Fulton residents will remember 11000 Alpharetta Highway as the home of Andretti Indoor Karting and Games. You42 now occupies one half of that facility, roughly 36,000 square feet, which the AJC compared to the footprint of a Best Buy. The back half of the building is home to A5 Volleyball’s youth sportsplex, so on any given weekend you may see volleyball families and content creators sharing the parking lot.

The streetscape concept: Rather than a row of identical studio bays, You42 built its sets as storefronts lining an interior “street,” complete with lighting that mimics a city block. Each studio room has a wide window, so visitors walking by can watch filming in progress. That design choice turns production into part of the entertainment, and it is a big reason the building works as both a studio and a destination.

Room to grow: The studio launched with more than a dozen rentable rooms, and the AJC reported that additional empty rooms will be built out based on what creators ask for. Expect the lineup of sets to keep changing.

Visitor basics: The Roswell Convention and Visitors Bureau lists You42 Studios as accessible, family friendly, and offering on-site parking. Rental listings also note a convenient load-in area, which matters if you are hauling lights and camera gear.

The Sets: A Street Full of Ready-Made Scenes

The real draw for creators is that the set is already built. You walk in, plug in, and shoot. Here is what is on the street as of this writing.

Oval Office: A presidential office set for political satire, sketch comedy, mock press conferences, and any concept that needs instant authority.

Courtroom: Popular with legal professionals, and a natural fit for attorneys filming marketing content. The AJC photographed a personal injury attorney filming in this set during the studio’s opening month. It also works for courtroom drama shorts and reality-style content.

Jail cell: A compact, cinematic set built for tight, intense scenes. The Peerspace listing describes it at 196 square feet with room for up to 8 people.

Corner store: Styled after a New York bodega, a favorite format for street-style comedy and micro-dramas.

Coffee shop: A warm café set built to feel like a neighborhood coffee spot, suited to interview content, lifestyle brands, and dialogue scenes. Booking listings allow up to 15 people on location.

Kitchen studio: A staged culinary set, listed at about 14 by 14 feet, built for cooking content, food photography, and product demos. Restaurant owners, caterers, and food creators in Roswell should take note.

News desk: A broadcast-style anchor desk for news parody, business updates, community announcements, and explainer content.

Green screen studio: Listed at about 190 square feet for creators who need full control over the background.

Podcast and talk-show rooms: Built for the interview format that dominates YouTube and Spotify right now. If you have been recording your business podcast in a conference room with bad acoustics, this is the upgrade.

Blank canvas room: A room creators can dress however they like, for concepts that do not fit any of the themed sets.

Booking listings also mention equipment available for rent on site and access to adjacent studios and lounge areas, which helps when a shoot needs more than one look in a single session.

Pricing and Booking

You42 rents its themed spaces by the hour, which keeps the barrier to entry low for creators and small businesses alike.

Hourly rate: The AJC reported themed spaces at $70 per hour. Third-party booking listings on Peerspace show individual sets, such as the jail cell, at $75 per hour with a one-hour minimum. Rates may vary by set, platform, and date, so confirm current pricing when you book.

Minimums: Listings show a one-hour minimum, which makes it realistic to book a single set for one focused piece of content rather than committing to a full production day.

Where to book: You42 sets appear on Peerspace and Giggster, and booking information is also available through You42 Studios directly. Listings report response times within a few hours to 24 hours, plus a free cancellation window on some platforms.

For context: Peerspace data puts the average film studio rental in Roswell at about $35 per hour. You42 sits above that average, and what the premium buys is a fully built, themed environment instead of an empty room with a backdrop. For anyone who would otherwise spend money and time sourcing props, furniture, and set dressing, the math tends to favor a ready-made scene.

Rates current as of November 2026. Refresh before reshare.

Eat and Drink: Katsuji Tanabe’s Three Concepts

You do not need to be filming anything to have a reason to visit. The food and beverage program at You42 is led by celebrity chef Katsuji Tanabe, a fan favorite from multiple seasons of Bravo’s Top Chef who has also appeared on Chopped and Tournament of Champions. The AJC reported this is his first restaurant venture in metro Atlanta. Tanabe developed the menus for all three concepts, and Atlanta chef Travis Cintron joined as food and beverage director.

AJ’s Pizzeria: The quick-service option, built for people moving through the complex. Expect Chicago-style tavern pizza, wings, and chopped salads served in a retro, arcade-era room with red and white checked tablecloths. AJ’s offers pickup and delivery, which makes it handy for production crews and for nearby offices.

Big Shots: An upstairs western-themed bar of about 2,940 square feet with line dancing, beer, live music energy, and a mechanical bull. The menu leans into game-day food: chicken wings, fried chicken, pizza, and loaded fries. This is where the building comes alive at night.

High Horse: The flagship. High Horse is Tanabe’s live-fire restaurant, with a menu drawing on his Japanese and Mexican heritage. The AJC described a dark, moody room with green leather booths, brass shelving, and dark wood, plus theatrical cocktails. Menu highlights reported at launch included seafood towers, steaks, a tableside spinach salad, grilled oysters with Japanese butter, foie gras crème brûlée, and a make-your-own cotton candy dessert. High Horse is now open and takes reservations through OpenTable.

For Roswell diners, the pairing is the fun part. You can book a client dinner at High Horse, then walk the studio street afterward and watch a podcast being recorded through the window.

Events and Entertainment

You42 is programming the building as a live venue, not only a rental facility.

Ribbon cutting: The studio celebrated its official ribbon cutting on June 4, 2026, an event listed on the Roswell CVB calendar as free and open to the public.

Shows and nightlife: Reported programming has included line dancing and live music at Big Shots, improv and comedy shows, reality TV watch parties, and an interactive Dungeons and Dragons live show staged in the theater.

College Football Saturdays: This fall, You42 has been running College Football Saturdays, inviting fans to wear their team’s colors and bring the family for game day. Ticketing is handled through Ticket Tailor.

Private events: The theater and event space can be rented for birthdays and corporate events, which gives Roswell businesses an unusual option for team outings, client appreciation nights, or product launches with a built-in content angle.

Event listings change often. Check You42’s current calendar before planning a visit.

The Creator Residency and the You42 Platform

The longer-term story at You42 is about developing local talent.

Creator residency: The AJC reported that You42 plans to launch a creator residency offering professional studio access and mentorship to an emerging Atlanta creator, who will serve as the face of the studio. For Roswell and North Fulton creators building an audience, this is worth watching closely.

The platform: The studio feeds the You42 platform, where creators can publish podcasts, music, and video and keep 100% of the revenue they earn. The AJC noted that names on the platform include Killer Mike, photographer Cam Kirk, and Tanabe himself.

Why it matters for Roswell: Georgia built a national reputation on large film and television stages. You42 represents the next layer of that industry: smaller, hourly, creator-scale infrastructure designed for how audiences actually watch content today. Having that infrastructure on Alpharetta Highway puts professional production within a short drive for thousands of North Fulton business owners and creators.

How to Make the Most of You42 Studios

Different visitors will get different things out of the building. Here is how to approach it.

If you own a local business: Pick one set that matches your brand story and plan a tight one or two-hour session. A law firm in the courtroom, a restaurant in the kitchen studio, a financial advisor at the news desk, or a retailer in the corner store. Script three or four short videos in advance, and you can leave with a month of social content from a single booking.

If you are a podcaster or creator: Use the talk-show and podcast rooms for your core format, then book a themed set for a special episode or a sketch. The window-facing design means foot traffic can become an audience, so plan content that plays well to a live crowd.

If you are planning a night out: Make a reservation at High Horse, then head upstairs to Big Shots for line dancing. Check the calendar first in case a comedy show or watch party is on.

If you are bringing the family: AJ’s Pizzeria and a game-day Saturday are the easy entry point. Kids tend to love walking the indoor street and peeking into the sets.

If you are planning a corporate event: Ask about the theater and event space, and consider pairing the event with a group booking of a themed set so your team leaves with photos and video.

Planning Your Visit

Address: You42 Studios, 11000 Alpharetta Hwy, Unit A, Roswell, GA 30076

Getting there: On Alpharetta Highway in the former Andretti Indoor Karting and Games building, with the A5 Volleyball sportsplex in the back half of the building.

Parking: On-site parking is available, per the Roswell CVB listing.

Accessibility: Listed by the Roswell CVB as accessible and family friendly.

Hours: Hours vary by venue and by event. Check You42 Studios directly before you go.

Dining reservations: High Horse takes reservations on OpenTable. AJ’s and Big Shots are walk-in.

Studio bookings: Through You42 Studios or listings on Peerspace and Giggster.

Planning a downtown stop the same day? Use the Roswell Downtown Parking Wizard to find the best free parking near Canton Street, and keep the Survive Alive App handy for Alive in Roswell nights. If your plans include a day on the river, the Roswell River Hub has live Chattahoochee conditions.

Final Thoughts

You42 Studios gives Roswell something it did not have before: a single building where you can film a professional ad at lunch, eat a celebrity chef’s live-fire dinner in the evening, and line dance upstairs after that. For creators, it lowers the cost of looking professional. For local businesses, it turns content production into a short, affordable errand. For everyone else, it is simply one of the most interesting rooms in North Fulton to walk through.

Roswell Pulse will keep an eye on the creator residency, the new sets coming online, and the event calendar as the studio grows into its space.

Own a Roswell business and want to be found by local residents? Register your business in the Roswell Business Directory.

Roswell Pulse: celebrating the people, places, and businesses that make Roswell home.