2020 surprises keep coming!  Opening soon in place of a former Bojangles will be none other than Mrs. Winner's!  The fledgling chicken chain, which once covered metro Atlanta and the south, will open soon in place of the former Bojangles at 8550 Roswell Road in Sandy Springs. [Before Bojangles, the building was home to  La Strada, Derby Food & Spirits  and Locos Grill & Pub, among other eateries.]  The Bojangles, a franchise of the Charlotte-based chicken chain, closed as of January 31, after a little less than five years in business.  

The menu at Mrs. Winner's is what you would expect from a southern fried chicken chain with plenty of chicken options along with biscuits and sides like mac & cheese and potato wedges.  One non-chicken offering for which the chain is perhaps most well known is their cinnamon rolls.  

As of 1984, there were 184 Mrs. Winner's restaurants. By 2007 that number had dropped to 113.  As of the company's 2012 bankruptcy, only 12 units remained in business. 

Today there are fourteen locations open, including six in Georgia.  The Georgia units include those at 2430 McAlpine Terrace in East Point and 4350 Fulton Industrial Boulevard in Southwest Atlanta that reopened in 2016 and 2017, respectively, after closing as Mrs. Winner's restaurants years ago.  

Architectural rendering of what future Mrs. Winner's may look like

The owners of Morelli's Ice Cream have reportedly leased the former Yogli Mogli in Virginia Highland for a new ice cream shop.  The lease would follow a known M.O. of the local operators of taking over former dessert shops.  Atlanta-born Yogli Mogli once had more than a dozen locations across five states but is today down to just five locations in total, four of which are in Georgia.  The Virginia Highland location (1002 North Highland Avenue) of the once popular fro yo shop, situated at the dynamic corner of Virginia and North Highland Avenues, closed quietly earlier this spring.  

In addition to the Moreland ice cream shop, husband and wife owners Donald Sargent and Clarissa Morelli also operate a mini shop within Farm Burger Dunwoody at Georgetown shopping center.  The couple also announced plans earlier this year to open a new stall in the Chattahoochee Food Works at The Works on the Westside.  

Sources tell ToNeTo Atlanta that the new Morelli's should open by the end of the year, potentially as soon as November.  

Are you excited by the prospect of having Morelli's in Virginia Highland?  Did you even realize Yogli Mogli had closed?  What is your favorite [local] ice cream maker?

Please share your thoughts below. 

Popular sandwich chain Jason's deli informed customers Monday that they will be permanently closing their location off Windward Parkway in Alpharetta.  The restaurant, located in The Terraces at Windward shopping center [3070 Windward Plaza], occupies a roughly 4,700 square foot space in the nearly 84,000 square foot development.  Remaining restaurants in the center include Moe's Southwest Grill, Mellow Mushroom, Dickey's Barbecue Pit, Starbucks and J. Christopher's, among others.  

The closure of the Windward Jason's deli is at least the third permanent closure in the Atlanta area for the Beaumont, Texas-based chain.  ToNeTo Atlanta previously reported that the Jason's deli on Medlock Bridge in Johns Creek closed in August followed by the Johnson Ferry Road location in East Cobb in early September.  A Jason's Deli in Cumberland Mall near Smyrna is still marked "temporarily closed" (as is the East Cobb location) but sources tell ToNeTo Atlanta it appears to be closed for good.  

ToNeTo Atlanta reported August 9 that Corner Bakery closed its location on Haynes Bridge Road, about five miles away from the Jason's closure at The Terraces at Windward.  

Are you surprised by the recent closures of Jason's deli in metro Atlanta?  What is your favorite casual sandwich shop?  What would you like to see open in place of Jason's Deli in Alpharetta?

Please share your thoughts below.  

Salsarita's Fresh Mexican Grill has closed its only Atlanta area location.  The restaurant, located at 5215 Windward Parkway in Alpharetta, closed quietly in recent days after about five years in business.  The restaurant, which replaced what was then the first Uncle Maddio's Pizzas to close,  opened in late 2015 and was to be the first of seven in the Atlanta area from franchisee Nick Patel. 

Salsarita's joins a growing list of small-to-medium sized burrito joints that fizzled in their attempts to break into the Atlanta market. [Fuzzy's Taco Shop, a slightly more differentiated concept with tacos, burritos, nachos & more, closed their Windward Parkway location in January.]  Prior closures of quick-serve burrito-centric chains in metro Atlanta include Coralville, Iowa-based Panchero's Mexican Grill, which opened in downtown Atlanta in 2009 and closed less than a year later.  Mojo Burrito, based in Chattanooga, opened a location in Dunwoody in early 2014, but by late 2014 it had closed.  Salt Lake City's Barbacoa fared marginally better, closing in Kennesaw in early 2016 after about fifteen months in business.  By the time Nashville's Blue Coast Burrito entered the Atlanta market in late 2017, the trend was pretty clear, so it was less than shocking when they closed thirteen months later.  

Despite the struggles of other chains in metro Atlanta, Salsarita's franchisee Patel was rather optimistic that the concept was poised to see success in the market.  "It’s always satisfying to get in on the ground floor of a concept that’s sure to grow in coming years, and with Salsarita’s I see a business that’s primed for continued growth.” Patel said ahead of the restaurant's debut in 2015. 

The Alpharetta Salsarita's has been removed from the corporate website, but the chain's former presence in "Atlanta" is still referred to on the site. "And it’s why from Buffalo, NY to Atlanta, GA to Tyler, TX, Salsarita’s is almost always the locals’ choice for 'Best Mexican Food.'"

Did you ever eat at Salsarita's?  What is your favorite quick-serve burrito joint?  What would you like to see open in place of Salsarita's in Alpharetta?

Please share your thoughts below. 

An Athens-based developer is proposing building a new "express car wash" on Clairmont Road not far from Peachtree DeKalb Airport.  The new car wash would open in place of two existing structures, one a vacant gas station and convenience store, the other a nightlife establishment.  Oliver Pryor of TOP Capital, LLC is behind the proposal.  According to his LinkedIn profile, Pryor's current job [TOP Capital], which he's been at since May 2013, is  "Investments, Express Car Washes, Real Estate Development."

The property is already zoned CC (Commercial Corridor District) but the developer is seeking eight (8) variances and one (1) waiver from the City of Chamblee.   

Among the variances being sought are:

1) Variance to not treat each architectural façade facing a street as a primary façade.

2) Variance to allow a service entrance (carwash exit) to be oriented towards a public street.

3)  Variance to not provide a primary pedestrian entrance along Dresden Drive.

4) Variance to not provide a primary pedestrian entrance along Dresden Drive that is directly accessible and visible from the sidewalk of Dresden Drive.

A complete list of all requested variances and the waiver can be found here. 

A Chamblee City Council work session (public hearing) is due to hear the requests October 15, followed by the City Council meeting on October 20.  

There is seemingly a renewed interest in car wash development with several either new or upcoming car wash developments across metro Atlanta.  Caliber Car Wash for instance, in June opened their first Atlanta area facility in Mableton and has three more planned for metro Atlanta in the months to come.  Among the known upcoming locations is one under construction at 2764 Chamblee Tucker Road, adjacent to a former QuikTrip turned McDonald's.  

If the TOP Capital car wash is approved, it would mark the third significant redevelopment in the area following Stein Development's Space Shop Self Storage at 3693 Clairmont Road which opened in 2018, and RaceTrac's new fuel center and convenience store at 3630 Clairmont Road which opened in 2017. 

The new car wash would also open alongside what is likely to be the new home of the DeKalb County tag office.  The Chamblee City Council in July approved [with conditions] plans for the tag office to relocate from 1358 Dresden Drive to 3653 Clairmont Road.  The new site, formerly home of Norman's Electronics, would be transferred to the county in a "land swap" whereby Connolly Development would get the Dresden site to complete their planned "Dresden Village" mixed-use development.  

Are you a local resident in favor of this redevelopment?  If not, what would you like to see built on these parcels?  What other types of businesses would you like to see open in the area?

Please share your thoughts below.  

It appears that the Tavern at Phipps will not be reopening at Phipps Plaza in Buckhead.  The restaurant, a mainstay at the posh Buckhead mall for nearly 30 years, closed as of March 23 due the COVID-19 pandemic.  Despite sibling Atlanta area CentraArchy restaurants Joey D's Oak Room and New York Prime reopening, the Tavern has remain closed, with their patio furniture now in use by their steakhouse sibling.  Sources close to the restaurant and others in the restaurant community tell ToNeTo Atlanta that a lease dispute with landlord Simon Property Group (SPG) is what led to the closure. 

If in fact the Tavern does not reopen - a deal with Simon could happen - it would mark the second Atlanta area COVID-related CentraArchy closure following that of California Dreaming in Duluth.  The Tavern would also be one of the first restaurants in metro Atlanta to close during the pandemic and because of the pandemic, rather than having already been struggling and the pandemic merely being the final nail in the coffin.

ToNeTo Atlanta made inquiries with representatives of Phipps Plaza management, none of which were fruitful. [SPG discontinued their contract with an Atlanta-based PR firm earlier this year after more than two decades and in the months since, has been far less responsive/available.]  Multiple employees at CentrArchy who spoke to ToNeTo Atlanta on condition of anonymity indicated the company "currently has no plans to reopen the Tavern."  

SPG, owner of both Phipps Plaza and Lenox Square as well as dozens of other malls around the country, has also (for now) halted development of One Phipps Plaza, a redevelopment of the former Belk at the mall, which was set to add a new Nobu Hotel and restaurant, Life Time Athletic, Pinstripes, office building and more to the mall property.  

The pandemic has caused many Buckhead area workplaces to remain closed.  The lack of office workers has caused a steep decline in foot traffic, especially at lunch, with Tavern just one of several restaurants that has remained closed.  Grand Lux Cafe, a sibling eatery of The Cheesecake Factory, as well as Davio's, a Boston-based Italian steakhouse, both remain closed, but sources close to each indicate there are plans to reopen.  

Davio's has in recent months shuttered locations in Irvine, California and New York City, but owner Steve DiFillippo reportedly has a good relationship with Simon Property Group CEO David Simon and has plans to reopen at Phipps Plaza in October, according to a source familiar with the restaurateur's plans.  Grand Lux, which opened at Phipps in August 2018, also reportedly has plans to reopen.  Herbert Simon is the Chairman Emeritus of the board at Simon Property Group, Inc., but also sits on the board of The Cheesecake Factory.  It is believed that these relationships may be providing greater flexibility for the aforementioned restaurants than for local concepts like Tavern.  

That said, it's worth mentioning that Agency Socialthèque has reopened at the mall, and a third location of popular Atlanta bakery cafe Alon's is under construction, too. The Peachtree facing space adjacent to Agency that housed Genuine Pizza until their January 2019 closure remains vacant.  

Are you surprised to hear about the closure of The Tavern at Phipps?  What is your favorite Buckhead area restaurant?  If The Tavern does not reopen at Phipps Plaza, what would you like to see open in its place?

Please share your thoughts below.  

A new location of Miller's Ale House is planned for Kennesaw.  According to newly filed permits with Cobb County, the new restaurant will open in place of the former California Dreaming at 745 Chastain Road. California Dreaming, part of Charleston, South Carolina-based CentraArchy Restaurants, closed its Kennesaw outpost last May after about twelve years in business. (The group also closed their Duluth location earlier this year.)

Jack & Claire Miller opened the first Miller's Ale House in Jupiter, Florida in 1988.  The chain, which in 2013 was purchased by Atlanta-based private equity firm Roark Capital Group, now has 98 "local joints" in 10 states, according to its website.  More than half of their current restaurants - 55 to be exact - are located in Florida.  

The menu at Miller's is continental American with sports bar influences.  The restaurant is known for their Zingers, "fresh, never frozen, buttermilk-drenched, hand-breaded, boneless chicken tenders," offered, like their wings, with a variety of sauces.  Other menu offerings include assorted salads and burgers as well as things like fettuccine alfredo, barbecued baby back ribs, lobster tails, salmon and filet mignon, among other options.        

Miller's Ale House will likely most directly compete with Atlanta concepts Marlow's Tavern and Taco Mac, both of which have existing locations in the area.  Marlow's, in fact, is located at the same 745 Chastain address, but at the opposite end of the small strip center.   

Today based in Orlando, Florida, Miller's Ale House currently has two Georgia locations: one in Alpharetta, the other in McDonough. According to the company's website, they are "continuing to grow, opening 8-10 new restaurants per year."  ToNeTo Atlanta reported this past October that a new Miller's Ale House is planned for an outparcel of Peachtree Parkway Plaza in Peachtree Corners. Real estate sources tell ToNeTo Atlanta that the chain is actively scouting the Atlanta area for several additional locations.        

Have you ever been to Miller's Ale House? Are you looking forward to opening of Miller's Ale House in Kennesaw?  Where would you like to see Miller's Ale House open next?

Please share your thoughts below. 

Popular local burger joint Farm Burger has closed their Peachtree Corners location.  The restaurant, which by all accounts had one of the best locations within the new Peachtree Corners Town Center project, opened March 26, 2019. and closed as of September 30, according to a post to the restaurant's facebook page.  Located at 5170 Town Center Boulevard, the restaurant occupied a freestanding building adjacent to the project's Town Green.  

The restaurant, like many others in Georgia, closed temporarily as of March 18 due to COVID-19.  The restaurant remained closed until reopening on July 7.  In recent days, the Peachtree Corners Farm Burger, like others in the group, celebrated National Cheeseburger Day on September 13 and ATL Burger Week September 21-27. 

The closure, while sudden and unfortunate, was not a decision that ownership made lightly, according to co-founder George Frangos, who spoke exclusively with ToNeTo Atlanta Friday.  Frangos had hoped that after the restaurant survived its first year with few other restaurants open in the complex to attract crowds, this coming spring and summer would prove more successful.  That may very well have happened had the country not been been beset by a pandemic that has wreaked havoc on many sectors, disproportionately including restaurants.  

Ultimately, for the health of the company as a whole, Frangos and his team were forced to close Peachtree Corners much like fellow local brand Southern Proper Hospitality Group and Fork U Concepts were forced to close some of their under-performing units.  

Farm Burger still has four standard locations in metro Atlanta - Decatur, Dunwoody, Buckhead and Grant Park - as well as a fifth at Mercedes-Benz Stadium that is open during game days and select events. A sixth metro outpost at Whole Foods Midtown is "closed until further notice," with Frangos telling ToNeTo Atlanta that the restaurant will reopen when Midtown office workers start to return to work.  

Overall, Farm Burger operates eleven locations in Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and North Carolina. The Peachtree Corners restaurant's closure marks the first in Georgia for the burger brand, but the company has closed a few locations over the years.  Farm Burger previously made the decision to pull out of California - where they had outposts in Marin County and Berkeley -  as well as shuttering their Birmingham, Alabama outpost.  

Are you surprised to see Farm Burger in Peachtree Corners close?  What is your favorite local burger joint?  What would you like to see open in place of Farm Burger in Peachtree Corners?

Please share your thoughts below.  

Office Depot will soon close their store at Toco Hills in Atlanta.  The store, which co-anchors Toco Hills shopping center, has been open about fifteen years and is due to close as of November 14.  The 20,500 square foot store occupies a onetime A&P supermarket in the bustling intown shopping center.  The store is currently offering all in-stock merchandise for 10 to 40 percent off.  

It's unclear what plans, if any, Toco Hills shopping center owner Edens has for the soon to be vacant Office Depot space.  That said, there is not a huge list of retailers that are in expansion mode and could take most or all of the Office Depot space.  

To be clear, yes, it would be nice if Trader Joe's decided that they wanted another Atlanta area store and it would be even nicer if they chose this space, but they would be the third grocer in the center(s) and they have shown no indication that they are actively looking in the area.  (We say center(s) as there are actually three separate centers with two different owners that comprise Toco Hills/Toco Hill shopping center.)  Sources tell us, however, that the grocer is again (or was pre-COVID-19), looking to add at least one and maybe two new stores in certain target markets in metro Atlanta.  

UPDATE: 10/5  - Office Depot is also closing its store at 1580 Holcomb Bridge Road in Roswell Market Center in Roswell.  Here, the 17,000 square foot store co-anchors the Home Depot shadow anchored shopping center.    

What would you like to see open in place of Office Depot at Toco Hills?  What is your favorite retailer or restaurant in Toco Hills?  Are you surprised that Office Depot is closing at Toco Hills?

Please share your thoughts below. 

Iron Age Korean Steak House  plans to open their highly anticipated new location at Toco Hills later this month.  The 4,900 square foot restaurant, which ToNeTo Atlanta first reported was coming last July, was originally slated to open over the summer.  Like so many things, the restaurant's opening was delayed by several  factors not the least of which was COVID-19.  The restaurant, which replaced longstanding Toco Hills mainstay Famous Pub, is now due to open October 19.  (Hudson Grille was to open but later abandoned their plans to open in space before Iron Age.) 

The new Toco Hills outpost joins existing metro Atlanta locations of the Korean barbecue eatery including those in Duluth, Sandy Springs and Kennesaw.  This past June the company also quietly opened a new location in Buford near the Mall of Georgia.  The locally owned eatery also plans to open a new location at Halycon in Alpharetta.  Outside of Georgia, Iron Age has three locations in Maryland in Centreville, Rockville, and Baltimore and one in Annandale, Virginia.   

In Toco Hlls, Iron Age joins BurgerIM and Yumbii as new dining options in the center.  

Have you ever been to an Iron Age Korean Steak House?  Are you excited for the opening of Iron Age at Toco Hills?  When was the last time you dined in at a restaurant?

Please share your thoughts below.  

About twenty months after we first we reported they were entering the market, and about a year after breaking ground, Texas-based Buc-ee's is getting ready to open their first mega store in the state.   The new 53,000 square foot Buc-ee's at 7001 Russell Parkway occupies a roughly 20 acre site at the southeast corner of I-75 and Russell Parkway in Warner Robins in Peach County.  A company spokesperson says plans call for the new Buc-ee's to open Wednesday, November 18, a week before the potentially busy Thanksgiving holiday, and more than a month ahead of what was announced in 2019 to be an "early 2021" debut. 

Lake Jackson, Texas-based Buc-ee's was established in 1982, and until their January 2019 opening in Alabama, operated exclusively in Texas.  The Alabama opening, off I-10, between Pensacola and Mobile in Baldwin County, follows the company's current expansion strategy of locating large epic convenience stores and fuel centers just off the highway, between large cites and popular destinations. 

"World domination" is how Texas Monthly described the Buc-ee's expansion effort in a March 2019 cover story which chronicles the beginnings of the company with co-founder Arch "Beaver" Aplin.  

A second Alabama Buc-ee's is nearing completion in Leeds, off of I-20 exit 140, near The Outlet Shops of Grand River, just outside the Birmingham metro area.   In addition, there are Buc-ee's under construction in St. Augustine and Daytona Beach, Florida, and a third still in the planning stage in Fort Myers.  

Buc-ee's has also confirmed plans for a new site off I-40 in Crossville, Tennessee, between Knoxville and Nashville.  The Crossville site could be the first to open in Tennessee and is slated to open in 2023, according to company officials.  

Recently, plans were also uncovered for what could be the first Buc-ee's in North Carolina.  Planned for Efland, a town of about 700, about forty miles northwest of Raleigh, the new 120+ pump Buc-ee's would be part of a 500,000 square foot mixed-use development.  South Carolina is also slated to get a Buc-ee's with the company planning a new location in Anderson, outside Greenville.  

Several other stores are said to be at various stages of development.  

Have you ever been to a Buc-ee's?  Do you plan to visit the new Buc-ee's in Warner Robins?  Where would you like to see Buc-ee's open next?

Please share your thoughts below. 

A new-to-market stir-fry concept has chosen Sandy Springs to make their Atlanta area debut.  A franchise of Whealthy, a concept based in Irvine, California, has leased the former Firehouse Subs in Sandy Springs Plaza at 6277 Roswell Road. The Firehouse Subs franchise closed abruptly this past January.  The nearly 1,300 square foot space is adjacent to Willy's Mexicana Grill, on the north end of the Trader Joe's anchored shopping center. 

If Whealthy sounds familiar, it should.  The premise at Whealthy is strikingly similar to Urban Wok, another new-to-market franchise that ToNeTo Atlanta was first on September 5 to report was also entering the Atlanta market.  The restaurant, coming soon to TOWN Brookhaven, is also about 1,300 square feet and opens where Olive Bistro previously closed.  

There are currently three Whealthy units open in southern California with a fourth coming soon to Tustin, in the greater Los Angeles area in Orange County.  The first Whealthy opened in March 2017 in West Hollywood, followed by the launch of Urban Wok in St. Paul, Minnesota in October 2018.  

Sources close to Whealthy indicate there are plans for three to five more units in the Atlanta market in the coming months/years.  

Are you familiar with Whealthy?  Does the premise of Whealthy sound appealing to you? Where else in metro Atlanta would you like to see Whealthy open? 

Please share your thoughts below. 

Several Atlanta area Pizza Hut restaurants have closed in recent days following the July 1 Chapter 11 bankruptcy of NPC International, one of the company's largest franchisees.  At the time of their filing, NPC operated some 1,200 Pizza Hut locations of which about 40% were the brand's legacy "red roof" [hut] locations.  NPC indicated in August it planned to close as many as 300 "underperforming" units of which most would likely be the company's freestanding "hut" units.

The Pizza Hut website indicates that there are 262 Pizza Hut restaurants in Georgia, making the Peach state the company's fifth largest market by unit count.  Texas is the chain's largest domestic market with 806 units, followed by California with 573, Florida with 473, and Ohio with 301. North Carolina was just behind Georgia with 255.  That said, the unit counts seem to not yet reflect recent closures.  ToNeTo Atlanta's review of the Pizza Hut website reveals that at least a dozen restaurants listed are now, in fact, permanently closed.  

The closures include at least ten "hut" units including those at 241 South Main Street in Alpharetta, 4421 Hugh Howell Road in Tucker and 1525 Buford Highway in Buford, among others.  All three of the aforementioned closures included the WingStreet restaurants that operated within the Pizza Hut restaurants.  

The Alpharetta closure comes on the heels of other recent quick-serve closures in the area including both Hardee's and Burger King, which closed this summer.  We are unaware of any interest/activity yet in either of the former burger buildings but it's worth mentioning that KFC, like Pizza Hut, a fellow Yum! Brands concept, previously closed its South Main Street location and it reopened in late 2013 as Salt Factory Pub, a popular gastropub from local operators F&H Food Trading Group.  

Metro Atlanta (and the country) is already littered with  dozens of UTBAPH (Used To Be A Pizza Hut) locations.  Notable UTBAPHs in metro Atlanta include DAS BBQ on Collier Road in Atlanta and Chipotle Mexican Grill on Henderson Mill Road in Tucker.  

In Georgia, this latest round of closures include the following newly minted UTBAPHs:

670 Atlanta Road in Cumming (Hut)

1480 Terrell Mill Road in Marietta (inline)

1100 Johnson Ferry Road in Woodlawn Square in East Cobb (inline)

3031 Washington Road in Augusta (Hut)

204 North Virginia Avenue in Tifton (Hut)

2108 E Oglethorpe Boulevard in Albany (Hut) 

3803 Washington Road in Martinez (Hut)

1008 E Robert Toombs Avenue in Washington (Hut) 

1783 Washington Road in Thomson (Hut) 

What is your favorite quick-serve pizza place?  Are you surprised to see so many Pizza Hut restaurants close?  What would you like to see open in place of the new UTBAPH units in metro Atlanta?

Please share your thoughts below  

A new location of Crumbl Cookies is coming to metro Atlanta.  The new Crumbl, headed for Lawrenceville, will open in the Home Depot-anchored Lawrenceville Market shopping center near the intersection of Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road and Duluth Highway. The new 1,600 square foot cookie shop opens in place of what was most recently a MetroPCS Authorized Dealer location between MyEyeDr. and Scrubs & Beyond.  The Lawrenceville Crumbl Cookies will be the fourth in metro Atlanta for the Utah-based chain.

The company was started by cousins and business partners Jason McGowan and Sawyer Hemsley in Logan, Utah in 2017.  The owners of Crumbl began franchising in 2018.  The chain has experienced what some might consider meteoric growth, with 73 locations as of our March report on their entry into the market.  The Crumbl Cookies website now suggests that there are 114 units open in 23 states, up from 11 states in March.

Crumbl's offerings are very simple, with just a few cookie and ice cream options.  

"Each week, our menu rotates to give you 4 different specialty flavors to taste and enjoy. Don’t worry, our famous milk chocolate chip and chilled sugar cookie are always available."

Current cookie options from the rotating menu include Pumpkin Cake and Chilled Twix while current ice cream (Crumbl Cream) flavors include Biscoff, churro and raspberry cheesecake.     

Crumbl makes the mistake? of listing nutrition facts on their website.  Each cookie is TWO SERVINGS!  If you can get past that and have saved up all your "treat" points, their cookies are some of the most caloric, sugar-filled desserts money can buy.  A single "Chocolate Cake" cookie (two servings and pictured above) clocks in at 1,020 calories with 50 grams of fat, 30 grams of saturated fat, 164 grams of cholesterol, 360 grams of sodium, 134 grams of carbohydrates, 90 grams of sugar , and 4 grams of fiber and 12 grams of protein! 

By comparison, a LARGE (20 ounce) Chick-fil-A chocolate milkshake is only 610 calories with 22 grams of fat, 14 grams saturated fat, 90 grams cholesterol, 370 grams sodium, 92 grams carbohydrates, and 88 grams sugar with 1 gram fiber and 12 grams protein.   

The Crumbl Cream nutrition facts are seemingly still a work in progress as each lists hundreds of calories but all zeroes when it comes to fat, sugar, cholesterol, etc. 

Have you been to Crumbl Cookies?  What is your favorite local or chain cookie shop?  What is your guilty pleasure dessert?

Please share your thoughts below. 

After receiving inquiries from readers and witnessing ourselves the clearcutting of a large lot (2661 Briarcliff Road) behind the North Druid Hills Target store, we made it a point to investigate what was happening.  We are (dis)pleased to be able to share that the neighborhood has lost hundreds of mature trees for the development of yet another self-storage facility!  

ToNeTo Atlanta reported this past December that Related Group, a Miami-based residential developer, is proposing a roughly seven acre mixed-use development in place of Briarcliff Station, Tin Roof Cantina and other adjacent parcels.  The property, also owned by Scarlett & Associates, was targeted by Related for both annexation into the City of Brookhaven and rezoning by the city.  DeKalb County was not pleased with the request or the reported goal of receiving tax breaks from the city to complete the project, but has thus far been unable to prevent the process from moving forward.  The Brookhaven city Planning Commission recommended approval of the annexation and rezoning request on October 7 with some conditions regarding improving the streetscape around the development.  The City Council is set to vote on it October 27.  

A total of 27 acres of commercial property in the area sought annexation into the City of Brookhaven, but the Extra Space property, although contiguous with others involved, was not included in the annexation request.  

Salt Lake City-based Extra Space Storage already operates thousands of of storage units across its nearly 100 facilities in Georgia.   According to its website, "the Company's properties comprise approximately 1,010,000 units and over 585M square feet of rentable storage space."  

Extra Space (NYSE: EXR), a REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust), was added to the S&P 500 in 2016 and currently trades at about $113 per share with a market capitalization of just over $14.6 billion.  The company, which owns and/or operates over 1,850 self-storage properties in 43 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico,  is currently the second largest storage unit operator in the United States.  Public Storage, the nation's leader, owns/or operates more than 2,500 self-storage properties.  

Consumer use of self storage facilities is said to be driven by the "Four D's:" dislocation (i.e., moving house), downsizing, divorce, or death.  Real estate sources and even those involved in the development of storage facilities have told ToNeTo Atlanta in recent months that demand is "softening" in metro Atlanta and that fewer new projects will be built in the near term.  This article from April indicates that the entire industry is experiencing increased unused space and decreases in monthly rental rates.   

With luck, this new facility will be one of the last new locations to open by any company for a long time.  

What are your thoughts on the use of this land for a self-storage facility?  Do you currently rent a storage unit?  Do you think Brookhaven should annex the 27 acres into the city?

Please share your thoughts below. 

Ruby Tuesday filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last week and has announced plans to "reject" 185 leases which include both restaurants that have already closed as well as others it plans to shutter.  According to published reports, prior to the pandemic, the Maryville, Tennessee company had 236 restaurants in 25 states.  

Despite the closures, the Ruby Tuesday website indicates that the company plans to continue to operate more than a dozen restaurants in Georgia including those in Lithonia, College Park, East Point, Lithia Springs and Marietta on Delk Road, among others. 

Ruby Tuesday was founded in Knoxville, Tennessee in 1970 and once had dozens of locations around Georgia, including many in metro Atlanta.  For decades, Ruby Tuesday was a mall mainstay and was found in nearly all metro Atlanta malls built in the 70s, 80s and 90s. Northlake Mall, Gwinnett Place Mall, Town Center at Cobb and Mall of Georgia all had Ruby Tuesday restaurants within, and the casual dining chain also previously operated a restaurant just outside Lenox Square near the intersection of Lenox and East Paces Ferry Roads.  

At its height in 2007, there were about 1,000 Ruby Tuesday restaurants nationwide.  Today, there are less than 250. 

Were you ever a Ruby Tuesday patron?  Why do you think Ruby Tuesday has struggled so mightily to stay relevant?  What is your favorite casual dining restaurant?

Please share your thoughts below.  

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, dozens of restaurants have closed in metro Atlanta.  Although sad, this unfortunate situation has created unique opportunities for budding restaurateurs.  This past weekend, ToNeTo Atlanta took note of at least three restaurant spaces that became available as a result of the pandemic, and all three are already occupied by new restaurants.  The three restaurants we noticed are in Alpharetta, Brookhaven and Buckhead.

Vertigo Cafe is located at 11770 Haynes Bridge Road in the Urban Hardware-anchored Alpharetta Crossing shopping center.  

In Brookaven, Rapz wraps & smoothie bar will soon open in place of Sugar Shack, which closed in March.  Sugar Shack, once one of three Metrotainment Cafes concepts in the center, was the most recent to close, following the closures of Hudson Grill earlier this year, and Hudson FC last fall.  The new eatery is being opened by actor, producer, recording artist, and budding restaurateur Ray "Ray Jr." Winegarner.  The East Cleveland, Ohio native has been promoting the restaurant on both his personal Instagram as well as the restaurant's recently launched Instagram, but little is known about the concept itself.  There seems to be no active website and all that can be gleaned from the materials thus far is that the eatery will feature a combination of salads, wraps, juices and smoothies.  The restaurant is reportedly on track to open before the end of the month.  

Rapz is located at 4058 Peachtree Road in the Brookhaven Station shopping center 

In Buckhead, Azul'e restaurant & lounge plans to open by the end of the month in the former Nancy's Pizza in the Marshalls/Ross/HomeGoods-anchored Buckhead Crossing shopping center.  The popular Chicago-style pizzeria officially closed in September after about two and a half years in business.  Azul'e, which currently has a near non-existent online presence, will reportedly feature a Caribbean influenced menu with several rice dishes and their signature Jerk chicken.  Like fellow Buckhead Crossing newcomer Pasha Mediterranean, Azul'e will be a "lounge" and restaurant with sources telling ToNeTo Atlanta that also like Pasha, Azul'e will feature both food and hookah.  One key addition the owners of Azul'e have made to the 4,500 square foot restaurant space is a large patio in front of the restaurant.  This amenity is likely to serve two purposes, as it 1) is more desirable during COVID-19 and 2) allows for more air circulation.  Azul'e is reportedly targeting a pre-Halloween opening.  

A few months after debuting their new compact "GO" format in Sandy Springs, Buffalo Wild Wings plans to bring the new quick-serve concept to Emory Village.  Newly released planning documents indicate that the new Buffalo Wild Wings GO will open in place of Romeo's Pizza which recently closed at 1401 Oxford Road across the street from the Emory University campus.  At 1,952 square feet, the new location will be slightly larger than the Sandy Springs outpost, but will likely still be about the same in features and offerings.    

The new location at Emory Village will be situated between Chase Bank and Chipotle Mexican Grill. The Chase Bank, which late last year opened in place of Keba Sandwiches, which itself replaced Yogi Mogi, remains "temporarily closed."    

Buffalo Wild Wings joins a growing number of casual-dining brands creating mini off-premise and quick-serve versions of their full-service concepts.  Atlanta-based Hooters brought its Hoot's Righteous Wings (Hoots Wings?) quick-serve concept to metro Atlanta last year.  The concept, first tested in Cicero, a suburb of Chicago, was tweaked and brought to Atlanta first at Madison Yards in Reynoldstown, later to North Decatur Station near Decatur, and most recently to Peachtree Corners Town Center in Peachtree Corners.    

The menu at Buffalo Wild Wings GO features top-selling items from the restaurant's full service restaurant such as traditional and boneless wings, tenders, sides and all 23 Buffalo Wild Wings sauces and dry rubs, but also will offer select new items as well. The casual-dining units’ buy-one-get-one Traditional Tuesdays and Boneless Thursdays will be offered in the fast-casual restaurant as well.        

In many ways, GO is reminiscent of Wingstop, a quick-serve wing restaurant that Buffalo Wild Wings' backer, Roark Capital Group, previously owned.   A few years ago, Wingstop had a location at Toco Hills, but it burned down and was most recently proposed to be rebuilt as a drive-thru Jamba/Auntie Anne's combo location. (Jamba and Auntie Anne's are both part of FOCUS Brands, an affiliate of Roark Capital Group.) 

Buffalo Wild Wings has more than 1,250 locations worldwide.  Inspire Brands, an affiliate of Atlanta-based Roark Capital Group, also owns Arby’s, Jimmy John’s, Rusty Taco, and Sonic Drive-In.

The new Buffalo Wild Wings GO in Emory Village will likely open in early 2021.  

Are you excited for the opening of Buffalo Wild Wings GO at Emory Village?  What is your favorite place for wings in Atlanta?  What other types of restaurants or businesses would you like to see open in Emory Village?

Please share your thoughts below.  

Popular Mediterranean restaurant Cafe Agora will soon expand its presence in Midtown by taking over the space adjacent to their existing restaurant.  Currently located at 92 Peachtree Place, the eatery will in the coming months expand to 90 Peachtree Place, too, basically doubling the size of the restaurant.  The expansion into the adjacent space was made possible by the recent closure of Arden's Garden, which reportedly opted not to renew their lease.  Arden's Garden still has seventeen other locations in Georgia, including one on Monroe Drive in Midtown, another on Euclid Avenue in Little 5 Points, and on Roswell Road in Buckhead, among others.  

Cafe Agora Midtown opened in early 2012, the second location for the popular Buckhead eatery.  The Buckhead restaurant, which first opened in 2005 at 262 East Paces Ferry Road, relocated in 2013 to a much larger freestanding building at  318 East Paces Ferry Road.  

Are you pleased to see Cafe Agora expanding in Midtown?  What is your favorite Mediterranean dish?  Who do you think makes the best falafel in metro Atlanta?

Please share your thoughts below. 

Nate Hybl plans to bring his quick-serve restaurant gusto! to East Cobb in 2021.  The new restaurant will open in an outparcel of the Kroger anchored Parkaire Landing shopping center at the corner of Lower Roswell and Johnson Ferry Roads.  Gusto will open in place of Moe's Southwest Grill (688 Johnson Ferry Road) which itself occupied a onetime KFC.  Cobb County property records indicate the KFC building was originally constructed in 1987 and is about 2,700 square feet.  

Plans call for significant modifications/improvements to the facade of the building and its drive-thru.  Although the new location has not been officially confirmed [an 8th gusto! has been hinted at by Hybl in several social media postings], "Gusto East Cobb, LLC" was registered with the Georgia Secretary of State's office August 27 and real estate sources indicate the deal is done.    

Gusto features a menu of assorted bowls, salads and wraps, each served with your choice of protein and finished with your  favorite "gusto" or flavor (sauce).  Each entrée also comes with a side portion of the restaurant's popular housemade sweet potato chips.  

The small chain, which Hybl started in 2014, has grown from its first outpost on Peachtree Road in south Buckhead to include five additional locations including one with a drive-thru.  In addition to the original, other current Gusto restaurants include those on Ponce de Leon Avenue near Ponce City Market, North Decatur Road at North Decatur Square, 17th Street and Northside Drive in West Midtown Center, the company's first drive-thru unit on Peachtree Boulevard in Chamblee, just south of the Whole Foods Market-anchored Peachtree Station shopping center, and the newest on Roswell Road near Chastain Park.  A seventh location is expected to open November 5 at Avalon in Alpharetta.   

 If all goes well, the new gusto! should open during the first half of 2021.    

Are you a fan of gusto!?  What is your favorite casual healthy eatery? Where would you like to see gusto! open next?  

Please share your thoughts below.