Tomorrow's News Today

A number of businesses are planned for Decatur property

Youngstown, Ohio-based Redstone Investments reportedly has agreements with a number of businesses to open in their redeveloped 315 West Ponce de Leon Avenue property.

Atlanta-based Highland Bakery is likely the most exciting of the planned openings. While I worry the "group's" (I'd hate to call them a chain) expansion will water down their brand, Highland Bakery will add a nice, casual breakfast option to the area. Started on Highland Avenue in the Old Fourth Ward, Highland Bakery today has locations in midtown and Buckhead as well as on the campuses of Georgia Tech and Emory University. Highland Bakery's Decatur location will be just over 3,000 square feet and is slated to open later this summer.

Slightly less exciting an opening is Taziki's Mediterranean Cafe. Birmingham, Alabama-based Taziki's was started in 1998 by Amy & Keith Richards. The chain grew slowly at first, but having witnessed the success of cross-town rival Zoës Kitchen, Taziki's started franchising in 2012. A location in Sandy Springs was their first in the peach state. Other locations followed in Athens and Alpharetta with another coming soon to Suwanee. Taziki's in Decatur will be 3,000 square feet and is expected to open early this summer. Personally, I'm as much a fan of Taziki's as I was of Pita Pit, and we all saw how that ended.

Nashville, Tennessee-based I Love Juice Bar plans to renovate the former Wells Fargo drive-thru ATM into a drive-thru juice bar. As I mentioned last week, local franchisee Cara Weaver is opening a new I Love Juice Bar at Toco Hills. The Decatur location, which I learned of in preparing the Toco Hills post, is scheduled to come before the Decatur Planning Commission next month. My friends at Decatur Metro have an in-depth story detailing the plans and its parking / logistical implications. Essentially, the plans are to reduce the drive-thru lanes from four to one and "offer customers convenient access by foot, by bike and by car."

Lastly, in an opening I'd equate to be almost as ubiquitous as a new Mattress Firm, Orangetheory Fitness will open an approximately 3,500 square foot space in the complex. Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based Orangetheory Fitness entered metro Atlanta a couple of years ago and has been steadily spreading throughout the state. The franchise fitness studio currently operates thirteen Atlanta area locations with another seven listed as "coming soon" (exclusive of the Decatur location.)

What are your thoughts on these planned additions to Decatur? Who are you most excited about opening? Do think Highland Bakery will become the next Flying Biscuit Cafe or will Decatur mark the end of their expansion?

Please share your thoughts below.

Actor and Musician Clifford "T.I." Harris unveiled his latest endeavor, Scales 925 Fine Food & Spirits, at a ribbon cutting last week. The full service "upscale southern" restaurant is located downtown at 30 Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard in the former FAB (French American Brasserie). Attending the opening event last week, Mayor Reed said of T.I.’s Scales 925, it will be “One of the best restaurants in the city.” Chef Ashley of Chef Ashley Inc. is the restaurant's "head chef." Scales 925 will reportedly open to the public April 14th.

New York-based Exhale is bringing a new studio to Inman Quarter. Exhale opened its first location in Atlanta at the Loews Midtown in 2010. A second location opened this past fall at Avalon in Alpharetta. The new roughly 2,300 square foot studio at Inman Quarter is slated to open later this fall and will be joined by such restaurants as MF Sushi and Bartaco. Inman Quarter is located at 280 Elizabeth Street in Inman Park and will also have hundreds of one and two bedroom apartments.

The Guess store at Lenox Square will soon relocate, providing more space for the casual retailer. Guess is currently located in a 4,433 square foot space on the main mall level, sandwiched between BCBG Maxazria and Gap. The new Guess store will be 5,762 square feet and will replace the former C.Wonder, adjacent to the new Topshop, and near Bloomingdale's, also on the mall's main level.

Champs Sports is now open in their new and enlarged space on the lower level of Lenox Square, just outside Bloomingdale's.

Jimmy Johns has opened its new location on Howell Mill Road on the westside. The new sandwich shop is situated in a newly built, freestanding building across from Chattahoochee Avenue.

Charlotte, North Carolina's Old Hickory House on North Tryon Street is slated to permanently close Saturday, April 4th. Following last year's closure of Old Hickory House in Dunwoody, the Tucker unit is the location I'm aware that still exists of the once many unit chain.

The long awaited new eatery from chef Guy Wong, Le Fat, opened Tuesday at the 935 apartments on Marietta Street. The full service Vietnamese restaurant replaces the short-lived Yum Bunz eatery.

Another Walmart Neighborhood Market is quietly coming to Savannah. Like the upcoming location in Athens, the new Savannah location is being planned simply as "Grocery Store" but is in fact a Walmart Neighborhood Market. The approximately 42,000 square foot grocery store and accompanying fuel center are planned for Abercorn Street near Wilshire Boulevard. Chattanooga, Tennessee-based Polestar Development, the developer of the Athens "Grocery Store," is also developing the Savannah site.

The owners of Doraville's Shoya Izakaya plan to a open sister concept, Jinya Izakaya, later this summer in Berkley Heights. The approximately 2600 square foot Japanese restaurant replaces Cardamom Hill, Chef Asha Gomez's Indian eatery which closed this past summer. Little Azio and Rising Roll are neighboring restaurants in the small complex on Northside Drive, just of I-75.

The new TUMI store on the upper level of Perimeter Mall in Dunwoody is slated to open tomorrow, Thursday April 2nd. TUMI opened a store on the second level of Lenox Square 2013 and also has a store at Phipps Plaza in partnership with Mori Luggage & Gifts.

Atlanta's first, and likely only, Alice + Olivia boutique is also on track to open Thursday April 2nd at Buckhead Atlanta.

HB 535, the "Brunch Bill," is reportedly in danger of not making it to a vote on the senate floor. The bill would allow the sale of alcohol in restaurants on Sundays at 10:30AM rather than the current 12:30PM. With about 4,000 restaurants in Georgia, this bill, if passed, could equate to $100 million in extra revenue. If you're in favor of the earlier serving time, make your voice heard and click this link to send an email to your local senator asking for their support of HB 535.

A significant new shopping center is being planned for Snellville.

Plans call for the project, dubbed "Scenic Promenade," to break ground later this month and open next spring.

According to city records, Scenic Promenade will be 83,375 square feet (the site plan shows the actual square footage to be 88,235), on just under 13 acres (currently mostly trees). The center will provide surface parking for 371 vehicles. Scenic Promenade's developer is listed as Maxie Price. Maxie Price, for those unaware, owns "Maxie Price Chevrolet" on Highway 78 in Loganville. My recollection is that Price once operated a number of dealerships but seems to have reduced his dealerships and diversified into real estate.

Scenic Promenade will be anchored by a Best Buy (relocating from a location nearby), HomeGoods and The Fresh Market. Seven smaller inline shops will also be located in the center.

The shopping center is also slated to have two out-parcel sites, at least one of which seems tailor-made for a drive-thru restaurant. The seemingly restaurant worthy space measures 3,735 square feet while the other out-parcel comes in at 2,100 square feet.

The property is situated on Scenic Highway between the existing Best Buy and a Lowe's Home Improvement store. The Kroger / The Home Depot-anchored Presidential Commons shopping centers is across the street.

HomeGoods, a division of Framingham, Massachusetts-based TJX Companies Inc., is reportedly returning to an area it once served. According to a loyal reader, HomeGoods previously occupied a roughly 35,000 square foot space in nearby Presidential Markets shopping center in the mid- 90s. The former HomeGoods space is today occupied by Bed Bath & Beyond. Sibling TJX brands Marshalls and T.J. Maxx each continue to operate in the center. The new HomeGoods will be 21,500 square feet.

The Fresh Market has proven willing to open smaller stores to penetrate target markets. Last month I was in Charlotte where it was recently disclosed that The Fresh Market will open a new 14,400 square foot store in Dilworth Gardens. The store is a full 10,000 square feet smaller than a typical The Fresh Market. The upcoming Snellville store won't be that small, but is slated to be 20,400 square feet, slightly smaller than a typical location.

The Fresh Market has a store planned for the Druid Hills area this summer, and another planned for Roswell late this year.

Phoenix, Arizona-based Sprouts Farmers Market entered the Atlanta market last year with four stores. The first was at the Shoppes at Webb Gin, a lifestyle center near Scenic Promenade, along Scenic Highway. Sprouts at the Shoppes at Webb Gin opened in a 26,000 square foot former Ethan Allen furniture store.

Best Buy's relocation is a bit of a head-scratcher considering their neighboring store is only ten years old. The 46,000 square foot building is literally a stone's throw from where the new 30,000 square foot store is planned. No word on what plans there may or may not already be for the current Best Buy store. Best Buy made a similarly close movein Dunwoody in 2010. In this case though, Best Buy moved from a 36,000 square foot space, to a new, more visible, approximately 45,000 square foot space within the same center. Their new space was a portion of Home Depot EXPO while their former space later reopened as a Nordstrom Rack.

What inline shops and or restaurants would you like to see open in Scenic Promenade? Do you The Fresh Market will succeed in such close proximity to Sprouts? Do you remember when HomeGoods was previously in the area?

Please share your thoughts below.

The original Uncle Maddio's Pizza Joint has closed

The Uncle Maddio's Pizza Joint at Toco Hills Promenade has closed. The Toco Hills location was the Atlanta-based pizza chain's first ever location, opening in 2009. Local franchisee Yogi Patel had most recently been the owner / operator of the location, but is "moving" it to Loganville. Aside from operating Uncle Maddio's Pizza Joint units, Patel also operates Tin Drum Asiacafe franchises, as well as his own concept Bezoria, a fast casual Mediterranean eatery in midtown.

The 3,551 square foot Toco Hills space was previously home to Mama Fu's Asian House, a failed quick serve Asian concept from Moe's Southwest Grill founder Martin Sprock. (Mama Fu's is completely gone from the Atlanta market, but still exists, largely in Texas.)

(I grew up going to Toco Hills and had many meals at Gyro Wraps (now Great Wraps) in the now former Uncle Maddio's space.)

Sources say that property owner Edens sought to raise the restaurant's rent by nearly 30%, leading to the closure, or "move," as they put it. I'd heard chatter for over a year that Edens wanted to replace Uncle Maddio's (and Menchie's, for that matter), but the closure is still somewhat of a surprise.

An email sent to an Edens representative seeking comment on the situation went unanswered over the weekend.

A representative for Uncle Maddio's told me the chain is "actively looking for a replacement location." The representative invited guests to visit Uncle Maddio's at the Edgewood Retail District and near Northlake Mall. Both of these locations, while not super close to Toco Hills, are far more realistic for area residents than going to Loganville.

This mark's the chain's second closure in metro Atlanta, following its closure in Alpharetta last year.

As I've detailed previously, Uncle Maddio's faces growing competition in the quick serve pizza category. Athens-based Your Pie is quickly expanding its metro Atlanta presence, while newcomers continue to enter the market.

Pasadena, California-based Blaze Pizza, started by Richard Wetzel of Wetzel's Pretzels, is planning to enter the Atlanta market in the coming months.

Fort Worth, Texas-based Pie Five Pizza Co. has secured its first lease, a new 2,400 square foot space in Newnan Festival, a new center being built in Newnan.

What would you like to see replace Uncle Maddio's at Toco Hills? Which quick serve pizza chain is your favorite? Is fast casual pizza the next frozen yogurt?

Please share your thoughts below.

Sam Abdullah of Buckhead Pizza Company plans to open a new concept, Pizza Crosta, later this month in Sandy Springs. Pizza Crosta will open in the former Evos on the lower level of The Prado shopping center on Roswell Road. The restaurant will feature counter service where guests can personalize their pizzas. The pizzas will be 10 inches and sell for between eight and ten bucks. The concept seems similar to local offerings like Your Pie.

Fast casual eatery Newk's Eatery is planning a new location at Perimeter Expo in Dunwoody. The new, nearly 4,000 square foot restaurant will open in the former Pearle Vision, adjacent to the former Off Broadway Shoes store. A lease was signed months ago, but as of this week the space appeared untouched. Newk's currently has five locations in Georgia:midtown, Druid Hills, Lawrenceville, Newnan and Brookhaven.

Steak 'n Shake is coming to Dahlonega. The new Steak 'n Shake restaurant will be located on a currently wooded hill on Morrison Moore Parkway. Plans call for the restaurant to start construction in the coming weeks and to open by the end of August.

Dtox juice bar plans to relocate their Roswell Road location from its current hidden, hard to access site, to Buckhead Court. Buckhead Court is further north on Roswell Road in a center previously home to an Outback Steakhouse. Dtox also operates locations on Piedmont Avenue near Ansley Mall and on West Paces Ferry Road, adjacent to Flywheel.

Von Maur's Mall of Georgia location is currently slated to open next fall. The 165,000 square foot former Nordstrom is being completely renovated to become the new department store. Davenport, Iowa-based Von Maur entered the metro Atlanta market in late 2011 with a location at North Point Mall in Alpharetta. In North Point, the store occupies a space built as a Lord & Taylor that later became a Belk. At Perimeter Mall in Dunwoody, Von Maur occupies the one-time Davison's that later operated as a Bloomingdale's.

Charlotte, North Carolina-based Belk has put itself up for sale with no clear interested party. The independent department store was established in 1888, and today operates nearly 300 stores in 16 states. Many insiders and retail observers have made valid points as to why Macy's would not want to take on additional stores, as in many cases they overlap and would be closed. Perhaps Von Maur or Dillard's will submit offers.

A new Panda Express is coming to Valdosta. The new Asian eatery will open in an outparcel of Valdosta Mall Corners shopping center. The center is anchored by a Hobby Lobby (former Walmart) and is also home to a Steak 'n Shake, among other tenants.

Cook-Out recently opened its new location (former Backyard Burger) on Haynes Bridge Road in Alpharetta. Additional new Cook-Out locations are opening soon in Athens (second location), Carrollton, Oakwood and Warner Robins.

The planned Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar and Grill has closed before opening at Savannah Mall in Savannah. Originally announced to be coming to the mall in 2013, the restaurant was plagued by delays reportedly related to the cost of renovating the space. The restaurant was reportedly involved in a bitter legal dispute that came to a head last week. The Chatham County Sheriff’s Office posted a notice of eviction on the restaurant's space informing CRGE Savannah LLC and Boomtown Entertainment LLC they were to remove themselves from the premises.

Maya Steaks & Seafood is now serving lunch on Roswell Road in Sandy Springs.

A new 24-hour Chevron gas station and convenience store has opened on Northside Drive and Northside Circle in northwest Atlanta.

The owners of Chamblee's Southbound restaurant plan to open a new Tex-Mex restaurant next month. Mike Plummer and Amanda Averill of Southbound plan to open "Rosa’s Tex-Mex Revival" in the former Chamblee Bistro. Chamblee Bistro, which closed late last month, was located at the corner of Peachtree Road and Broad Street, less than a half mile from Southbound. If all goes well, the owners hope to have Rosa open in time to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.

The Loews Atlanta Hotel Midtown has changed its restaurant and concept. Now known and "Saltwood Charcuterie & Bar," the new restaurant also features fresh juices for ten bucks a pop as well as local cheeses, a refreshed cocktail menu and lots more.

Stuart Weitzman has reopened at Lenox Square. The boutique retailer known largely for its fashionable women's footwear closed its Lenox Square location in early February and at the time said it would reopen in late March.

The former Boneheads "flagship" restaurant in Buckhead

Foolish franchisee resurrects failed fish eatery

Atlanta-based Boneheads (FireGrill) will be making a cameo appearance at Atlantic Station later this summer. The fast casual seafood eatery, which closed at the beleaguered lifestyle center in late 2010 plans to reopen in their former space. The original Boneheads at Atlantic Station was one of their first and was among the first restaurants to open in the complex.

The franchisee of the recently opened Boneheads in Alpharetta will be re-opening the Atlantic Station location. The Alpharetta franchisee has enlisted industry veteran Dominic Colossale to serve as Director of Operations. Colossale has previously held General Manager positions at both Wolfgang Puck Express (now Chipotle Mexican Grill) and Don Pablo's (now T. Mac).

Bonehead's was launched in 2006 by Raving Brands, which at the time was riding the success of Moe's Southwest Grill and Mama Fu's Asian House. Moe's was sold in 2007 and today has about 600 locations worldwide. Mama Fu's on the other hand, never lived up to expectations and was sold in 2008. Today Mama Fu's is gone entirely from Atlanta but has thirteen locations open, with five more "coming soon."

Boneheads was sold in 2009 and today has a network of ten locations, with four more "coming soon." Metro Atlanta is home to four Boneheads, having seen many closures over the past few years. Notably, a Boneheads location in TOWN Brookhaven closed last summer after less than two years in business. A reported "flagship" Boneheads location opened at Eclipse on Pharr Road last year, but it too closed less than six months later.

The Boneheads website tells "about" the concept as follows.

"One beautiful spring day in 2006, two different chefs driving two different cars simultaneously and accidentally collided. One chef was from Atlanta, and he had been noodling a casual restaurant concept that featured grilled fish. The other was South African, and he was trying to introduce the U.S. to a specialty Piri Piri pepper sauce he had perfected in his home country. The two men eyed their cars--then each other--and declared themselves boneheads."

The South African in this story is Sean Lupon-Smith, the Atlantan was Michael Devilles. Sean Lupon-Smith later bought out and rebranded both the original Boneheads in Roswell as well as the Atlantic Station location under the "Fishook Grille" moniker. The menu was very similar with continued emphasis on the Piri Piri sauce. The Atlantic Station location closed earlier this year while the Roswell location on West Crossville Road remains open.

Building permits filed with City of Atlanta reflect limited work to be done to the roughly 2,400 square foot space such as a "grease trap review per the request of Fulton County Health. No changes to the grease trap or the building."

Do you think Boneheads will succeed in its second attempt at Atlantic Station? If Boneheads does not succeed, what should open in its place? Popeyes? Chick-fil-A? Mattress Firm?

Please share your thoughts below.

Two fast casual chains have locations for sale in Atlanta.

The Shumacher Group, a local firm in Atlanta specializing in the sale of restaurants, currently features two interesting pairs of restaurants for sale.

In one listing, a pair of "open & operating"Newks Eatery locations are available. One is on Peachtree Street at the Metropolis in midtown, the other at Briarcliff and North Druid Hills Roads in The Village at Druid Hills.

The midtown Newk's opened in late 2013, while the North Druid Hills location opened in early 2014. According to the sales listing, both locations are profitable. The listing goes on to say "Owners have recently secured [a] contract to provide food for a major University."

In another listing, a pair of Uncle Maddio's Pizza Joint locations are available. In this case, locations in Kennesaw on Chastain Road, and on Cobb Parkway at Akers Mill are offered for sale. Both Uncle Maddio's being offered opened in 2012 . The Akers Mill location showed a gross sales decline of nearly 11% while the Kennesaw location showed a decline of about 18%.

Interested parties in the Newk's are seemingly signing up for a Newk's franchise while the would-be Uncle Maddio's buyer is invited to "keep or convert."

With both concepts rather new and all locations opened with the past three years, why are they for sale?

What are your thoughts on these respective concepts? Why do you think they are for sale? If a buyer "converts" one or both Uncle Maddio's locations, what would you like to see open in their place?

Please share your thoughts below.

Ford Fry planning seafood eatery in Inman Park

The restaurant coming to Inman Quarter (IQ) previously referred to as "A Ford Fry Concept" will reported be a seafood eatery. Construction related documents obtained this week refer to the concept as "Inman Park Fish Camp," a seemingly vanilla name amidst Ford Fry's ever-growing and originally named restaurant roster. Although I doubt it will eventually become known as Optimist two or Optimist at IQ, it seems likely the menu may be similar to Fry's popular Westside eatery, The Optimist Fish Camp & Oyster Bar. The Optimist was named by Esquire Magazine as one of the Best New Restaurants in America in 2012.

Inman Park Fish Camp will be joined in the new development by a third Atlanta area location of bartaco, as well as a return of MF Sushi and a new Cacao location.

IQ is located at the corner of Elizabeth Street and North Highland Avenue and includes 200 "luxury" apartments as well as numerous retail and restaurant spaces.

After working in senior chef capacities in number of The Ritz-Carlton hotel properties, Chef Ford Fry landed a corporate chef gig with Eatzi's in Texas, but later moved with the company to Atlanta. Following Eatzi's surprise closures in Atlanta in 2006, Fry opened his first restaurant, JCT Kitchen, a contemporary southern eatery on the Westside, in early 2007.

For a few years, JCT was Fry's only restaurant, more recently he seems to announce a new concept or open another every few months.

No. 246, an Italian eatery, opened in Decatur in 2011.

The Optimist, a seafood restaurant, opened on the Westide in 2012.

King + Duke opened in 2013 in the former NAVA space in Buckhead.

St. Cecilia opened in 2014 in the former Bluepointe space at the Pinnacle building in Buckhead.

The El Felix, a Tex-Mex eatery opened late last year at Avalon in Alpharetta.

Superica, a "Mex-Tex" restaurant opened earlier this year at Krog Street Market.

Marcel is slated to open in July in the former Abbatoir space at Westside Provisions. The "beefsteak dinner-inspired steakhouse" gets its name comes from Marcellin “Marcel” Cerdan, a French boxer of the 1900s.

Sources say that Fry is also eyeing the former Outback Steakhouse on Roswell Road in north Buckhead for a new Mexican restaurant.

In Houston, Texas, Fry plans to open "State of Grace," his new hill country inspired restaurant headed for the former space of three shops in the Lamar-River Oaks Shopping Center.

Fry also reportedly intends to enter the Nashville market, but those plans have yet to materialize.

The holding company behind all of the concepts is Atlanta-based Rocket Farm Restaurants, LLC. Although many have the perception that Ford himself somehow "runs" all of the restaurants, that is not the case. Shrewdly, Fry brings on local chefs yearning for their "own place," to help steer the restaurant and helm the kitchen. Fry supplies the capital, celebrity appeal and mentorship, but in most cases, leaves the menu up to the individual chef at each restaurant. This plan has proven quite successful thus far, but I worry about the number of restaurants Fry can associate with and still maintain the same level of uniqueness and quality.

What are your thoughts on Chef Ford Fry's ever-growing restaurant empire? What Rocket Farm concept is your favorite? Where would you most like to see Fry open next?

Please share your thoughts below.

Another new complex is heading to Buckhead.

Atlanta-based Coro Realty Advisors plans to soon begin work on its long rumored apartment complex on Piedmont Road. The complex will be built in place of the former Bridgetown Grill / Bertucci's Pizza restaurant on Piedmont Road, in front of LA Fitness and across the street from Terminus. The restaurant building was demolished a few years ago and has sat vacant ever since.

The artist's rendering seems to show at least a few hundred units and at least a half dozen ground level retail / restaurant spaces.

Coro has been quite active in capitalizing on their existing assets by adding residential components to their properties. In Buckhead Place, Coro previously built "05 Buckhead," a 20-story, 155 unit luxury apartment complex in 2009.

Coro also separated its Brookwood Place property in south Buckhead to create two projects. Brookwood Place would remain intact on the south end of the center while Coro partnered with Grayco to develop a 249 unit apartment complex in place of the northern portion of the center.

As a proud Buckhead homeowner, I'm pleased to see development. I worry though, with over 10,000 new units recently completed, under construction, or announced, that the streets and infrastructure of the area can't support this tremendous boom in residential development.

Especially in the case of Maple Drive and Stratford Road, for there to suddenly be nearly 600 new units on each road, it sounds like an added traffic nightmare.

Below, I've compiled a sampling of Buckhead apartment complexes announced, under construction, or recently completed.

SkyHouse Buckhead (open)

3390 Stratford Road

364 units

Studio,1,2 & 3 BR from $1400 - $3015

Broadstone Maple (under construction)

Maple Drive, between East Paces Ferry an Peachtree Roads

250 units

Units and pricing TBD

Cyan on Peachtree (under construction)

3800 Peachtree Road

329 units

1-3 BR starting at $1625 - $4885

Berkshire Terminus [fka Crescent Terminus] (open)

20 Terminus Place

355 units

Studio-2 BR $1128-2021

The Elle of Buckhead (open)

235 Pharr Road

373 units

1 & 2 BR units. $1445-$2586

Un-named Gables Residential complex (planned)

Corner of East Paces Ferry Road and Maple Drive

327 units

*Apartments with townhomes and limited commercial space

Pricing and units TBD

Camden Paces (open)

77 East Andrews Drive

379 units

1-3 BR starting at $1699 - $5229

AMLI CityPlace (under construction)

16-acre parcel at Roxboro and East Paces Ferry Roads

640 units

Studio,1,2 & 3 BR units, pricing TBD

Former Parkside at Buckhead (under construction)

475 Buckhead Avenue

375 units

Unit size and pricing TBD

Vacant parcel adjacent to the Buckhead Theatre (planned)

3116 Roswell Road

353 units

*Nearly 13,000 of ground floor commercial space

Unit size & pricing TBD

Domain at Phipps Plaza (under construction)

*3500 Peachtree Road (Phipps Plaza address) located at rear of mall

319 "mid-rise" units

Studio, 1 & 2 BR

Pricing TBD

Lenox Towers (planned)

*3393 Peachtree Road (Lenox Square address) located at rear of mall

440 units

Pricing and units TBD

Post Alexander (under construction)

3410 Alexander Road (Corner of Phipps Boulevard & Lenox Road)

340 units *Second phase of existing property

Although not especially close (in its current form) to any of the aforementioned complexes, PATH 400 has the potential to be a wonderful amenity for the Buckhead community. The 5.2 mile greenway path will eventually connect to the Atlanta BeltLine and will offer area residents a great bike / walk / run option close to home.

What are your thoughts on the dizzying number of new apartment units coming to Buckhead? What complex are you most intrigued / angered by? What one thing could the City of Atlanta, the Buckhead Coalition or any other group do to make transit better in Buckhead?

Please share your thoughts below.

A shuttered Radio Shack

Radio Shack has closed its store at Buckhead Crossing on Sidney Marcus Boulevard near the Lindbergh MARTA station.

Del Taco has opened its new freestanding restaurant on Roswell Road in East Cobb. I first announced plans for the restaurant over two years ago, but it was delayed by a number of issues. The Del Taco replaced what was a vintage TCBY yogurt shop.

The new Cook-Out is now open in Warner Robins. Cook-Out opened on Richard B. Russell Parkway in a onetime Hardees.

Loehmann's has been reborn as an online e-tailer. The legendary retailer which dates from 1921, closed its bricks & mortar stores last year following a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. The merchandise offered online generally seems less exciting that what was once available in their stores.

Chama Gaucha has opened in the former Modern / Copeland's space at Tower Place in Buckhead. The Brazilian churrascaria hopes to challenge established favorite Fogo de Chão for a share of the all-you-can-eat meat business in Buckhead. Chama Gaucha has an uphill battle with Boi Na Braza and later Chima both having already failed against Fogo in Buckhead.

Pita Palace near Toco Hills completed a major renovation during the recent Passover holiday.

The new Bojangles' on Dacula Road in Dacula opened yesterday. Another new Bojangles' is slated to open May 14th on Roswell Road in Sandy Springs.

According to my friend at Roots in Alpharetta, fast casual Mexican eatery Salsaritas Fresh Cantina will enter the Atlanta market with a location in Alpharetta. The new Salsaritas will open in the coming months in the former Uncle Maddio's Pizza Joint on Windward Parkway. Another Salsaritas will open in Savannah with others planned in and around metro Atlanta.

The new CVS Pharmacy has opened at the Gateway project on Roswell Road, just north of Buckhead.

Omni Hotels & Resorts will flag the new 250-room hotel coming to the new Atlanta Braves stadium project in Cobb County.

A host of new chains are coming to Johns Creek

Atlanta-based Riverwood Properties has secured leases with a number of new businesses to open in their upcoming Johns Creek Promenade center on Medlock Bridge Road in Johns Creek.

The new center is part of Johns Creek Walk Phase II. Johns Creek Walk consists of multi-family units, a senior living community, private residences, senior living apartments (under construction), and professional offices/retail. Johns Creek Promenade is located at the intersection of Medlock Bridge Road and Johns Creek Parkway. The new center is located between Abbotts Bridge Road and McGinnis Ferry Road.

According to the property's website, Johns Creek Promenade will welcome:

Dunkin' Donuts (2,100 s/f)

Zoës Kitchen (2,940 s/f)

Moe's Southwest Grill (2,560 s/f)

The Original Mattress Factory (2,760 s/f)

Salon Lofts (4,080 s/f)

Jersey Mikes (1,600 s/f)

Burger 21 (3,000 s/f)

In addition to the executed leases, there are four other spaces that total another 5,360 square feet still available.

What tenant are you most excited about? How many shared salon spaces can a city support? Who else would you most like to see open?

Please share your thoughts below.

The upcoming I Love Juice Bar at Toco Hills Promenade

New juice bar opens tomorrow: more are planned.

Nashville, Tennessee-based I Love Juice Bar will open its first intown location tomorrow at Toco Hills. Located in a 1,500 square foot space within the Publix-anchored Toco Hills Promenade, the new I Love Juice is the first of many planned for the area. The first I Love Juice Bar opened in Brentwood, Tennessee, an affluent suburb of Nashville, in 2013. Today, the chain has grown to sixteen locations either open or opening soon.

Columbus, Georgia is already home to an I Love Juice Bar . Another location was delayed, but is coming soon, to Old Peachtree Road in Suwanee. Local resident Cara Weaver is the franchisee of the concept intown and plans to develop at least five local locations. In addition to the Toco Hills (referred to as Druid Hills) location, Weaver plans to bring Juice Bar to Morningside, Buckhead and Vinings. A previously planned drive-thru location in Decatur has been scrapped after failing to secure the necessary zoning / permitting approvals from the City of Decatur.

I Love Juice Bar Morningside will open in place of the shuttered Yoforia frozen yogurt shop on North Highland Avenue. Given the existing structure, plans call for limited renovation with plans to be open by early summer.

Both the Toco Hills and Morningside locations are within walking distance of Pure Barre studios, providing great sales opportunities. Such proximity would be especially desirable to Weaver as she searches for additional locations.

I Love Juice Bar's menu includes an extensive variety of fresh made juices, smoothies and "more" (other menu items that vary by location).

Georgia is already home to a number of juice bars including dtox Juice, Kale Me Crazy (from Yogli Mogli founder Roi Shlomo) and Juicy Jenny (from Souper Jenny's Jenny Levinson). dtox has three locations: two in Buckhead and one in midtown. Kale Me Crazy has one location in Inman Park with a second coming soon to Decatur. According to the Kale Me Crazy website, other locations are planned for Midtown, Sandy Springs and Brookhaven. Juicy Jenny has a single location in Buckhead at East Andrews. Dallas, Texas-import Roots Juices operates a single Atlanta area location at the Shops Around Lenox in Buckhead.

Arden's Garden, the grande dame of Atlanta juice concepts, began in 1995 with its namesake founder, Arden Zinn. Once largely a wholesale bottled juice operation, Arden's Garden has grown its retail store networkover the past year to include new locations in Buckhead, on the Westside, in Decatur, downtown and Vinings. Arden's Garden now now has thirteen locations in the state.

Bombay Grill has reopened on Savoy Drive in Chamblee. Now known as Bombay Grill - "Indian Food On Flame," the restaurant reopened Monday under new ownership / management.

Woodfire Grill will close May 20th. The upscale restaurant on Cheshire Bridge Road originally opened in 2002 before changing hands in 2008. Current owner Nicolas Quinones said of the closing, "revenue no longer supports the elevated level of food and service that I’m committed to."

Varuni Napoli will reopen in the coming days following water damage it suffered after a false alarm fire scare over the weekend.

Following the opening of their freestanding, approximately 13,000 square foot location in the new Gateway project, CVS Pharmacy has closed its nearly 18,000 square foot inline location in Powers Ferry Square. Walgreens has two similarly close locations, both on Roswell Road, but obviously CVS preferred to consolidate its operations into a newer, more efficient location.

Verizon Wireless is planning a new location in Tucker. The new nearly 2,000 square foot Verizon will open in an outparcel of the Kroger / Walmart-anchored Cofer Crossing at Lawrenceville Highway near LaVista Road. The freestanding building was built as a Donatos Pizza and later operated as Sheridan's Frozen Custard.

As first reportedby Decaturish, My Parents' Basement Comics and Craft Beer is coming to Avondale Estates. The kitchy eatery will open in the former James Joyce pub on North Avondale Road. The nearly 4,600 square foot space has been vacant since 2012 and offers plenty of onsite parking. Plans call for the business to be open by early August.

Masti "Fun Indian Street Eats" opened late last week at Toco Hills Promenade. The casual Indian eatery is owned by the same group behind Atlanta's popular Cafe Bombay on Briarcliff Road. The Masti space was previously built out as a Mirko Pasta location and later the short-lived Cibo Rustico Osteria.

Italian luxury retailer Tod's has opened a boutique at Buckhead Atlanta.

The relocated Victory Sandwich Bar on Bernina Avenue in Inmark Park is reportedly on track to open within two weeks. Although the restaurant replaced Parks Edge, another restaurant, it has been plagued by various delays.

Georgia's third Bealls Outlet will celebrate its grand opening this Thursday, April 30th. The nearly 20,000 square foot store occupies suite "530A," adjacent to the recently opened Sprouts Farmers Market in Lakeland Plaza in Cumming. Existing Atlanta area Bealls Outlet stores are located in Kennesaw andSmyrna.

A new Bojangles is planned for Peach Orchard Road in Augusta.

Reggae artist Matisyahu performs at City Winery New York

Exciting new concept coming to Ponce City Market

New York-based City Winery is coming to Ponce City Market this fall. Part restaurant, part lounge, part concert venue, City Winery delivers a rather unique experience not currently found in Atlanta.

The Atlanta location of City Winery will be about 26,000 square feet over two levels at Ponce City Market. The venue will occupy suites 101 and 201 and feature an outdoor terrace as well.

The venue is also available for private dining, and judging from photos I found online, has hosted a wedding or two.

Based on the menus of existing City Winery locations, guests can expect to find assorted wines on tap and by the bottle. In addition, "shareables," like crispy risotto balls, cheese plates and assorted flatbreads, are likely to be found on the menu. "main acts," or entrees, are likely to include assorted steaks, seafood, burgers and pastas. There were definitely some "signature" items found on more than one of the locations' menus but there is clearly an effort to tailor the menu to the local market.

Michael Dorf, a veteran of the New York music /club scene, previously opened the Knitting Factory in New York in 1987. A record label by the same name followed in New York, and later a concert venue in Los Angeles. Wishing to expand the business and its offerings in the late 90s, Dorf took in three rounds of venture capital funding. Following the dot-com bubble bursting and 9/11, Dorf lost the company to those "vulture" capitalists.

The first City Winery opened in New York City in 2008 and has since expanded to locations in Chicago, Napa, California and Nashville, where they opened this past fall.

The concept behind the business is nothing new, just packaged and delivered in a new way. Each location seats about 300, creating an environment large enough to attract top talent, yet small enough to still feel intimate. At its core, City Winery is meant to provide an intimate setting, good food and great wine to music fans (most over 40) who will pay more for a specialized experience.

The Atlanta location is slated to open in September, and will be followed by a location in Boston late this year, or in early 2016. Dorf has previously hinted at Toronto being on his short list for upcoming locations. Plans call for as many as 20 locations over the next several years and eventually as many as 40.

Local entrepreneurs opening neighborhood eatery

Business partners Brian Hogan, formerly of Shorty’s Pizza in Tucker, and Patrick Dunn, formerly of Leon's Full Service in Decatur, plan to open Pea Ridge Kitchen & Bar next month.

The restaurant will be located in Decatur on Lawrenceville Highway near its intersection with Frazier Road / McLendon Drive. The 2,200 square foot freestanding building was most recently home to Country Cafe, a comfort food eatery that closed months ago.

Dunn, who previously held the role of sous chef at Leon's, will be the culinary head of the restaurant. The menu at Pea Ridge will likely feature assorted soups, salads and sandwiches as well as rotating and seasonally inspired appetizers and entrees. The menu will rely heavily on locally sourced / seasonally available ingredients, providing guests an alternative to the "static" menus found at many other restaurants. Pea Ridge will also feature a specialized bar program featuring unique cocktails and craft beers.

Pea Ridge hopes to follow in the footsteps of Oak Grove's Sprig, and provide area residents an approachable, family-friendly alternative to chain eateries in the area.

Pea Ridge is a community home to a growing number of families with both McLendon Elementary and Shamrock Middle School nearby. I, myself, grew up not far away and am a graduate of Shamrock Middle School and am pleased to see the progress the area is making.

Up Lawrenceville Highway in Tucker, the owners of Local 7 are opening another new restaurant, 572, on Main Street. Down the road, near North DeKalb Mall, Goodwill is building a new store and donation center in place of a long vacant Cub Foods. With luck, the new Goodwill will lead to further interest and development in the area.

Currently, plans call for the restaurant to be open Tuesday through Saturday for lunch and dinner, and Sunday for brunch only. If all goes well, Pea Ridge hopes to begin serving customers by mid May, possibly as soon as Wednesday May 13th.

Wine replacing beer in Oak Grove?

Sherlock's Wine Merchant will close its Brookhaven location in about a week. Monday, its co-tenant The Cook's Warehouse closed. While Sherlock's tried to work out a lease to remain in a portion of the space, an agreement was never reached. Sources close to the situation tell me that both retailers are "actively" looking for replacement locations "in the area."

While I have no solid leads on a replacement store for The Cook's Warehouse, Sherlock's is reportedly in talks to lease the former Beer Growler Nation space on LaVista Road in Oak Grove. A lease is reportedly "in the works," and while not signed, Sherlock's is reportedly the stronger of two "wine store" retailers vying for the space.

Oak Grove Center is a popular community center at the corner of Oak Grove and LaVista Roads already home to Oak Grove Market, The Grove and more recently, Queenie's, a consignment store.

Excluding the Brookhaven store, Sherlock's has four other locations in Buckhead, East Cobb, Decatur and Kennesaw. The East Cobb and Kennesaw locations both sell beer, wine & liquor while the other locations offer beer & wine only.

Pizza place calls it quits

New York-based Don Antonio by Starita has closed its Atlanta restaurant. The Neapolitan-style pizzeria opened in early January 2014, and closed earlier this week. Don Antonio opened in place of STG Trattoria, a local pizzeria owned by Brian Lewis of Bocado. (Lewis reportedly retained a minority stake in the new business.)

While no formal announcement was made regarding the closure, the restaurant's Yelp page has been updated to reflect "closed." I visited the restaurant this week, and aside from a handwritten "CLOSE" on a sign outside, the restaurant appears to have been left untouched, suggesting a sudden and possibly unplanned exit.

While I found the food good and the service attentive, Don Antonio suffered from the same terrible location as its predecessor. While the restaurant featured a cute outdoor patio and was located in the same center as Flywheel and had the St. Regis as its neighbor, its secret location, without any visibility from West Paces Ferry Road, was an issue too large to overcome.

While diners might travel from Buckhead to Home Park just to go to Antico Pizza Napoletana, the fact that Don Antonio was not "local" made it less likely people that would seek it out, IMHO. Overall, Atlanta has witnessed countless notable and successful restaurants come from other major cities only to fail in Atlanta.

Tom Colicchio brought both his craft and craftbar concepts to Atlanta but closed them about a year after opening. Aquaknox, a Las Vegas-based seafood eatery, opened and closed in short order at Terminus in Buckhead, leading me to write one of the more interesting posts in this blog's history. Wolfgang Puck pulled his Wolfgang Puck Express concept from Atlanta, as did Emeril and his Emeril's restaurant in Buckhead.

The one exception I see to these struggles is in the quick serve / fast food segment of the food industry. Del Taco, Cook-Out, Bojangles' and Shake Shack have all performed especially well in their debuts, or in the case of Del Taco, their return to Atlanta. Both Del Taco and Shake Shack have reportedly set company sales records following their recent openings in metro Atlanta.

Why do you think Don Antonio failed in their foray into the Atlanta market? Who do you think makes the best Neapolitan pizza in Atlanta? What should replace Don Antonio? Should it be something other than a foodservice establishment?

Please share your thoughts below.

Goldfish plans an eventful long goodbye in Dunwoody

Atlanta-based Here to Serve Restaurants is closing its Goldfish restaurant at Perimeter Mall in Dunwoody. The casual seafood restaurant opened in 2000 as part of the mall's renovation and restaurant additions. Control of Here to Serve recently transferred from Tom Catherall, its co-founder, to Leigh Catherall, his ex-wife and co-founder. The decision was made to focus the group's attention on the concepts it sees most poised for continued success and growth.

Plans call for Goldfish to cease operations by the end of the May, which is the end of their lease.

To commemorate the restaurant's closing, Here To Serve will be offering patrons a number of "Farewell Promotions" this month.

Specials include:

15% off all food items on Sundays and Mondays

“Throw Back” Tuesday - Half-price fish and steaks each Tuesday

Live music on Thursday and Friday

Appearances by well-loved corporate Sushi Chef Jimmy Meas on Tuesdays and Wednesdays

Seafood boils on select Sundays

In addition, Goldfish will donate a portion of its sales during May to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

Late last year, Here to Serve closed its popular Shout restaurantat Colony Square in midtown. Going forward, the group will continue to operate Noche (4 units), Prime, Aja, Twist, Coast, Smash, Strip and Shucks.

Charlotte, North Carolina-based The Cowfish Sushi Burger Barplans to open in the former Goldfish space early next year.

Cowfish at CityWalk at Universal Orlando

The first Cowfish opened in late 2010 at The Village at SouthPark, a smaller center adjacent to the popular SouthPark Mall. Cowfish occupies a former The Grape Wine Bar, a now defunct Atlanta-based franchise whose Charlotte location was co-owned by entertainer Usher.

As its name suggests, Cowfish features a menu specializing in burgers and sushi as well as something call "Burgushi," described as a "fusion of burgers and sushi." The website invites would-be patrons to "open your mind and your taste buds as you experience these originals brought to you by The Cowfish!!!"

Although I have yet to try the food, the "burgushi" sounds quite strange and I'm not so sure the largely corporate clientele of the Dunwoody / Sandy Springs area will take to it.

The Perimeter location will be 8,000 square feet, 2,000 square feet larger than the Charlotte restaurant.

Since its original Charlotte opening, Cowfish has expanded to Raleigh and Orlando with single locations in each market.

Have you been to Cowfish? If so, what were your thoughts? What do you think of "Burgushi?" Do you think Cowfish will be successful in Dunwoody? Will you miss Goldfish?

Please share your thoughts below.

Burgers and Pasta planned for Buckhead

Atlanta-based YEAH! Burger is planning to open its third overall location, this time in Buckhead. The fast casual burger joint will occupy a large part of the former Loco's Deli & Pub at Buckhead Exchange on Peachtree Road. The nearly 5,000 square foot space includes the current home of Establishment, which will reportedly relocate elsewhere.

YEAH! Burger's space will be 3,200 square feet and they hope to open late this fall but I'm told the opening may be delayed

The original YEAH! Burger opened on Howell Mill at the Westside Provisions District in mid- 2010. A second location followed in Virginia-Highland in late 2010. Another location was discussed for Avalon in Alpharetta, but never materialized. (A Bocado Burger Bar eventually opened instead at Avalon.)

Kelly Wallace, Marketing & Business Development Director at YEAH! Burger, confirmed to me that YEAH! Burger Buckhead will be the group's first franchised location. "We’re very excited to be opening in Buckhead as it is our number one requested location in Atlanta," Wallace said of the opening. The Buckhead YEAH! Burger will reportedly be run by a franchise group that currently operates a number of Zaxby's restaurants.

YEAH! Burger tries to differentiate itself from other "better burger" joints by catering to health conscious diners with gluten free, vegan and vegetarian offerings. Additionally, YEAH! Burger offers a wide variety of proteins ranging from standard offerings like beef and chicken (breast, not patty) to bison, turkey and vegan burgers. YEAH! Burger's menu also features assorted sides, hot dogs, salads, shakes and a full bar.

YEAH! Burger enters a crowded Buckhead burger market with established favorites like FLIP Burger Boutique and Farm Burger already well entrenched. Additionally, both Zinburger at Lenox Square and New York-import Shake Shack at Buckhead Atlanta opened last year, while Burger 21, another fast casual burger chain, plans to open late this summer at Chastain Square in north Buckhead.

Storico Fresco, a fresh pasta purveyor currently located in a hidden space in the Buckhead Village, will expand their offerings and relocate to Buckhead Exchange too. Storico Fresco opened their existing brick & mortar location in 2013, and has since become a destination for pasta purists and amateur gastronomes alike.

Soon to be known as Storico Fresco Alimentari Ristorante e Mercato, the new space will be about 4,000 square feet and offer lunch and dinner as well as their popular grocery and takeout items. Storico Fresco's opening will mean the closure of Jeanne's Body Tech. Jeanne's has been a Buckhead icon for nearly three decades, having originally opened in 1987. Jeanne's owner Andrew Hemming reports he is "seeking a new location" for the fitness facility.

Fresh Tortellini Vitello al Tartufo being made at Storico Fresco's current location

Storico Fresco's opening and expansion into a full fledged restaurant are most exciting to me and I'm hopeful that they will find success in their new space. Aside from Your DeKalb Farmers Market and select Whole Foods Market locations, there are few local options to purchase fresh made pasta. Although Buckhead does already have a number of great Italian eateries, the multi-faceted offerings of Storico Fresco should serve them well.

Buckhead Exchange has seen its fair share of turnover recently with a number of businesses closing in the center. Radio Shack, GolfTEC (relocated), Sweet Samba (relocated), The Original Mattress Factory (relocated), Quiznos, Loco's Deli & Pub (twice) and It's Poppin! have all left the center.

Atlanta-based The Shopping Center Group is handling the leasing for the center but seems to have outdated materials available online for the property. A property flyer available via their website indicates that Loco's Deli & Pub and Luna are the only two occupied spaces in the center. A separate document which seems to be from October 2014, indicates that the only "leased" space is a 4,077 square foot space (Storico Fresco) and that every other space is "available."

Sources indicate that Nancy's Pizza (which occupies a former Krispy Kreme) will "relocate" to Camp Creek Parkway. Luna, a women's boutique, has reportedly signed an extension of their lease and will remain in the center. It's unclear, but unlikely that OXXO, the dry cleaners, will remain in the center.

Looking Northbound up Peachtree Road, at Grandview Avenue

Charlotte, North Carolina-based FCA Partners, which purchased the center for $15.2 million in 2013, plans to begin renovations of the 48,500-square-foot center late this month. Located at Peachtree Road and Grandview Avenue, Buckhead Exchange offers great Peachtree Road frontage and a decent amount of surface parking on nearly all four sides of the property. The project will include updating the exterior storefronts, sidewalks, landscaping and plazas, as well as demolishing a portion of the existing building to create a pedestrian plaza. Judging from renovation sketches, the new pedestrian plaza will occupy a portion of the former Sweet Samba space between Nancy's Pizza and the former Quiznos / It's Poppin!

Demolition is scheduled to begin later this month, with most of the renovations completed in phases by early 2016.

"The new building facades will be unique, tenant specific facades that will add interest and uniqueness to the retail environment. Landscaping and public spaces will create an environment for relaxation and pause." All of this being done in an effort to perhaps evoke an improved perception of a center currently labeled "standard neighborhood shopping center" by Google.

What are your thoughts on the planned tenant additions and renovations? Do you think YEAH! Burger will do well in Buckhead? What other tenants would you like to see added to the center?

Please share your thoughts below.

The new Varasano's marked by the orange with white border stretches to just beyond the third window

Varasano's getting close to opening in Dunwoody, Alpharetta is next

Atlanta-based Varsano's Pizzeria plans to open its new concept location at Perimeter Mall in late June. In addition to the new 5,200 square foot location at Perimeter Mall in Dunwoody, the growing company plans to open another similar location at North Point Mall in Alpharetta.

The new Varasano's at Perimeter will adopt a fast casual sports bar-type atmosphere with thirty large TVs and two semi-private "living rooms" for watching games. In addition, the restaurant will feature a private speakeasy that will allow smoking. As an added bonus, the restaurant will have a full bar just outside the restaurant in the main mall area where the mall's guest services was previously located. The guest services department, once outsourced to "Corporate Concierge Services," has been eliminated from the mall entirely. The bar itself was built off property and will be installed in the coming weeks.

The pizzeria's 4,200 square foot space at North Point Mall will be on the main level, opposite the American Girl Boutique & Bistro. The space is currently home to the mall's office and a smaller tenant. The mall office and affected tenant will be relocated to other space within the mall. The new Varasano's will also have an outdoor patio for dining. Plans call for the Varasano's at North Point to open sometime late in the fourth quarter of this year or early in the first quarter of next year.

The entrance where Varasano's will open is one of the most trafficked in the mall as a result of its proximity to the American Girl boutique. I can personally attest that many out-of-towners make the trek (from intown and out of state) to North Point Mall just to take their little girls to the American Girl Boutique.

The Varasano's at Perimeter Mall was first announced last summer and was supposed to have opened last fall. After encountering a number of unforseen issues related to the restaurant's buildout, partner Brett Holtzclaw tells me the restaurant is finally on track.

The Perimeter location will be the template upon which North Point and other future locations will be based. A number of "new and exciting elements" will be available / utilized for guests to make their experience as unique as possible. A living herb wall and wine tap will be among the special touches at the new restaurant.

Additionally, individual pizzas will start under six bucks with cocktails starting at five.

According to Holtzclaw, Varsanos' new concept has drawn comparisons to the Chipotle Mexican Grill-backed and Denver-based Pizzeria Locale as well as L.A.-based 800 Degrees. Both Pizzeria Locale (two, going on three, units) and 800 Degrees (ten units) offer higher quality, Neapolitan style pizzas, and are seen as higher end brands than the likes of Pie Five Pizza Co. and Uncle Maddio's Pizza Joint.

Varasano's plans to differentiate itself from other fast casual pizza joints by offering a higher quality pie at an affordable price and in a more welcoming / exciting atmosphere. Dunwoody is already home to Your Pie at Perimeter Place and Uncle Maddio's Pizza Joint at Perimeter Village. It's unknown what exactly the concept will be, but Novo, a new more casual Italian eatery from Riccardo Ullio, is also coming to the area, but in Dunwoody Village. Replacing what was originally built as a Pizza Hut, Novo has also been plagued by delays but will reportedly open "soon." (I was unable to confirm a date, but sources indicate it should open in the next month or so.)

Last year, Varasano's inked a "strategic partnership" with Chicago-based General Growth Properties that will give them lucrative leasing opportunities near mall entrances. GGP operates over 120 properties including North Point Mall, Perimeter Mall and Cumberland Mall in metro Atlanta. Although no lease has been announced at Cumberland Mall, its proximity to the new Braves stadium make it a likely candidate to receive a Varsano's location.

The existing full service Varsano's Pizzeria is located on Peachtree Road in the lobby of the Mezzo residence building. A second Varasano's is located at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Are you excited for the upcoming new Varasano's? Where would you like to see the next Varasano's open? What fast casual pizza joint is your favorite?

Please share your thoughts below.

Regional Chains Planning to Take a Bite of Decatur

Bits & Bites

Exciting New Retailers Are Headed to Snellville

Edens Reportedly Prices Pizza Place Out at Toco Hills

Bits & Bites .

Now This is a Bonehead Move: Failed Eatery Returning to Atlantic Station

Why Are Multiple New Franchises Being Offered For Sale?

Ford Fry's Upcoming Inman Park Eatery Likely to be Similar to The Optimist

Yet Another New Apartment Complex is "Coming Soon" to Buckhead: Can The Area Handle It?

Bits & Bites

A Steady Stream of New Chains Are Heading to Johns Creek

Local Entrepreneur Sees Green in Juicing Business

Bits & Bites

Ponce City Market Hits A High Note With Planned City Winery

Local Restaurant Coming to Underserved Intown Neighborhood

I Spy Sherlock's Looking at New Location

Atlanta Seemingly Refused to Support the Don

Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar to Replace Goldfish at Perimeter Mall

No Joke, YEAH! Burger Planning Buckhead Outpost

Varasano's Dunwoody Opening Next Month, Alpharetta to Follow