Tomorrow's News Today

Evans Fine Foods to close next month.

Evans Fine Foods, an intown icon for nearly 70 years, is slated to close next month. An employee at the restaurant confirmed today to Decaturish that the restaurant is closing. I subsequently confirmed the closure is (currently) slated to occur by mid-November. There are currently no plans to reopen the business elsewhere.

Evans occupies a freestanding 3,400 square foot building in Emory Commons, a Publix-anchored center at the corner of North Decatur and Clairmont Roads.

As sad as it is, I was literally driving by the restaurant this past weekend and thinking to myself how crazy it was that although I'd grown up nearby, I'd never dined at Evans. I've now committed to making it in before closing.

Evans serves a variety of fresh vegetables, homemade desserts, and assorted other classic southern and diner fare.

According to an obituary for Herbert Evans, one of the restaurant's original founders, the North Decatur location was once one of four locations in metro Atlanta.

"In 1946, the first Evans Fine Foods opened at 290 Ponce de Leon Ave. In the years to follow, three more restaurants were opened on Peachtree Street, North Decatur Road, and Candler Road. Herb was the bookkeeper and his brothers (John & Tom) ran the day-to-day activities within the restaurants. The Evans brothers loved their restaurants and truly cared about their business and serving their customers. In 1982 the remaining restaurant on North Decatur Road was sold to Steve Kontos and Pete Costarides."

What is your favorite dish at Evans Fine Foods? What would you like to see open in its place at Emory Commons? What is your favorite "classic Atlanta restaurant?"

Please share your thoughts below.

The new Acworth location may look like this "next generation" Shoney's

Shoney's to reopen in Acworth.

Nashville-based Shoney's will do something rare: a "new" Shoney's will be built on Highway 92 in Acworth. The new Shoney's will replace a former Shoney's that had been on the same property but closed years ago and was demolished earlier this year.

The new Shoney's is being opened by Scott Carl Rechsteiner, better known by his professional wrestling stage name: Scott Steiner. He and his older brother Rick wrestled alongside one another in World Championship Wrestling (WCW). The brothers created a video in advance of the restaurant's opening showing them begin to demolish the dated Shoney's they are replacing. It's unclear from the video whether Rick is involved in the business, or just participated in the promotional clip. Also unclear is whether either Steiner brother has restaurant experience outside of their "love" for the Shoney's brand.

Shoney's corporate was unable/unwilling to provide an estimated opening timetable but a representative of Talbot Construction, who is building the restaurant, indicated it should be open by the end of the year.

Shoney's, which as a brand dates from 1947, and as a stand alone restaurant from 1954, was purchased by David Davoudpour and his Atlanta-based Royal Hospitality Group in 2007. Under its new ownership, the chain, which had previously shuttered dozens of locations around the south, continued to shrink. According to online information, the chain had about 300 locations at the time of the sale and today has about 150. Shoney's has a dozen locations in Georgia including a "Shoney's Too" at Sugarloaf Mills in Duluth that opened in 2013, replacing a Chili's Too.

Do you think Scott Steiner will find success with Shoney's return to Acworth? Where else should/could Shoney's find success in returning to/opening in Georgia? What has become of your neighborhood Shoney's?

Please share your thoughts below.

Bed Bath & Beyondhas added a mini in-store Cost Plus World Market to its Dunwoody store at Perimeter Square. According to a sales associate, the Dunwoody store is one of the chain's largest in the south and is one of a handful to test the World Market component. Most important to note, your 20% off BB&B coupon IS valid at the Cost Plus in-store. Cost Plus also operates its own Dunwoody store in nearby Perimeter Village on Ashford Dunwoody Road. Cost Plus was purchased by Bed Bath & Beyond in 2012.

Buffalo Wild Wings is coming to the front of Cumberland Mall. The new 6,000 square foot restaurant will open between Chico's and P.F. Chang's in a space that has been vacant since the mall was renovated about ten years ago. The restaurant will reportedly open before Black Friday next month. Previously, it had been announced that Buffalo Wild Wings would open in the former Justin's restaurant in south Buckhead, but that one seems destined never to open. The last permit filed in relation to the Buckhead restaurant was filed nearly a year ago.

J. Jill is relocating their store at Perimeter Mall in Dunwoody from the second floor to the first floor, near Microsoft. The new store is expected to open in the first quarter of 2016.

A new Pollo Tropical is planned for 4525 Jimmy Lee Smith Parkway in Hiram. Currently, the Miami-based chain has six locations in Georgia. A seventh is planned for a "winter 2015" opening on Scenic Highway in Snellville in place of Cabana Grill. Another location is also in the works off LaVista Road in Tucker.

Cristophe's To Go is shuttering its four brick-and-mortar locations, but plans to continue operations via a purely online model. Chef Christophe Le Metayer, who previously cooked at The Ritz-Carlton Buckhead among other establishments, partnered with two entrepreneurs to start the business in 2012. The company, which offers chef-prepared meals that diners can finish cooking at home, announced late last week that "Christophe and his management team has made the very difficult decision to close all the Christophe's To Go stores," effective today. Christophe's "could not maintain enough sales to make the model viable." Going forward, the company will continue catering and is considering a move into the wholesale market. Christophe's will launch twice-weekly home delivery next month across much of the northern metro area, allowing customers to order ahead online and have their meals dropped off the next day. The brick and mortar Christophe's To Go locations were located in Brookhaven, Sandy Springs, Johns Creek and Dunwoody. In Brookhaven, Christophe's was in Brookhaven Station on Peachtree Road. In Sandy Springs, Christophe's was in Sandy Springs Plaza on Roswell Road. In Johns Creek, it was located in State Bridge Corners on State Bridge Road. The Dunwoody location was within the Williamsburg shopping center on Jett Ferry Road. Each location was about 1,500 square feet.

California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) is nearing completion of its renovated restaurant at Lenox Square. A well placed source indicates that the restaurant should open towards the middle of next month.

A new Mediterranean eatery called Oliva Cafe has opened adjacent to the Chevron at the corner of Grandview Avenue and Pharr Road in Buckhead. The restaurant space adjacent to the gas station has been a number of things over the past few years including "XL Slice,""Dragon D," and before that "Cozzi Cafe." I also seem to recall the space being a barber shop at some point as well. Oliva Cafe features a menu somewhat similar to nearby Al's Cafe Agora, but also has tacos and wings making its "cuisine" more of a mix than a traditional Mediterranean eatery. Also worth noting, the publicly displayed health score indicates the restaurant is called "Oliva Pizza LLC," leading me to believe that at some point the restaurant was going to be a pizzeria. Interestingly, the restaurant remains open til 4AM on both Friday and Saturday, extended hours that Agora phased out earlier this year. (Agora now stays open until midnight Friday and Saturday.) I stopped by earlier this week and found the food good, not great, and somewhat overpriced in relation to comparable fare.

The new Earth Fare in Cumming at The Collection at Forsyth is expected to open by the middle of December. When it opens, it will mark the Asheville-based chain's fifth location in Georgia.

The Wish List, a new antiques and interiors shop opened earlier this month in Morningside. The store is accessible from Lanier Boulevard, just off North Highland Avenue. The 2,400 square foot shop opened in the former Movies Worth Seeing space. MWS, a neighborhood landmark, closed in 2011 after 25 years in business. Laurie Scholl, the proprietor, tells me the store emphasizes mid- century modern furniture, but also features vintage lighting, rugs and other antiques.

il Giallo Osteria & Bar, the new Italian restaurant from Veni Vidi Vici alums, is slated to open for dinner this Saturday in Sandy Springs. The restaurant is located in the the rear of the Parkside Shopping Center on Roswell Road, already home to Lefont Theaters, Tuesday Morning and Egg Harbor Cafe.

The not-so-well-maintained side entrance of Macy's at North DeKalb Mall

Macy's may soon make way for Costco.
A well placed source indicates that they received confirmation that at least one local Macy's store will close as part of the company's previously announced plan to close up to 40 stores by early next year.

All indications lead me to believe that the Macy's at North DeKalb Mall is likely to be (one of) the store(s) to close.

Classic two-story Rich's building with mid-1980s single story expansion

Other possible closure candidates are stores in nearby Northlake Mall in Tucker, Gwinnett Place Mall in Duluth or Greenbriar Mall in southwest Atlanta.

It's no secret that Issaquah, Washington-based Costco has been looking to build a location in North DeKalb county, and the Macy's, (formerly Rich's) at North DeKalb Mall makes perfect sense for their store.

The 2008 plan to bring Costco to the mall would have placed the retailer in a different portion of the mall, in what would have been a newly built, roughly 142,000 square foot space. The space would have essentially been between the current Burlington Coat Factory and the 16 screen AMC Theatres.

As is the case with a number of older malls, Macy's owns their "box" and could see this as a great way to trim an underperforming store and maximize its value by selling the property. Additionally, the Goodyear/Macy's Auto Center outparcel could be an ideal location for a Costco gas station.

Macy's reportedly has a deal in place with mall owner Sterling to sell their property, which in turn would lease it to Costco. According to a source close to the situation, Sterling has the Macy's property under contract and could close on the site before the end of the year.

The new proposal would seem to allow for more parking close to the Costco building, as well as allowing for the wholesale club to anchor the new "open-air" revamp.

(I'd expect to hear more details in the coming weeks given the ICSC Southeast Conference & Deal Making wrapped up yesterday at the Cobb Galleria.)

Costco previously opened at a mid-tier mall, Cumberland Mall, in place of J.C. Penney, in late 2006. By all accounts the mall is doing much better than it had been, and will soon see a new Krogeropen in a portion of the current Sears space.

The most recent intown Costco to open was at TOWN Brookhaven nearly five years ago. At the time of the opening I spoke with James Sinegal, Costco's co-founder and then CEO. Sinegal said at the time that the North DeKalb Mall location had been "tabled" in favor of the Brookhaven opening.

In preparation for this post, I contacted Atlanta native Richard Galanti, CFO of Costco and Jim Sluzewski, senior vice president of corporate communications for Macy's Inc., neither of whom would confirm or deny that a deal was in the works.

Two weeks ago I also spoke with Macy's CEO Terry Lundgren while he was in Atlanta. I asked him about the potential Atlanta closure(s) and when they might occur. Lundgren declined to comment on when and where closures would take place, and would not provide any timetable for possible closure announcements. (I'm pretty sure Lundgren was wearing a Donald Trump suit.)

Although this was my first time personally speaking with Lundgren, well placed retail sources report that this trip was at least the third by the Macy's CEO to metro Atlanta in the past few months.

In a move similar to what I envision occurring at North DeKalb, Macy's announced last month that it will close its store at Owings Mills Mall in metropolitan Baltimore. Macy's agreed to sell the store building to mall owner Kimco Realty, who plans to redevelop the nearly 30-year-old property. Like North DeKalb, the mall was once a beacon in the area and was even home to Saks Fifth Avenue and Lord & Taylor. Today, Owings Mills Mall is home to a 17 screen AMC Theaters, J.C. Penney, Macy's and a few restaurant outparcels.

North DeKalb Mall, then known as North DeKalb Center, opened in 1965 with Rich's fifth "branch" store, in the space now occupied by Macy's.

A cool history of the North DeKalb Mall can be found here

Last year, North DeKalb Mall was purchased by Lennar Commercial and Sterling Organization. The new ownership then announced plans to to convert the enclosed portion of the mall into an open-air concept. A similar transformation was completed earlier this year when Biltmore Square Mall, a once thriving mall in Asheville, North Carolina that had fallen on hard times, was reopened as an open air outlet mall, "Asheville Outlets."

The exterior of the would-be Costco at North DeKalb Mall could look like this

Although I have not been privy to any plans, I could see AMC Theatres and Marshalls remaining in the center after the transformation, while others would likely depart. Ross Dress For Less, which occupies a former Old Navy, could remain as well, but given they are opening a new store in Suburban Plaza, they may consolidate operations to that store.

It would seem to be an easier task to lease space in the mall / "lifestyle center" once you add national anchors like Costco to the property. With luck, the Costco store will come to fruition, and will lead to a renewed interest in the property.

What would you like to see happen at North DeKalb Mall? Would you be in favor of Costco coming to the mall, even it came at the expense of Macy's? If North DeKalb were to get "de-malled," what other retailers would you like to see join the center?

Please share your thoughts below.

Teen retailer closes suburban location.

Los Angeles-based Forever 21 closed its store at Gwinnett Place Mall in Duluth yesterday. The store, located on the mall's second level between (the former) JCPenney and Sears, sported the retailers early-mid 2000s design elements of white frame windows. The store had previously relocated from a slightly smaller location closer to the former J.C. Penney, above the food court.

A sign posted on the retailer's door invites patrons to visit them at nearby Sugarloaf Mills. The retailer relocated and enlarged their store at the "outlet" center over a year ago and is likely drawing significantly better sales from the more popular center.

Forever 21 is only the latest national retailer to pull out of the beleaguered mall. Williams-Sonoma, Banana Republic, Gap, American Eagle, Panera, and Planet Smoothie have all closed over the years in the mall. Anchors Belk (in the former Parisian) closed in 2013, while JCPenney hung in until this past April.

Despite the mall's struggles, a number of national retailers maintain a presence including Abercrombie & Fitch, Aeropostale, Bath & Body Works, Foot Locker and Victoria's Secret.

Moonbeam Capital Investments LLC, which assumed ownership of the mall in 2012 when prior owner Simon Property Group allowed it to go into foreclosure, has made few noticeable improvements in the mall. They also don't update the mall's website as it still shows JCPenney as a tenant despite them having closed in April. On the other hand, they are current enough to have Spirit Halloween, a temporary store, listed as a tenant.

I've been working on a more in-depth post about Gwinnett Place Mall and hope to have that completed in the weeks to come.

What would you like to see happen to the mall? Are you a fan of Forever 21? What is your favorite "teen" retailer?

Please share your thoughts below.

PNC Bank to open new branch.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based PNC Bank is planning to build a new branch at the corner of Johnson Ferry and Roswell Roads in East Cobb. The new branch will be built in place of the recently demolished EXXON gas station, convenience store, cleaners, emissions facility and Robeks juice shop.

With all existing structures now demolished as well as the underground gas tanks having been removed, I'd expect that construction could begin before the end of the year. If that timeline holds true, I'd expect the bank to open in late spring.

PNC is currently without a full service branch in the immediate area despite having an existing location on Lower Roswell Road, just down from Johnson Ferry Road, and across from Parkaire Landing Shopping Center. The freestanding branch was built as a Flagstar Bank, but converted after the 2013 buyout. The new branch is about two miles from the current branch. A bank spokesperson indicated that both locations will remain open.

The new branch will serve a different portion of the community and will provide superior visibility and advertising for the bank.

PNC recently opened a new location in Buckhead on Peachtree Road. The Buckhead branch, at Peachtree Road and Mathieson Drive, replaced a popular freestanding Wendy's.

Both PNC and Chicago-based Chase Bank have been opening new branches all over town as they fight for market share with more entrenched banks like SunTrust and Wells Fargo. Wells Fargo got its sizeable Atlanta area market share via its 2008 acquisition of Wachovia. PNC purchased the Atlanta operations of Michigan-based Flagstar Bank and all of Raleigh-based RBC Bank USA in 2012. The two acquisitions allowed the Pittsburgh bank to go from zero representation in Atlanta to what some say is now the 7th largest-bank in metro Atlanta, ranked by deposits.

Chase Bank previously opened a new branch in East Cobb in place of a one-time Donatos Pizza. The Donatos had later become a Mama Fu's Asian House and later a Flying Biscuit Cafe. Chase also replaced a gas station on Roswell Road in Sandy Springs as well as a Pizza Hut in Buckhead.

Is it just a matter of time before another bank buyout leaves Atlanta littered with empty bank branches? For that matter, who visits an actual bank branch anymore? With whom do you bank? Why?

Please share your thoughts below

The Birmingham, Alabama location of Firebirds

Charlotte-based Firebirds Wood Fired Grill plans to open its first Georgia location next year on Old Milton Parkway at the new Atwater development, across the street from Avalon. Roots in Alpharetta predicted this back in April, and the deal is finally in place. According to the restaurant's website, "Firebirds Wood Fired Grill serves classic American cuisine infused with bold flavors, fresh herbs and spices." Sources say there may be additional Firebirds locations in the works in metro Atlanta. Firebirds, which was named a 2014 "Breakout Brand" by Nation's Restaurant News, has about 40 locations in 14 states.

F&H Food Trading Group has sold their "Real FIX Pizza" shop in historic downtown Roswell. The pizza restaurant, named for co-owner Fikret "Fix" Kovac, opened last August after months of delays. The group continues to operate Little Alley Steak, 1920 Tavern and Salt Factory Pub in historic downtown Roswell, in addition to Salt Factory Pub locations in downtown Alpharetta and downtown Woodstock.

The controversial Walmart Supercenter in Suburban Plaza near Decatur is slated to open November 11th.

Party City has officially closed its location at Sandy Springs Plaza on Roswell Road in Sandy Springs. The store closed following the Halloween holiday and reportedly has no immediate plans to reopen elsewhere. FOX's, which temporarily relocated from Powers Ferry Square to a different space in the center over the summer, will again move and reopen in the 10,000 square foot Party City space next spring.

American Girl has opened a temporary holiday kiosk at Perimeter Mall in Dunwoody. The kiosk is located in "Zone C" on the mall's lower level.

Georgia's newest Bojangles' opened earlier today on Old Peachtree Road in Lawrenceville.

Local residents voted to create the new City of Tucker while nearby others voted to strike down the proposed City of LaVista Hills.

Tom Murphy planning new concept in Morningside.

Tom Murphy, owner of Virginia-Highland staple Murphy's, has completed the purchase of the former Rosebud restaurant on North Highland Avenue. Although unconfirmed at the moment, it's my belief that the purchase was again in partnership with Murphy's current executive chef Ian Winslade and business partner David Green. Both Winslade and Green are partners with Murphy on Paces & Vine, a restaurant the group opened last fall in Vinings Jubilee in place of the former Garrison's Broiler & Tap restaurant.

For a variety of reasons, Rosebud and sibling restaurant The Family Dog closed early last month. At the time of the closures, chef/owner Ron Eyester said that Rosebud was being sold to “a very well established restaurateur, who is planning to keep it closed for the next couple of months and then plans to rebrand sometime in January." Given Murphy is inheriting a fully built out restaurant, within a captive market and likely pent-up demand following Rosebud's closure, I'd think they would stay pretty close to this timeline.

Eyester previously claimed that sales of both Timone's, which closed in July, and The Family Dog are close, but as of now no buyers have been identified. Seen as by many as Eyester's worst restaurant, Diner remains open in Atlantic Station.

Murphy's and the Rosebud space are just under a mile from each other, so its doubtful the two concepts will be similar, but given Murphy's stellar track record, I'm sure it will be good. The Rosebud space is 3,852 square feet with interior seating for 140 and a patio that seats 45.

What kind of restaurant would you most like to see Murphy open in place of Rosebud? What would you like to see open in place of The Family Dog or Timone's? What is your favorite place to get brunch in Atlanta?

Please share your thoughts below.

The Forum Athletic Club to open in midtown.

Atlanta-based The Forum Athletic Club plans to open a second metro location next year at Ponce City Market in midtown. The new facility will be located in the project's Southeast wing and will be a little over 11,000 square feet, about half half the size of the existing location at Lenox Square. The approximately 23,000 square foot Lenox Square gym is located on the mall's Plaza Level, most easily accessible from the mall's Lenox Road parking garage.

A Forum representative indicated the current plan is to have the new location open by late next spring or early next summer. As it is about half the size of the Lenox location, additional offerings like cyc fitness, indoor cycling, will not be offered in the Ponce City Market location.

As anyone who has visited Ponce City Market knows, one has no choice but to pay to park at the complex with no validations offered for purchases. It will be interesting to see if this policy is tweaked or adjusted for those that may become members of the new gym.

The Forum Athletic Club previously operated another location in Johns Creek on Medlock Bridge Parkway, but they sold it this past September. Interestingly, the buyers were two entrepreneurs, Geoff Dyer and Tony Scrimale, who converted the 32,000 square foot gym into a Crunch fitness facility. The duo plan to invest $2 million and officially reopen the facility as "Crunch Johns Creek" in January. Crunch previously operated a number of locations in metro Atlanta including gyms at Parkway Pointe near Cumberland Mall and Tower Place in Buckhead, but both closed in 2009 marking the brand's exit from the market.

Smaller gyms like The Forum and national outfits like Crunch have had a tough time fending off competition on both ends of the fitness spectrum. Lifetime Fitness and LA Fitness have both built larger, newer, more upscale facilities in Atlanta and elsewhere capturing huge market share. On the lower end, smaller gyms like Workout Anytime offer lower membership fees and provide 24-hour access to their facilities.

What gym experience do you prefer? What are your thoughts on having to pay to park at Ponce City Market with no validation offered for purchases? Are you excited for the return of Crunch to metro Atlanta?

Please share your thoughts below.

The recently opened Pollo Tropical on Buford Drive in Buford

Chicken chain looking to open new location.

Miami-based Pollo Tropical is in talks to open a new restaurant on Ashford-Dunwoody Road, across from Perimeter Mall. The new freestanding restaurant would be built in place of the former DeKalb County police precinct on the triangular parcel at 4453 Ashford-Dunwoody Road.

The restaurant would be adjacent to Starbucks and at the cusp of the Ravinia office complex.

Alan Kennedy, a director of Hines, who owns the property, spoke to members of the Dunwoody Homeowners Association at a meeting earlier this month and referred to Pollo Tropical as “a higher point of reference than a Panera.” Pollo Tropical is definitely a step above typical fast food, but alluding to it being somehow "better" or more "high end" than Panera would seem to be a stretch.

If approved, Pollo Tropical would join McDonald's and Chick-fil-A as the only "quick serve" restaurants with drive- thru service in the immediate vicinity of the mall.

Sterling Pointe, currently under construction, and Ravinia Row, proposed, are both likely to bring more casual and full service restaurants to the area.

In addition to the Dunwoody location, Pollo Tropical is planning a new location in Tucker. The restaurant would be built in an outparcel of the existing Target store at the corner of Northlake Parkway and LaVista Road, just off I-285. The restaurant would be part of the newly created City of Tucker. The restaurant and accompanying drive-thru must still receive council approval for the proposed SLUP (Special Land Use Permit).

Pollo Tropical is also renovating their failed sister restaurant, Cabana Grill, on Scenic Highway in Snellville. The restaurant, in an outparcel of Lowe's Home Improvement, is expected to reopen as Pollo Tropical in "Winter 2015."

Pollo Tropical has been expanding its presence since re-entering the Atlanta market in 2011. There are currently nine locations open in Georgia. Other locations are reportedly in the works in Gainesville, Hiram, McDonough and Newnan.

Are you in favor of Pollo Tropical being approved in the Perimeter Mall area? Where would you like to see the next Pollo Tropical open? Do you consider Pollo Tropical more high end than Panera?

Please share your thoughts below.

Local bakery café to offer franchises.

Atlanta-based Highland Bakery is officially offering franchise opportunities. The bakery café eatery, with humble beginnings on Highland Avenue in Atlanta's Old 4th Ward, will continue to expand, but now with OPM (other people's money.)

Rising Roll Gourmet and Highland Bakery, both based in metro Atlanta, announced a partnership this past April that hinted at upcoming franchising. At the time of the announcement, the companies said they were "creating a strategic partnership" whereby "each brand will retain its own identity, with plans for both to benefit from each other’s expertise."

Stacy Eames started Highland Bakery in 2003 and currently has locations in Old 4th Ward, Buckhead and Midtown as well as pairs of locations on the campuses of Emory University and Georgia Tech. A new location is expected to open in mid-to-late January on West Ponce de Leon Avenue in Decatur.(The Decatur location is being opened as corporate store but could reportedly become a franchise unit after opening.) A separate "healthier" new conceptis expected to open early next year on North Highland in the old Aurora Coffee shop.

Mike Lassiter today serves as president of Rising Roll, a chain of sandwich franchises that first launched in Atlanta as Uptown Gourmet Sandwich Company in 1996. Prior to his involvement with Rising Roll, Lassiter was "Area Director" for Georgia and Houston, Texas for Schlotzsky's. To date, Rising Roll has ten locations in Georgia, and 20 overall, in five states. Many of the company's newest locations have opened on college campuses, something both brands will likely look to expand upon via licensing and franchising.

With luck, this pivot towards mass availability does not damage the independent "granola" feel of the Highland Bakery brand.

The Flying Biscuit Café, previously an independent operation, was sold to Raving Brands (now Big Game Brands) and is no longer the same.

Delia Champion opened the first Flying Biscuit Café in Candler Park in 1993. Following the 2006 sale to Raving Brands, the first franchised location opened in 2007 in the bottom of the Terminus parking deck in Buckhead. Today Flying Biscuit has ten locations in Georgia, three in North Carolina and one in Florida.

As seen in the collateral above, Mike Lassiter is listed as the contact person for franchise opportunities with Highland Bakery.

Additionally, "Highland Bakery Franchise Company, LLC" was registered with the State of Georgia on May 6th 2015. The organizer(s) is listed as "RiseHigh, LLC" with the additional provision that it is a "Single Member Limited Liability Corporation."

Calls to both Eames and Lassiter for comment were not immediately returned.

What are your thoughts on Highland Bakery franchising its concept? Where would you like to see a Highland Bakery open next? What is your favorite place to get breakfast in Atlanta?

Please share your thoughts below.

Historic liquor store changes hands.

Tower East, a southeast Atlanta landmark since 1972, has been sold and is changing names. Now known as Citi Wine & Spirits, the popular neighborhood package store is also renovating both its interior and exterior.

According to permits on file with the City of Atlanta, about $34,000 will be spent on the store's renovation. Permits inicate that while signage only recently went up with the new name, the Citi Wine & Spirits name has been associated with the property since at least May.

The Yun family, who purchased Tower East, are also opening a second Citi Wine location on Roswell Road in Sandy Springs. The two-story Sandy Springs location is currently under construction and will reportedly open in February.

"Tower Stores" were first opened by Irwin Greenbaum in 1948. Greenbaum opened Tower East in 1972 and subsequently sold the store to his stepson, Alan Smirin.

Tower Beer Wine & Spirits locations on Piedmont Road in midtown and on Buford Highway in Doraville remain owned by the Greenbaum family, run today by Michael Greenbaum, Irwin's son.

Georgia law currently prohibits any single owner from operating more than two retail businesses that sell hard liquor.

Maryland-based Total Wine & More, which recently opened its fourth location in metro Atlanta in Brookhaven, is trying to change that law. Total Wine hopes to get the existing limit raised from two stores to four.

What are your thoughts on the Tower East sale? What is your favorite package store in metro Atlanta? Do you think that the current Georgia law which limits the number of stores that sell hard liquor under one owner should be changed?

Please share your thoughts below.

Wendy's has closed on Peachtree Street

Dublin, Ohio-based Wendy's has closed its freestanding restaurant at 1861 Peachtree Street in south Buckhead. The restaurant, situated between the former Harry's in a Hurry and a dry cleaner, is being torn down along with another cleaners, the Peachtree Road Package Store and Chick-fil-A, to make way for a new medical center.

Although it was known the Wendy's would be closing, its closure seemed rather sudden as they were literally removing the restaurant's signage this morning. The adjacent businesses all remain open, for now.

Replacing Wendy's and its neighbors will be a $65 million project, dubbed "Cornerstone Medical Center." The 3.5 acre development will rise at the intersection of Peachtree and Collier Roads. Plans call for seven-story complex to include 145,000 square feet of Class AAA medical office space and 16,000 square feet of street-level "boutique retail" and restaurants.

Chick-fil-A has been announced as being part of the new development, occupying a corner space in the lobby level that would seem to allow for the restaurant to still have a drive through. No other existing businesses have indicated they have plans to be part of the new development. Wendy's previously relocated their south Buckhead location from 1820 Peachtree Street to its current 1861 address in 2006. The former Wendy's and a few other surrounding parcels were demolished to build what is today The Brookwood, a 219 unit condo building. It includes restaurants Egg Harbor Cafe, Watershed on Peachtree and Saltyard.

Wendy's closed their popular location on Peachtree Road in Buckhead last year. Earlier this year, PNC Bank opened a new branch on the land previously home to Wendy's on Peachtree Road.

A Wendy's representative cited high real estate prices when explaining there were no imminent plans to rebuild the restaurant nearby.

For those area residents who crave Wendy's, the next closest locations are on Howell Mill Road near The District at Howell Mill and on Piedmont Road, near Piedmont Circle. The Howell Mill Road location completed the chain's "image activation" renovation process in late 2013 and now features a far more contemporary look. The Piedmont Road location recently closed for a renovation but strangely re-opened a few months later with little noticeable difference.

What is your favorite fast food burger joint? Where would you like to see a Wendy's open next? What are your thoughts on the planned medical complex?

Please share your thoughts below

The Fox Brothers are interested in bringing their popular Bar-B-Q to the Westside.

Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q is actively working to bring their popular BBQ restaurant to the corner of Bolton and Marietta Roads in Atlanta's burgeoning westside. The restaurant would occupy the former Adams Hardware building and likely an adjacent building as well. Adams Hardware dates from 1920 and its building(s) are being marketed as "historic." The building(s) are being offered for lease by Vantage Realty Partners who indicates the property is "five minutes from Buckhead and seven minutes from Vinings."

The first building, 2316 Marietta Road, is 1,500 square feet on one story.

The second, 2324 Marietta Road, is 5,500 square feet over two stories.

I reached out to Chris Carter with Vantage who indicated that there is a "lease out with an Atlanta restaurant group," but declined to comment further.

I also reached out to both Fox Bros. restaurant as well as their PR firm, Green Olive, but neither would confirm the restaurant's intentions. A representative from Green Olive claimed they are evaluating "a number of locations on the westside," but would not confirm that the Marietta Road location was one of those.

Although an aerial view of the property provided in the property listing shows about 50 parking spaces, the flyer indicates that there are actually 76 parking spaces.

The property sits across the street from a new EXXON gas station and convenience store where a Marco's Pizza and Planet Smoothie are expected to open soon.

Already in the area are Hottie Hawg's, less than a mile from the would-be Fox Bros., and Bone Lick BBQ, about three miles away on Huff Road.

A recent story by WSB-TV Atlanta highlighted the strained relationship between the existing Fox Bros. restaurant on DeKalb Avenue and nearby residents. A number of homeowners report having had trash, debris and even human waste left on their property.

Local westside residents indicate that there have already been discussions about the restaurant's parking and its affect on the community.

The would be restaurant is about a mile from Dupont Commons, a few hundred home, multi-phase development on Marietta Road.

Currently there is just one Fox Bros. location, on DeKalb Avenue in Candler Park, which opened in 2007. Recently it was revealed that the brothers plan to open an outpost at the new Atlanta Braves home, SunTrust Park in Cobb county. "The Tomahawk Taproom" will be located on the exterior of SunTrust Park, facing the Plaza of "The Battery Atlanta," the retail and restaurant portion of the project. The barbeque-centric restaurant is expected to open in 2017.

Justin & Jonathan Fox (The Fox Bros.), who grew up in Texas, previously operated "Big Tex Decatur" on West Ponce de Leon Avenue in Decatur. The restaurant, featuring "Texas cuisine," opened in mid 2011, and closed this past November.

In addition to the restaurant, the Fox Bros. also have a substantial catering business, as well as selling their rubs and sauces through various retail outlets.

Do you live nearby and are excited at the prospect of having Fox Bros. nearby? Where is your favorite place for bar-b-que in Atlanta? If not at this location, where should Fox Bros. open next?

Please share your thoughts below.

Fresh to Order to relocate in Sandy Springs.

Atlanta-based Fresh to Order (F2o) plans to close their existing location on Roswell Road in Sandy Springs December 12th. Currently located in Hilderbrand Court, F2o had to find a new home as the center is being redeveloped.

The Brickery, also located in the same center, previously announced they will close in late December. Unlike F2o, The Brickery, a Sandy Springs mainstay for 24 years, has no plans to reopen elsewhere.

Fresh to Order plans to reopen in March at One City Walk, the new mixed use development at the corner of Hammond Drive and Roswell Road. One City Place will include about 200 "luxury" midrise apartments as well as 8,000 square feet of street level retail and restaurant space.

Previous announcements indicated that the project would begin welcoming residents August 2015, but the building is still under construction. To clarify the project's timeline, I contacted Crim & Associates, who is handling the retail leasing on behalf of developers, but after leaving multiple messages and nearly a week gone by, got no response.

What else would you like to see open in One City Walk? Do you think the area needs more apartments? What would you like to see happen at Hilderbrand Court?

Please share your thoughts below.

California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) plans to reopen is restaurant at Lenox Square November 18th. The popular pizza restaurant was completely gutted to create a new, more contemporary eatery. A restaurant representative referred to the location as a "flagship." A number of non pizza "main plates" were added to the restaurant's menu, including hearth-roasted halibut and fire-grilled ribeye.

Tuesday Morning will be opening soon in the AMC Theatres-anchored Parkway Pointe shopping center on Cobb Parkway. The store will occupy a roughly 12,000 square foot space on the center's second floor, adjacent to shared work space roam. Both roam and Tuesday Morning share a space previously home to Borders Books & Music. The Parkway Pointe location of Tuesday Morning will replace their current location in nearby Cumberland Crossing shopping center, on Cumberland Boulevard, about two miles away. Current plans call for the current location to close early next year, and for the new location to open soon after.

Richard Thomas is hoping to reopen his popular R. Thomas Deluxe Grill in south Buckhead early next month. A kitchen fire the night of October 14 closed the restaurant. Given the eatery is open 24/7, Thomas took the opportunity to complete a few other renovations during the brief break.

Bargainata, which closed in Hilderbrand Court in Sandy Springs earlier this fall, has found a new home. About one mile north at 6600 Roswell Road, Bargainata Thrift Boutique will celebrate their grand opening Friday and Saturday November 20th and 21st. Previously a semi-annual event, the new location will be open year-round on Fridays and Saturdays, 10AM-5PM (with the exception of select holidays.)

Gaja Restaurant, a Korean eatery which previously operated as a "pop-up" within Mother Restaurant & Bar, has opened in their own space. Located at 491-A Flat Shoals Avenue in East Atlanta Village, Gaja is open Tuesday through Sunday from 5-11. The restaurant's sample menu features traditional Korean fare with nothing priced more than twelve bucks.

Late last night Mayor Kasim Reed reportedly made a last minute veto of legislation that would have funded the Moores Mill Road extension project. The extension of Moores Mill Road, between Bolton Road and Marietta Boulevard in Northwest Atlanta, has been the sticking point of Edens' planned Publix-anchored shopping center for years. It was reported earlier this summer that the City Council had approved the funding, but then Mayor Reed vetoed it. Community members called Mayor Reed's actions "spiteful and petty." Councilwoman Felicia A. Moore, who had been tirelessly working to get the project funded, must now convince her fellow council members of the need. Ten votes from council members are needed to override Mayor Reed's veto.

Industry veteran takes leadership role at Buckhead Life.

David Abes, currently Director of Operations for New York-based LDV Hospitality, will be leaving his position at the end of the week.

"I'm very excited" Abes said of the new position. "I'm leaving LDV in great hands. They are a great team and are doing amazing at Dolce."

Abes joined LDV last fall, and helped the group open both Corso Coffee and Dolce, both at The Shops Buckhead Atlanta. Along with fellow New York-import Le Bilboquet, Corso and Dolce have proven to be among the most popular restaurants in the complex. Future plans to open American Cut and Regent Cocktail Club are reportedly on hold until next fall, as the group focuses on its upcoming openings in Puerto Rico and New York. There are reportedly no immediate plans to replace Abes.

Abes, who came to LDV by way of Here to Serve, will be coming home, in a way.

Before coming to LDV Hospitality, Abes spent fourteen years as Director of Operations for Here to Serve Restaurants. In its heyday, the chain included fourteen restaurants throughout metro Atlanta. Prior to Here To Serve, Abes served as general manager for the Atlanta Fish Market during the mid-to-late 90s. Abes also previously served as general manager of Horseradish Grill and was owner of Insignia restaurant.

Abes's new role will be Florida Regional Director of Operations for Buckhead Life Restaurant Group. In his new position, Abes's first task will be the opening of a second Lobster Bar Sea Grille in south Florida.

The new Lobster Bar Sea Grille will be opening in the one time China Grill space on Washington Avenue in South Beach. Siena Tavern, a Chicago-based Italian restaurant, subsequently opened in the space last fall, but only lasted six months before closing earlier this year. Abes expects the 10,000 square foot restaurant to open by next fall.

Abes tells me he will not be "relocating" to Florida and that after the opening he will assume the role of COO with the company at their Buckhead headquarters.

Started by Pano Karatassos and his then partner Paul Albrecht in 1979, the Buckhead Life Restaurant Group has been a staple of the Atlanta dining scene for decades. Today, Buckhead Life includes Kyma, Chops Lobster Bar, Corner Cafe, Pricci, Bistro Niko, Buckhead Diner and the Atlanta Fish Market in Atlanta. The group entered the south Florida market in 2007 with Chops Lobster Bar and later added City Fish Market, and most recently, Lobster Bar Sea Grille, a more contemporary version of Chops Lobster Bar in Ft. Lauderdale.

Furniture retailer to become latest casualty in midtown.

Northbrook, Illinois-based CB2, a division of Crate & Barrel, will close their lone Atlanta location in midtown on December 13th. The store, located in the lobby level of the 1010 Midtown condo building on Peachtree Street, opened in 2010, and is reportedly closing due to a rent increase.

A liquidation sale will reportedly begin during the first week in December with no immediate plans to relocate or reopen elsewhere.

Another store in Santa Monica, California is also slated to close but reportedly not until late January 2016. The Santa Monica store reportedly never received enough traffic to justify staying open.

There are currently ten CB2 locations domestically and three internationally.

CB2 is not the first furniture store to close in midtown Atlanta. Bobby Berk Home, a New York-based furniture retailer, opened in late 2011 at 805 Peachtree Street, and closed in late 2013. Locally owned "Yes Home" closed at the Metropolis in 2011 after seven years in business.

A number of other businesses have recently closed in midtown including Republic of Couture, a designer clothing store, and Max's Wine Dive, a restaurant.

Crate & Barrel will continue to operate stores in Buckhead at The Shops Around Lenox and in Alpharetta at Avalon. (The Avalon location represents the relocation of the store formerly on North Point Parkway near North Point Mall.) Crate & Barrel closed its store at Perimeter Mall in Dunwoody in 2008.

What are your thoughts about CB2? Are you surprised they are closing? With the struggles along Peachtree Street in midtown, will the retailers opening in Ponce City Market suffer the same fate or will they thrive where Peachtree merchants have failed?

Please share your thoughts below.

Franchisee abandons location after reported accidental flood.

Denver, Colorado-based Smashburger has closed its Sandy Springs location. The restaurant, located at 6080 Roswell Road, just north of Hammond Drive, closed about three weeks ago. According to an employee at another location (who used to work at the Sandy Springs restaurant) the owner decided it was not worth reopening the restaurant after a sprinkler malfunction caused flooding and damage inside.

The Sandy Springs location was the chain's fourth unit in the Atlanta market when it opened in late 2011. The restaurant occupied a building once home to Nothing But Noodles. A Moe's Southwest Grill that opened about the same time as Smashburger remains open in a separate building next door.

Smashburger locations on Windward Parkway in Alpharetta, on Barrett Parkway in Kennesaw, on Medlock Bridge in Johns Creek, and on Piedmont Road in Buckhead remain open for now.

Atlanta area Smashburger restaurants were first developed and owned by Rising Star, Inc., a Smashburger franchisee. Rising Star and its CEO Phil Wilkins were originally franchisees of four McDonald's restaurants in Lexington, Kentucky, but sold them and relocated to metro Atlanta to become Smashburger franchisees. Rising Star reportedly once had "ownership rights" to 28 Smashburger restaurants in the Atlanta area, but it seems highly unlikely that number (already reduced from a corporate commitment of 50 units) will ever be realized.

A source close to Smashburger locally tells me that Wilkins subsequently sold his Smashburger holdings to Robert Wagner. According to Wilkins'Twitter page, his new passion is "Helping three sons fulfill their dreams of being college athletes."

Do you think other Smashburger locations in metro Atlanta will soon close? What is your favorite non-local burger chain? What would you like to see open in place of Smashburger in Sandy Springs?

Please share your thoughts below.

Cinnabon debuts new look at suburban mall.

Atlanta-based Cinnabon recently opened a new location at North Point Mall in Alpharetta. The "Bake Shop" design made its Atlanta debut at Cumberland Mall last year, although the North Point location reflects an evolution of that design. Both the Cumberland and North Point locations are corporately owned.

The 880 square foot, inline location is situated across from the Build-A-Bear Workshop in the Dillard's wing on the mall's first floor. Cinnabon previously had a location on the upper level of North Point Mall but it closed "over 10 years ago," according to their corporate office.

One item being introduced at the North Point location is a Whoopie Pie which features the same batter used in a previously tested, but abandoned cupcake offering.

The North Point Bake Shop also offers assorted varieties of Carvel soft serve ice cream flavors. (Both Cinnabon and Carvel are owned by Atlanta-based FOCUS Brands.) The Carvel component allows for the location to offer another new decadent treat, the Cinnabon Sundae, which combines chunks of Cinnabon with Carvel soft serve. Coming in at 900 calories, the sundae is not actually that bad when you consider a classic Cinnabon has 880 calories.

The new Bake Shop marks the debut of Cinnabon's new logo, being tested at North Point, and set for a more widespread launch next year. Cinnabon is currently celebrating its 30th anniversary.

Kat Cole, previously President of Cinnabon, is today Group President over multiple FOCUS Brands concepts. Cole led Cinnabon's efforts to expand their brand via consumer goods and restaurant partnerships, and today oversees similar efforts in the portfolio. As a result of the partnerships, Cinnabon is today a "billion dollar brand."

Cinnabon currently has over 70 partners creating anything from Cinnabon flavored chap stick and coffee, to Cinnabon flavored vodka and air fresheners.

There are currently about 300 mall-based Cinnabon locations. The chain previously had multiple locations in Lenox Square but today has none. Corporate reportedly views Atlanta as a "growing market."

Cinnabon has only a handful of individual locations in metro Atlanta, but operates "shop in shop" locations in eight Schlotzsky's restaurants in Georgia. (Schlotzsky's is also under the FOCUS Brands umbrella.)

North Point Mall is already home to Moe's Southwest Grill and Auntie Anne's. The addition of Carvel to the Cinnabon make the mall home to four of the six FOCUS Brands. (Schlotzsky's and McAlister's Deli are the only two not represented in the mall.)

What are your thoughts on the new look of Cinnabon? Where would you like to see a Cinnabon open next? Have you tried wither the new whoopie pies of Cinnabon Sundae, if so, what were your thoughts?

Evans To End an Era of Nearly 70 Years

Scott Steiner Shows His Love For Shoney's; Opening New Store

Bits & Bites

Macy's North DeKalb Mall May Morph Into... Costco

Forever 21 Bids Farewell to Faltering Mall

Big Bank Bound For Busy Cobb County Corner

Bits & Bites

Following Rosebud's Tragic End, Tom Murphy to Open New Restaurant Next Year

The Forum Athletic Club Muscles Their Way into Midtown

Pollo Tropical Planning a Perimeter Paradise

Highland Bakery Hopes to Bake Up Big Business in Franchising, But is that Good?

After 40+ Years, Tower East Has Been Sold

Buckhead Without A Wendy's Following Peachtree Closures

Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q Eyes Second Location

Fresh to Order to Get a "Fresh" Space in Sandy Springs

Bits & Bites

David Abes Departs LDV For A "Sweet" New Gig

CB2 Cites High Rent: Plans to Close Midtown Location Next Month

Smashburger All Wet in Sandy Springs, Shuts Down Permanently

Cinnabon Debuts New Look and Logo at North Point Mall