Tomorrow's News Today

La Fonda to close Sunday.

La Fonda Latina to shutter Buckhead location this Sunday, November 22nd. The restaurant, situated beside sibling restaurant Fellini's Pizza, will reportedly reopen in the spring after completing unspecified "renovations." A La Fonda spokesperson indicated they plan to renew the restaurant's liquor license and plan to make some changes to make better use of the space during its hiatus.

La Fonda's space is quite small and does a fraction of the business of nearby Fellini's. I suspect that ownership may actually reconcept the space, similar to their tweaks made at their current Great Good BBQ in Sandy Springs.

The Buckhead La Fonda and Fellini's properties are owned the restaurant's owners and not included in the upcoming development next door. Brand Properties plans to develop an 8-story office buildingto the left of the two restaurants on land most notably home to the longstanding Garden Hills Cinema.

Four other La Fonda locations remain open including two close to Buckhead on Roswell Road in Sandy Springs and on Howell Mill Road on the Westside. La Fonda also has a location on Ponce de Leon Avenue in midtown and on McLendon Avenue in Candler Park.

La Fonda Latina, Fellini's Pizza, Greater Good BBQ and Three on the Tree are all owned by business partners Clay Harper and Mike Nelson.

The duo, with partners Jay Martin and Nathan Bolster, plan to open a third Greater Good BBQ and two other unnamed eateries in the East Lake neighborhood next year. A company representative previously said that neither of the other two eateries will be existing concepts. Although delayed, plans call for Greater Good to open this coming spring.

If La Fonda does get reconcepted, what would you like to see open in its place? What other concepts would you like to see the group open in East Lake? What is your favorite location in the restaurant group?

Please share your thoughts below.

Peachtree Bikes will open to the right of KnuckleUp Fitness

Peachtree Bikes is opening a new location in Sandy Springs. The new store, opening in the 4500 block of Roswell Road, will reportedly replace the existing Sandy Springs location on Hilderbrand Drive. The new Peachtree Bikes will occupy what was most recently a AAA office prior to its relocation to a newer, larger building nearby. The new location could offer great crossover business with the adjacent and newly opened KnuckleUp Fitness. Earlier this year, Peachtree Bikes was forced to relocate its Buckhead store which is also located on Roswell Road. The existing Sandy Springs location is about six miles from the Buckhead store, whereas the new Sandy Springs location is barely three miles from Buckhead. Personally, I'd worry that the new Sandy Springs location is both too close to Buckhead and that the building in which its located could be targeted for redevelopment. The new Sandy Springs location is reportedly on track to open early next year.

Athens-based Barberitos has two new locations in the works. New Barberitos locations are opening soon in Tifton at 1026 West Second Street, and Marietta at 2960 Shallowford Road. Barberitos has existing metro locations in Buckhead and Sandy Springs, and thanks to franchising, is closing in on a total of 50 locations in five states.

The new Chick-fil-Aon Northside Drive in West Midtown is scheduled to open December 9th. The First 100 promotion for the new restaurant, like most new openings, is exclusive those who live in select zip codes around the restaurant. The West Midtown opening is especially limited and open to those with valid IDs residing in 30303, 30308, 30309, 30313, 30314, 30318, 30332, 30363, 30369, 39901.

A new Dunkin' Donuts is coming to Peachtree Corners. The new eatery will be built as part of new development at the corner of Peachtree Industrial Boulevard and South Old Peachtree Road.

A new Buffalo Wild Wings is planned for 2472 North Columbia Street in Milledgeville.

A newer, larger Forever 21 is offically open on the first floor of North Point Mall in Alpharetta.

Atlanta-based Arby's plans to open its new downtown Atlanta location at 34 Peachtree Street by the end of the month.

Montreal, Canada based Groupe Dynamite's Garage clothing store has offically entered the Atlanta market with the opening of stores at Mall of Goergia in Buford and North Point Mall in Alpharetta. Although I have not personally visited a Garage store, it seems similar to Forever 21.

Evans Fine Foods is officially closing this coming Saturday, November 21st. Diners looking to get one last meal in are encouraged to get there early, as the restaurant will close no later than 3PM. The freestanding, 3,400 square foot building is actively being marketed by property owner Selig Enterprises.

Paces Properties has secured two tenants for their upcoming "Glenwood Retail" redevelopment at the corner of Glenwood Avenue and Gresham Avenue in East Atlanta Village. The project represents the revitalization of roughly 18,000 square feet of restaurant and retail space and is set to complete in late December. Acorn Amplifiers, a musical equipment dealer specializing in custom handcrafted amplifiers and effects pedals, and So Worth Loving, a custom t-shirt and gift producer, will be located at the redeveloped retail shop spaces. Acorn Amplifiers will occupy a 1,975-square-foot space on the terrace level. So Worth Loving will open a 2,234-square-foot space which will include a retail store as well as production and shipping facility. Both tenants are scheduled to be open by January of next year.

Copa Cabana Cafe, which opened early this spring in East Cobb, has closed. The Cuban restaurant occupied the former Churchill's Pub in the Target-anchored Merchants Festival shopping center on Johnson Ferry and Roswell Roads.

Also in East Cobb, Capozzi's NY Deli closed in early September. Founder Matt Capozzi, who previously worked for "Pasta & Cheese Company" (later known as DiGiorno Pizza) had operated the popular eatery for nearly ten years. Capozzi cited a reported 30% rent hike as a contributing factor in closing the restaurant. Capozzi is now "Assistant Directory to the Commissary" at Kennesaw State University. Patrons of the restaurant will be happy to know that according to his facebook, Capozzi is making his popular pecan pies available for limited sale (only six remain) this holiday season.

Waffle House opening new restaurant near the Big Chicken.

Norcross based Waffle House plans to open a new, nearly 1,900 square foot restaurant on Roswell Road in Marietta. The new freestanding restaurant will be built in place of a one-time Long John Silver's which had more recently been operating as "Supreme Fish & Chicken." The parcel, located at 1176 Roswell Road, sits on roughly .6 of an acre, and is bounded by Freys Gin Court, Freys Gin Road and Roswell Road.

The Waffle House restaurant is located between the Big Chicken and the recently opened Andretti Indoor Karting & Games, in a one-time Woolco.

Online information suggests the restaurant has been in the works since at least late 2014. The restaurant is currently under construction and is reportedly on track to open this upcoming February or March.

Waffle House has been busy in its home state, both adding locations and renovating existing units. A new Waffle House is expected to finally open early next year in downtown Decatur. Another new freestanding Waffle House is expected to open this coming February on Northside Drive across from the soon to open Chick-fil-A.

Waffle House also has another downtown location in the works on Marietta Street in the Luckie Marietta District. Originally scheduled to open this fall, the restaurant been delayed until next fall.

Waffle House is also renovating their Clairmont Road location in Brookhaven, just off I-85. The restaurant was completely gutted and is being rebuilt and should reopen by mid-December.

Where would you like to see Waffle House open next? What is your favorite menu item at Waffle House? What new Waffle House location are you most excited about?

Please share your thoughts below.

For months I've seen constant work on the former Mykonos Taverna off Clairmont Road and I finally have answers!

"Club King"Michael Gidewon plans to open a new "restaurant & lounge" this coming spring in Chamblee. The new, as yet unnamed concept will occupy the former Mykonos Taverna in the outparcel of Sam's Club off Clairmont Road. An extensive renovation of the building is already underway with essentially all of the interior gone. Plans reportedly call for the footprint of the building to remain the same, but with the addition of at least one patio to the building.

The newly constructed patio to the left of the building

The building was originally constructed around 1999/2000 as a Roadhouse Grill. Roadhouse Grill closed in 2008 amidst financial troubles at the corporate level. Mykonos Taverna opened in the space in 2009, remaining there until its closure last May.

The property has great visibility from I-85 and vehicular acessibility from both the I-85 South access road as well as via Clairmont Road.

The fact that the business is being described thus far as a "restaurant & lounge" sounds an awful lot like the ill-fated Scenario in Buckhead. Tucked into the Publix-anchored Chastain Square shopping center on Roswell Road, Scenario also billed itself as a "restaurant & lounge" but was more a nightclub than anything else. Scenario eventually closed and is now a franchised location of Tampa-based Burger 21.

Michael Gidewon, along with his older brother Alex, both immigrants of Eritrea, have a long history of club ownership/management in Atlanta. Currently the Gidewons are involved in Compound Nightclub and SOHO Lounge & Gardens, both at 1008 Brady Avenue on the westside, Prive Atlanta on Spring Street in midtown, and the Gold Room at Lindbergh.

Alex Gidewon's popular and powerful AG Entertainment is the premier promoter of the clubs and their events.

This year the Gidewons closed a number of their more high profile clubs. Vanquish and Reign which had opened in 2011 in midtown, and "the world famous"Velvet Room on Chamblee Tucker Road (which was reborn in 2007), both closed early this year.

There is reportedly a rift between Alex and Michael, possibly related to a romantic incident, and it's believed that Michael is the only Gidewon brother with a significant stake in the new business.

The new Clairmont "restaurant & lounge" is less than a mile from Williamsburg Village shopping center where Pure Nightclub previously operated. Pure, located in what was originally an A&P supermarket, was not well received by the neighborhood, and was eventually forced to close. Interestingly, the reason for its closure was that it was found to be operating a club in a space it was allowed to open in as a restaurant. (For more on this story, see this AJC article.)

Interestingly, the youngest Gidewon, Simon, is a partner in Aroma Lounge, a hookah lounge in Williamsburg Village shopping center. Simon also represents that he is "THE BOSS HOG of Hookah Boyz, LLC," whatever that is, and whatever that means.

The Mansion Elan, located in a converted former movie theater in Plaza Fiesta on Clairmont Road, also operates nearby, but clearly identifies itself as a nightclub.

What are your thoughts on this planned business? Do you buy the notion that this new enteprise will be a "restaurant & lounge?" What food would you like to see this new business serve?

Please share your thoughts below.

New hotel planned for former Northlake restaurant.

A new Home2 Suites by Hilton, an extended stay hotel, is being proposed on Northlake Parkway behind Northlake Mall. The five story, ninety-seven room hotel would replace a restaurant originally built as Bennigan's. The roughly 6,700 square foot restaurant had most recently operated as Lee's Buffet, an Asian restaurant, and before that Dynasty Garden, also an Asian restaurant.

The Home2 Suites will be situated to the left of an existing Marriott TownePlace, an extended stay brand from Marriott International. The Home2 will likely hope to capture some of the frequent "street team" business from the likes of Sabra, which was here recently for a multi-week promotion, and Keurig, which is currently here in support of their new Kold machine.

The new hotel will be owned by Anand Inc. (Dr. Arvind and Divya Patel.) The hotel is located within the boundaries of the contested City of LaVista Hills.

Upon visiting the property recently, I discovered a small lake behind the property. The lake, aptly named, "North Lake," is apparently private property for the exclusive use of those who reside around it. While not accessible, it's definitely a nice, scenic amenity.

"North Lake" as seen from the rear of the Home2 Suites property

When it was launched in January 2009, Home2 Suites by Hilton became the first new brand introduced by Hilton Worldwide in twenty years.

Earlier this year, Hilton added two new hotel brands to their growing roster: Curio and Canopy. Curio, like the Autograph Collection by Marriott, is group of independent hotels that have partnered with Hilton to broaden their reach and gain access to Hilton's booking system. Canopy, of which there are currently no hotels open or listed as in development, is described as "Uncomplicated ease and uncommon value—always with a thoughtful, local and personal touch. The Hilton lifestyle brand for a surprisingly comfortable stay."

Typical Home2 Suites

There are currently Georgia Home2 Suites in Augusta and Columbus. A location in McDonough is expected to open late next month. I previously broke news of another location planned for the historic Walton Building in downtown Atlanta. The downtown property is located at 87 Walton Street in a converted structure originally built in 1910. The 128-room hotel is still in the works, but has been pushed again, now planning to open in April 2016.

When it opens, the Home2 Suites hotel would be the first "ground up" hotel built in the Northlake area in years. In 2008, David Marvin's Legacy Property Group opened a 183 room DoubleTree Hotel in a renovated Radisson Hotel on LaVista Road at I-285, about a mile from the Home2 site.

As I previously reported, Ben F. Kushner Co. plans to redevelop their nearby office complex into a 200,000 square foot shopping center. The center, also located on Northlake Parkway, will be anchored by a Dick's Sporting Goods, among other retailers.

Are you excited about the upcoming hotel? What else would you like to see open in the Northlake/Tucker area? Were you for or against the City of LaVista Hills? Why?

Please share your thoughts below.

Morningside reportedly establishment sold.

The ownership of Buckhead's the IVY has reportedly purchased the former The Family Dog space in Morningside. Previously owned and operated by Chef Ron Eyester, the restaurant along with sibling eatery Rosebud, closed last month. Rosebud was sold to Tom Murphy of Murphy's who plans to open a new restaurant in the space early next year.

It's unclear at this point what kind of business the IVY owners intend to open in the former restaurant but it will undoubtedly have to be different than the college oriented bar (and restaurant) in Buckhead.

The IVY owners, most of whom honed their hospitality skills while managing bars in Athens, have gone on to open a number of restaurants around the south. Among the concepts owned by the group are South in Nashville and The Southern Kitchen & Bar in Birmingham. The IVY, located at 3717 Roswell Road in Buckhead, opened in 2010 in space once home to Carbo's Cafe and Piano Bar. Although originally an ownership group of four men, the group is reportedly now largely run by the duo Benjie Shirah and Daniel Simmons.

What would you like to see the group open in The Family Dog space in Morningside? What are your thoughts on the IVY? Have you been to the group's other out-of-state restaurants? If so, how do they compare to the IVY?

Please share your thoughts below.

Suburban eatery to open in midtown

Twisted Kitchen, a fast casual restaurant with one location in Kennesaw, plans to open a second location early next year in midtown. The midtown location of Twisted Kitchen will open alongside Insomnia Cookies in the street level retail portion of the new University House Midtown at 930 Spring Street.

The restaurant will be roughly 3,800 square feet and will also feature a small patio.

The first Twisted Kitchen which opened in mid 2012, is located on Ernest Barrett Parkway in Kennesaw.

Twisted Kitchen features a menu largely centered on "twisted" pastas, wraps and salads.

Among the pasta offerings are "TK SKILLET LASAGNA:" marinara sauce, meatballs, ricotta, romano, mozzarella, garlic & spinach and "5 CHEESE TK ZITI:" twisted vodka sauce, mozzarella, mild cheddar, pecorino, Romano, crumbled blue cheese, & ricotta.

Twisted Kitchen has developed a following among students at Kennesaw State University, something they will hope to replicate with the students of midtown's Georgia Tech.

Have you been to Twisted Kitchen? If so, what were your thoughts? What else would you like to see open in University House Midtown?

Please share your thoughts below.

New restaurant bound for Buford.

Smokey Bones Bar & Fire Grill plans to open a new location at the Mall of Georgia in Buford. The new restaurant will be located in the "The Village," the outdoor portion of the mall currently home to such restaurants as P.F. Chang's, The Cheesecake Factory, Marlow's Tavern and Tin Lizzy's.

The 7,000 square foot restaurant will occupy the onetime Coldwater Creek store. Coldwater Creek closed last summer with the space later serving as temporary holiday toy store.

Originally developed and launched in 1999 by Orlando-based Darden Restaurants, Smokey Bones Barbecue & Grill, as it was then called, was sold to Boca Raton-based Sun Capital Partners in 2007.

Sun Capital Partners worked to rebrand and repostion the restaurant in the years following its purchase. Most notably, in 2012, the restaurant was rebranded "Smokey Bones Bar & Fire Grill" with a new logo and a resigned restaurant, with an increased emphasis on the bar.

As of August, he chain operated 66 locations in 16 states. Barbecue Integrated, Inc, an affiliate of Sun Capital Partners, owns the chain.

Smokey Bones logo and building as they looked previously

Smokey Bones previously had locations on Satellite Boulevard in Duluth, North Point Parkway in Alpharetta, George Busbee Parkway in Kennesawand Ashford Dunwoody Road in Dunwoody.

While it's unknown what exactly this new location will look like, the fact that it's "inline," versus freestanding, defintely cuts down on the costs associated with opening.

I did find this artist's rendering of a new Smokey Bones which could reflect some of the aspects we can expect to find at the Buford restaurant.

Smokey Bones currently operates three freestanding locations in Georgia in Lithonia, Columbus and Peachtree City.

What are your thoughts about Smokey Bones? Had you been to previous incarnations and to the new version, which do you prefer? Where would you like to see them open next?

Please share your thoughts below.

Chicago-based Garrett popcorn shops plans to open a location at Mall of Georgia in Buford before the end of the year. The Mall of Georgia location will be on the main level of the mall, near JCPenney. The space the popcorn shop will occupy was most recently Naartjie, a children's clothing store, and before that, it was Lids and Origins, the skincare store. The Mall of Georgia location will be the chain's second in Georgia. Garrett's first metro location opened at Lenox Square last fall.

Three new Bojangles' are coming to Georgia in Newnan, Lithonia and Snellville. The Newnan location will be located near the intersection of Georgia Highway 34 & Posey Road. The roughly 3,800 square foot restaurant will be built on a 1.3 acre parcel. The Lithonia location will also be about 3,800 square feet on Turner Hill Road, near Stonecrest Mall and adjacent to an existing Rite Aid. In Snellville, Bojangles' plans to open on vacant land at 3511 Centerville Highway. Like the Newnan and Lithonia locations, the Snellville restaurant will be about 3,800 square feet.

The Bishop on North Avondale Road in Avondale Estates will close November 29th. The restaurant, which was opened last May by hospitality veteran Luellen Marshall, simply never received the neighborhood support it needed to succeed. Personally, I think the restaurant may have been too "Decatur" for Avondale Estates.

Southern Comfort Restaurant & Lounge, a popular dive bar located just outside the perimeter in Conley, will be closing this coming Sunday. Southern Comfort is consistently ranked as one of the best dive bars in the Atlanta area, and has been in business for about 25 years. A restaurant representative indicated that normal closing hours will hold true this week, but that this will be the last 3AM closure on Sunday night/Monday morning.

Nashville-based I Love Juice Bar has sold its Morningside location to Atlanta-based Kale Me Crazy, a similar concept. I Love Juice Bar opened in mid-September making this move especially surprising, on the surface. A Juice Bar associate indicated that the owners got "a really good price," and were therefore willing to sell. I Love Juice Bar locations remain open in Toco Hills Promenade, in Johns Creek and in Suwanee. Kale Me Crazy has existing locations in Inman Park, Decatur and midtown, and has locations coming soon to Brookhaven and Sandy Springs.

After twelve years in business, Bhojanic will be closing its Decatur location November 30th. Ownership mentioned that their lease had come to an end and they "could not come to terms on a lease extension" in explaining the closure. According to the restaurant's facebook page, "A new concept will be opening in the area the first quarter of 2016."Bhojanic's Buckhead location, which opened in 2013 at the Shops Around Lenox, will remain open.

Hooters opened its newest Atlanta area location last week in Buford. I previously reported on the new location and how modern and good looking the building is. I hear the waitstaff ain't bad either.

A new Pollo Tropical is planned for an outparcel of the Walmart Supercenter-anchored Marietta Trade Center at 260 Cobb Parkway South in Marietta. Once opened, the new restaurant will be the Miami-based chain's fifth location in Cobb county.

Newk's Eatery opened its newest metro Atlanta location at Perimeter Expo last week. The nearly 4,000 square foot restaurant opened in the former Pearle Vision, adjacent to the former Off Broadway Shoes store.

Jamba Juice opened its new location in Abernathy Square in Sandy Springs Monday. The 1,200 square foot smoothie and juice joint is located in the Publix-anchored center at the corner of Abernathy and Roswell Roads. Other locations are expected to open early next year in Buckhead on Roswell Road in Publix-anchored Chastain Square, and in Decatur in the FedEx Office anchored center at the corner of North Decatur and Clairmont Roads.

Phil Handley, former Director of Operations for Here to Serve Restaurants, has a a new position. Last month Handley was named opening General Manager of "John Portman Jr.'s legacy restaurant," JP Atlanta. JP Atlanta is slated to open ~~next month~~ in January and will be located within the upcoming Hotel Indigo, at 230 Peachtree Street. JP Atlanta will be helmed by Executive Chef Julio Delgado, a veteran of The Ritz-Carlton hotels in metro Atlanta. Featuring a "new American menu," JP will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner and late night service at the bar to the hotel's 203 guest rooms as well as outside guests.

Demolition work has begun at the site of the upcoming Whole Foods Market-anchoredPeachtree Crossing shopping center in Chamblee. As of last night, fencing surrounds the entire property with the Ashe-Simpson Garden Center nearly half gone and the former Krystal likely next to go.

A new Habitat For Humanity ReStore recently opened in Doraville. The store is located just off I-85 at 3740 DeKalb Technology Parkway, Suite B. The Doraville store is the organization's tenth in metro Atlanta. In case you are unfamiliar, "Habitat for Humanity ReStores are nonprofit home improvement stores and donation centers that sell new and gently used furniture, appliances, home accessories, building materials and more to the public at a fraction of the retail price. ReStores are independently owned and operated by local Habitat for Humanity organizations. Proceeds are used to build homes, community, and hope locally and around the world."

Thank you for your loyal readership, tips and comments this past year, I appreciate and value it. It is your participation and feedback on this site that keeps me going and has made ToNeTo Atlanta as good as it has become.

Happy Thanksgiving!

French retailer prepares to close at Lenox Square.

Nice, France based Façonnable will soon shutter their 4,538 square foot store at Lenox Square in Buckhead. A well placed source indicated that the retailer is throwing in the towel, unable to "find a core customer." I first heard rumblings of the likely store closure earlier this spring. A store official confirmed the closure this week.

Façonnable is currently offering discounts of as much as 90% off in-stock merchandise in their Buckhead store. A store associate indicated that only the Lenox Square store is closing, but industry chatter indicates the entire chain may be endangered.

Façonnable was started in France by Jean Goldberg in 1950. The company was owned by the Goldberg family until department store Nordstrom purchased the brand in 2000. For much of the 2000s, the brand was carried nearly exclusively in Nordstrom, as a house brand of sorts. Nordstrom sold the company to Lebanese private equity group M1 Group in 2007.

The Façonnable store at Lenox Square opened in 2009 in a portion of the former Polo Ralph Lauren space. The space is between Vineyard Vinesand Club Monaco.

The chain has struggled lately after losing its wholesale business with both Bloomingdales and Nordstrom.

Personally, I'd love to see a retailer such as Ted Baker or the Porsche Design store open at Lenox Square. Were you a fan of the Façonnable brand? What would you like to see open in the space next?

Please share your thoughts below.

Chef Tom to open first restaurant in Virginia Highland.

About two months since his former Here to Serve restaurant group abruptly ceased operations, chef Tom Catherall has inked a lease to return to Atlanta. According to Jennifer Brett at the AJC, Catherall plans to open "Tom Tom Tapas & Tequilas" at 1000 Virginia Avenue in Virginia Highland. The restaurant space was previously the original Noche Tequila & Tapas Bar.

“Catherall signed the 10-year lease today with The Meddin Company and plans to open the upscale-casual restaurant in February in time for Valentine’s weekend” his representative said in a statement.

“Tom Tom Tapas & Tequilas will be classic Catherall with a Spanish-inspired menu that is both innovative and always fresh.”

Rather than a return of Catherall's famed tomtom bistro of Lenox Square, the new Tom Tom would seem instead to be a return of Noche, only by a different name. Tomtom bistro, Catherall's first Atlanta area restaurant, opened at Lenox Square in 1993, and while popular, closed in 2002. The former tomtom space, along with others, is the current home of Urban Outfitters.

Along with "Tom Tom Tapas & Tequilas," Catherall has also registered the business name "Tom Tom Kitchen & Bar" with the Georgia Secretary of State.

This move hints at Catherall's rumored return to TOWN Brookhaven, where he once operated three popular concepts, Smash Kitchen & Bar, (which was liked to a tomtom reboot pre opening), Noche Tequila & Tapas Bar, and Shucks Oyster & Wine Bar.

The most likely candidate for the assigned business name would be the Smash space given the similar names.

GLL Real Estate Partners, who purchased Town Brookhaven in August for a reported $162 million, is likely motivated to get as many restaurants as possible reopened as they are currently sitting idle.

Previously, Catherall had expressed interest in reopening the former Noche in Vinings Jubilee, but it's believed property owner Paces Properties is moving forward with other interested parties.

Catherall, now a resident of Watercolor, Florida, had not been part of Here to Serve since last year. Catherall transferred ownership of the company to ex-wife Leigh Catherall as part of the couple’s divorce settlement. Sources indicate that ahead of the transfer, he took a "poison pill" of sorts, leaving the company in poor shape to continue as a going concern.

Sources indicate that Catherall does not plan to relocate to Atlanta but will instead have a general manager, and/or perhaps an operating partner, to run the restaurants.

As I recently revealed, former Here to Serve Director of Operations David Abes, who spent the past year with LDV Hospitality, has returned to Buckhead Life. Additionally, Phil Handley, who took over for Abes, is not a viable option for Catherall either, as he is now opening General Manager at JP Atlanta at the upcoming Hotel Indigo on Peachtree Street downtown.

Former Prime General Manager and subsequent Regional Director for Here to Serve Mark Pinsky indicated to me that he has "no plans to be involved" in Catherall's latest venture(s).

Giving his penchant for gift card promotions, perhaps Catherall will attempt to make good on the many gift card balances left virtually worthless following Here to Serve's closure.

There has been no announcement about a restaurant group or holding company name, but "Used to Serve You Restaurants" was suggested by a reader

Are you excited for Tom Catherall's return to Atlanta? Are you a former employee still bitter over the abrupt closure and lack of payment? Which restaurant space would you like Catherall to take over next?

Please share your thoughts below.

Coffee shop closure coming.

Minneapolis, Minnesota-based Caribou Coffee will soon close their location on Roswell Road, just north of Buckhead in Sandy Springs. The freestanding coffee shop is one of the last remaining of the brand in metro Atlanta. An employee at the location cited the company not being offered a lease renewal as the reason for its closure.

A sign posted on the location indicates the store will close as of Sunday, December 6th.

Well placed sources indicate that Starbucks will replace it. While it's likely that the nearby Starbucks in Publix-anchored Chastain Square will close in favor of this new location, Starbucks Media Relations has yet to return my call seeking comment.

If the move/opening takes place, Starbucks would gain what it now considers a vital part of its business: a drive-through.

Recently, Starbucks opened a new location, sans a drive-through, in a portion of the former MF Sushi at Terminus 100 in Buckhead. Although close, the new Terminus location doesn't exactly replace the former location in Atlanta Financial Center, especially to those in the office complex. The Atlanta Financial Center location which is today Highland Bakery, closed in 2009 as part of a round of closures.

Caribou, too, has closed a number of locations in recent years, including those on Johnson Ferry Road in East Cobb, North Druid Hills & LaVista Roads at Toco Hills, at Perimeter Place in Dunwoody and on Peachtree Parkway at The Forum in Norcross. Once a serious competitor to Starbucks, Caribou Coffee's Atlanta presence has now dwindled to eight locations including two at SunTrust Plaza and two at Hartsfield-Jackson airport.

Joh. A Benckiser, a German holding company, owns majority stakes in both Berkeley, California based Peet's Coffee & Tea, as well as Caribou Coffee. Previously, the group had indicated it planned to rebrand a number of local Caribou Coffee locations under the Peet's moniker, but that never happened. Currently, Peet's only local presence is a small location within the Woodruff Library on the campus of Emory University which opened last year.

More recently, Peet's has purchased both Portland, Oregon based Stumptown Coffee Roasters and Chicago, Illinois based Intelligentsia Coffee & Tea, each popular and established brands amongst coffee enthusiasts.

One local reader who lives a stone's throw from the closing Caribou had previously expressed to me a desire for an independent coffee shop like Oakland, California's Blue Bottle Coffee Company. This reader figured the Gateway project currently under construction would be an ideal location, and he personally promised to patronize it frequently.

Although I think it's unlikely that Blue Bottle, which currently has just twenty-three locations worldwide, would open in Sandy Springs, perhaps Peet's or one of its newly acquired brands would be interested?

What are your thoughts on the recent coffee openings and closings around Atlanta? What one out of town coffee roaster would you like to see enter the Atlanta market? Will you miss Caribou should they decide to leave Atlanta completely?

Please share your thoughts below.

D. Geller & Son plans to relocate its Smyrna location to Akers Mill in March. The family owned jewelry store is actively promoting a "moving sale." The store's current location is within Cumberland Square North shopping center. The center was previously anchored by an Office Depot, but now hosts a Goodwill thrift store as its anchor and a much smaller Office Depot. The store's new location is reportedly the current Jenny Craig space near Brooklyn Water Bagel. Over the past few years, the company has closed its location in Gwinnett near Gwinnett Place Mall and most recently, opened a location in Sandy Springs near the intersection of Hammond Drive and Roswell Road. The company also has a location off Barrett Parkway in Kennesaw.

A new Courtyard by Marriott hotel is being proposed in Vinings near the Vinings Jubilee shopping center. Interestingly, as recently as last year, there was a Courtyard hotel nearby, but it was recently rebranded as the Hotel Indigo Atlanta - Vinings. Vinings Overlook, LLC recently submitted an application to rezone the site at Paces Ferry Road and Overlook Parkway for the planned five-story hotel. The application is expected to be heard a week from today.

Gigi's Cupcakes is now open on the upper level of center court at Cumberland Mall.

Buffalo Wild Wings plans to open its new location at the front of Cumberland Mall next Monday, December 7th.

Vero Pizzeria is scheduled to open next Tuesday, December 8th on Dresden Drive in Brookhaven. The pizzeria is the newest Word of Mouth Restaurant concept and serves Neapolitan-style pizza. The restaurant group, started by Buckhead Life alum Michael Arnette, currently includes HAVEN and Valenza. Although significantly delayed, a fourth concept, a diner-like eatery called "The Royal," is now slated for a late 2016 opened on Peachtree Boulevard in Chamblee.

FLIP Burger Boutique has closed its Poncey-Highlands location on North Highland Avenue. The restaurant, which replaced San Francisco Coffee Co., opened as HD1, a gourmet hot dog concept, in 2011. In 2013, the decision was made to "flip" the concept to the more successful "FLIP Burger Boutique" brand. Although the Buckhead and Westside locations were already up and running, and even though the Poncey-Highlands area is full of families and new residential construction, ownership blamed its proximity to existing locations as the reason for the closure. "After careful consideration we have made the decision to close the FLIP burger Poncey-Highland location due to its close proximity to our successful Howell Mill and Buckhead locations." Could we be witnessing the beginning of the end of "gourmet burgers?" A new owner with a new concept is reportedly already in the works for the space.

Department store to close soon.

As I hinted at in October, the Macy's at North DeKalb Mall will in fact be closing. Store employees were informed November 30th that the store will close no later than January 30th, 2016. Macy's announced in September it planned to close as many as 40 locations nationwide by late January, but has yet to publicly identify the stores destined to close.

I placed calls to other Macy's stores mentioned privately as possible closure targets, and each store associate I reached claimed their store had not been informed of any imminent closure. The stores I contacted included those at Greenbriar Mall, South DeKalb Mall, Northlake Mall, Gwinnett Place Mall and The Mall at Stonecrest.

The Macy's at North DeKalb Mall, originally built in 1965 as a Rich's, is the mall's largest and longest running tenant. Store employees indicated that the store will begin liquidation sales next Thursday, December 10th. The liquidation sale will reportedly be run by a third party liquidation company with no returns, adjustments, etc. once they take over.

(In case you want a deal now, Macy's is currently offering their "Friends & Family" discount of 25% off almost all merchandise. The deal runs until December 10th.)

Despite the imminent closure, upon my visit to the store this week, I discovered plenty of holiday merchandise and decor.

Holiday merchandise at Macy's at North DeKalb Mall

Although there have been no public statements to confirm my assertions, I stand by my research that indicates a Costco Wholesale store will be built in place of the North DeKalb Macy's. Calls placed to representatives of current North DeKalb Mall owner Lennar Commercial were not immediately returned.

As I understand it, Macy's had a deal in place (presumably it's closed by now) with mall owner Sterling Organization/Lennar Commercial to sell their property, which in turn would lease it to Costco.

The current Macy's building is about 197,000 square feet, whereas an average Costco is 142,000 square feet. The outparcel Goodyear/Macy's auto center will reportedly be approximately where a Costco gas station will be built.

The joint venture of Lennar/Sterling plans to redevelop much, if not all, of the remaining portion of the mall into an open air mall, also referred to as a "lifestyle center." Given Lennar currently owns The Avenue East Cobb, Peachtree City, West Cobb and Viera (Florida), all popular suburban lifestyle centers, it's not unrealistic to think they will try to do something similar at North DeKalb.

I tend to think that key tenants like Marshalls and AMC Theatres are likely to remain during an redevelopment, but that most, if not all, other tenants will likely either not be offered leases in the new project of have their leases bought out.

Are you excited about the prospect of Costco in north DeKalb county? What else would you like to see happen at the mall? What is your favorite mall tenant, past or present?

Please share your thoughts below.

New pizza eatery coming to Lenox Square.

Youngstown, Ohio based Rise Pies plans to open its first Georgia location at Lenox Square's Fashion Cafe next spring. The roughly 1,000 square foot eatery will occupy both the former Hovan Gourmet (which has more recently been a number of failed concepts) as well as the soon to close Taco Bell.

Taco Bell is slated to close January 31st, and Rise Pies aims to open May 1st.

Rise Pies marks the return of quick serve pizza to the mall following last February's closure of Sbarro.

Rise Pies offers "handcrafted pizza" in "160 seconds." Standard pizzas at Rise are 10.5 inches in diameter at a base price of just under six bucks for cheese. Premium pies with unlimited toppings cost just under ten bucks. (Both prices were obtained from the existing store at International Plaza in Tampa. Prices for the Lenox location have not yet been published, but should be similar.)

Rise Pies is being opened by one of the largest Auntie Anne's franchisees.

There are currently four Rise Pies locations open in Florida, Ohio and Illinois.

Although Rise Pies is far from alone in the quick serve pizza segment, they are the first business that I'm aware of to bring their pizzas to a mall's food court in metro Atlanta.

California Pizza Kitchen, which reopened November 18th after an extensive remodel, has been a mall mainstay for decades.

What is your favorite quick serve pizza restaurant? Do you think Rise Pies will do well in Lenox Square? What is your perfect price for a personal pizza?

Please share your thoughts below.

Demolition of large apartment complex likely to lead to insane number of new homes.

The Williamsburg Apartments, located near the intersection of Clairmont and North Druid Hills Roads, have been sold.

Atlanta-based TriBridge Residential sold the property last month to Atlanta based PulteGroup. I first heard rumors of the proposed sale and redevelopment in September, but the the other shoe dropped late last month.

Residents, many of whom are retirees, were informed November 30th that they must vacate the property "prior to February 1st 2016." Financial incentives are being offered to tenants on a sliding basis this month. Those who vacate their apartments by December 18th will receive a $1,000 moving allowance as well as a 50% December rent rebate. Tenants who vacate the property by December 31st will receive a $500 moving allowance and a 50% December rent rebate. Those who don't vacate by the end of the year reportedly receive nothing.

A housing fair was held earlier this week for Williamsburg residents

Amazingly, when I spoke to a leasing representative at the complex in late September, they were still actively leasing and renewing leases. For leasing and renewing to go on like business as usual seems rather cruel to those who might have just moved in less than 60 days ago and are now faced with another move.

The 416 unit complex, built in 1965, sits on 37 acres within close proximity to Emory University, the CDC, VA, Decatur and both I-85 and US 78. Currently, the project has access in/out from both Clairmont and North Druid Hills Roads, making the site especially convenient.

On the Clairmont Road side of the apartment complex, a former gas station and convenience store are also being targeted for redevelopment. Current plans call for an approximately 27,000 square foot three story office building to be built on the one acre parcel. At the corner of Clairmont and North Druid Hills Roads, a former Exxon gas station remains vacant and available.

PulteGroup, which relocated last year to Buckhead from Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, plans to build a mix of detached single family homes and townhomes. Given the size of the parcel, the number of units is sure to be tremendous.

Julian LeCraw & Company, the company whose former employees started TriBridge Residential, has been trying to redevelop the Williamsburg property for years. I found Clairmont Heights Civic Association pieces from 2008 and 2009 detailing the firm's efforts to redevelop the property. After facing substantial pushback from the neighborhood, it seems as though TriBridge has opted to let PulteGroup be the one to attempt the redevelopment.

Last year, I detailed PulteGroup's planned redevelopment on LaVista Road. PulteGroup planned to demolish four single family homes in the 2600 block of LaVista Road near Oak Grove Road. Pulte applied to have the property rezoned to allow for a 21-unit townhome community to be built. The project would have been "similar in style, scale and quality" to their recently completed project Overlook at North Druid on North Druid Hills Road, not far from Target. In this case, the neighborhood was able to effectively voice their concerns about added congestion and the proposal was not approved.

Reportedly the Williamsburg property will not require rezoning. Current plans call for demolition work to commence late in the first quarter of 2016. This timeline is likely subject to change depending upon the cooperation of existing tenants in their relocation from the property.

One side effect of the forced departure of the many tenants of Williamsburg Apartments has been an influx of new tenants elsewhere in the vicinity. Relocated Williamsburg Apartment tenants moving into Calibre Woods (next to Bruster's at Toco Hills Shopping Center) for example, have resulted in a zero vacancy rate there.

TriBridge Residential also owns The Darlington, a landmark 612 unit complex on Peachtree Road in Buckhead. Like Williamsburg, the property is well located but dated, and is also reportedly being actively marketed for redevelopment.

What are your thoughts on this planned redevelopment? Do you know anyone who lives/has lived in the Williamsburg Apartments? How many new homes do you think will be built?

Please share your thoughts below.

Popular neighborhood eatery to shutter.

Mezza, an independently owned Lebanese restaurant in Oak Grove, will be closing December 31st, after 15 years in business. The restaurant's owners, the Bitar family, said that their lease was ending and that it was a difficult decision to close but one that needed to be made due to "unexpected family related issues."

Mezza first opened in the Oak Grove community February 20th, 2001.

At one point, the restaurant encompassed two storefronts in its Oak Grove Shopping Center home. More recently, the restaurant consolidated back down to a single space with Queenie's Consignment having opened in their vacated space earlier this year.

Oak Grove center is also home to Oak Grove Market, The Grove, Taqueria El Vecino and a few other smaller shops. Beer Growler Nation closed earlier this year in the center, and after talk that Sherlock's Wine Merchant might open in its space, it remains vacant.

Not far away, Sobban, the Korean southern diner that opened about two years ago in the one-time Arby's on Clairmont Road by the VA, is also closing. The owners, Jiyeon Lee and Cody Taylor, plan to close Sobban December 19th. There is reportedly a chance Sobban will reopen elsewhere in the future, but it is likely to be near the owners' other restaurant, Heirloom Market BBQ in Smyrna.

What would you like to see open in the Mezza or Beer Growler spaces? What is your favorite Oak Grove neighborhood eatery? What will you miss most about Mezza?

Please share your thoughts below.

Construction to begin soon at site of former Varsity Jr.

More than five years since its closure, and over a year since I first reported its fate, the former Varsity Jr. will in fact become a new self storage facility. While rumors of the deal falling apart had spread over the past few months, I confirmed there are active permits for the construction of the self storage facility.

The new facility, to be known as "Lindbergh Self Storage," will cost $3.5 million to construct, according to building permits filed this week with the City of Atlanta. The nearly 100,000 square foot facility will reportedly have 750 climate-controlled storage units. The four story building, which sits on roughly 1.4 acres, will reportedly be completed in about eight months according to someone with knowledge of the construction timeline.

Less than a half mile from the new storage facility, Extra Space Storage already operates in a converted Service Merchandise store and parking lot.

Additionally, there is also another storage facility, Public Storage, located about a mile away, near the intersection of LaVista and Briarcliff Roads.

What are your thoughts on this new development? Are you in favor of this redevelopment? What else would you like to see happen in the area?

Please share your thoughts below.

Gap shuttering local stores.

San Francisco-based Gap is actively closing their locations at Town Center at Cobb in Kennesaw, and at The Shoppes at Webb Gin in Snellville.

The Kennesaw closing includes Gap, GapKids and babyGap stores, while the Snellville closing includes Gap, GapKids, babyGap and GapBody.

The Kennesaw stores, located on the mall's second floor in the Macy's wing, will reportedly cease operations no later than January 28th. The stores are currently offering up to 50% off in-stock merchandise, referring to the pricing as their "Good Buy" sale. Separate themed signage says "TAKE A STAND" SELECT STORE FIXTURES NOW ON SALE. (At least they're able to have fun promoting a closing sale.)

The Snellville location, anchoring the side of the center opposite Sprouts Farmers Market and DSW, is offering the same sale and will reportedly close at the same time.

Signs at the Town Center location direct customers to the Gap store at The Avenue West Cobb, about nine miles southwest of Town Center. The Snellville store directs customers to the Gap stores at Mall of Georgia, about 13 miles north.

The closures will leave the company with eighteen locations (including outlet and full line) in Georgia.

Although completely unrelated to this round of closures, Gap has previously closed a number of metro locations. Previous store closures have occurred in Gwinnett Place Mall, Cumberland Mall, North DeKalb Mall, Northlake Mall, Underground Atlanta, Arbor Place Mall and Phipps Plaza. (Gap stores at North Point Mall closed last year and subsequently reopened at Avalon.)

Gap continues to feel the effect of a changing retail landscape, one in which they have failed to maintain their popularity.

In June, Gap Inc. (the company also owns Old Navy, Banana Republic and Athleta) unveiled plans to close 175 of its namesake Gap stores over the next few years in order to "rightsize" the company’s store count. Out of the 175 planned closures, Gap intends to shutter 140 this year and the remaining stores in subsequent years. At the end of the consolidation, Gap will have 800 stores.

Gap, Abercrombie & Fitch, Aeropostale and even J.Crew continue to face headwinds as they tweak their pricing and models to compete with newer "fast fashion" offerings. Forever 21, Topshop, Mango, Zara, etc. have all eaten away at the tween and young adult market once dominated by the aforementioned mall-based retailers.

What can Gap do to recapture lost market share? What and when did you last purchase at Gap? What would you like to see open in place of Gap at Town Center?

Please share your thoughts below.

Signage at the property indicates that "Press & Grind" is the name of the new concept from Stacy Eames of The Highland Bakery. Press & Grind has been in the works for over a year and replaces the former Aurora Coffee near the intersection of North Highland Avenue and Virginia Avenue in Virginia Highland. According to an employee at The Highland Bakery on Highland Avenue, Press & Grind is on track to open December 28th.

After a few delays, Corks & Caps, the new shop from the owners of pH Wine Merchant in Peachtree Hills opened this past Thursday at Gateway in Sandy Springs.

Willy's Mexicana Grill has opened two new locations, one in Kennesaw, the other in Roswell. The Kennesaw location at Townpark shopping center on Chastain Road opened December 1st. The Roswell location, located on West Crossville Road, opened yesterday. In other Willy's news, the Howell Mill location closed last week to undergo renovations that will have it looking like newer and recently renovated locations in the area. The restaurant is expected to reopen in late January following the extensive remodel. Willy's also plans to open a new location in a former Radio Shack on Windward Parkway in Alpharetta in March.

Dean's Barbecue on Main Street in Jonesboro is slated to close December 31st. The popular barbecue eatery has been serving the Clayton county community since 1946.

A new ALDI is slated to open soon on Peachtree Parkway in Peachtree Corners. The grocery store will be located in Peachtree Marketplace fya Peachtree Corners Shopping Center. The store joins the renovated NCG Cinema in the center also home to freestanding locations of IHOP and Chick-fil-A. A few years ago, ALDI considered opening in the former Bruno's nearby where EarthFare opened last year.

A new Fifth Third Bank is planned for 1017 Roswell Street in Marietta near the Big Chicken. The new location will be one of the bank's first ground up new branches in metro Atlanta.

Waffle House reopened their popular location on Clairmont Road by I-85 this past Monday. The restaurant closed in early October and was largely deconstructed and rebuilt.

Tommy Bahama, which is based in Seattle but owned by Atlanta-based Oxford Industries, will soon relocate and expand their store at Phipps Plaza. Currently located on the mall's second floor, the retailer will reopen in the spring in a slightly larger space on the first floor. The new Tommy Bahama will reportedly sport the chain's new design and will open adjacent to Nordstrom in the one time home of Carter Barnes salon. The space is currently home to a temporary Nicole Miller as they have their new nearby space built out.

A new at&t store is opening in the recently closed Smashburger on Roswell Road in Sandy Springs.

La Fonda Latina Says Hasta el Próximo Año in Buckhead

Bits & Bites

Waffle House Continues to Cover Georgia in New Locations

"Club King" Taking Over Former Mykonos Taverna in Chamblee

New Extended Stay Hotel Planned For Northlake

Ivy Owners Take Over The Family Dog in Morningside For New Concept

Twisted Kitchen To Turn Up in Midtown

Smokey Bones Plans to Bring the Heat to Buford

Bits & Bites

Façonnable Fermer at Lenox Square

Tom Catherall Returning to Atlanta

Caribou Coffee to Fade to Black in Sandy Springs

Bits & Bites

CONFIRMED: Macy's at North DeKalb Mall Closing

New to Market Rise Pies Planning Buckhead Debut

Historic Williamsburg Apartments to be Demolished

End of The Year Will be End of the Road For Mezza in Oak Grove

UPDATE: Varsity Jr. Parcel Becoming "Lindbergh Self Storage"

Fewer Places to "Fall into the Gap" in Georgia

Bits & Bites