Tomorrow's News Today

Pizza Hut on hiatus in Chamblee

Pizza Hut has closed its freestanding "hut" in Chamblee making it an official UTBAPH (Used to be a Pizza Hut). The restaurant, which also housed the chain's WingStreet business, was located at 5577 Peachtree Industrial Boulevard, and was owned by Overland Park, Kansas-based NPC International. NPC is the largest Pizza Hut franchisee in the country with over 1200 locations in 27 states.

The restaurant quietly closed last week and has already been stripped of all signage and painted over where residue from signage would have made it legible. Despite this, the location was still marked as open on both the NPC International website and Yelp.com.

NPC as well as other Pizza Hut operators around the country and around the world continue to abandon freestanding "huts" in favor of smaller, more efficient inline locations.

This shift reflects an overall change in the tastes and preferences of today's consumers. If you want "cheap" pizza like Pizza Hut or Papa John's, chances are you prefer it be delivered rather than sitting down and eating it at the restaurant. Back in the day, I totally looked forward to my free personal pan pizza (dine in only if I recall) reward from the company's Book It! kids' reading program. Amazingly the program still exists today having recently celebrated its 30th anniversary.

A new, 1,300 square foot Pizza Hut is expected to open in March in a new multi-tenant building constructed in place of a shuttered Checkers. The property which sits at 5485 Peachtree Industrial Boulevard, across the street from Chamblee Plaza, will also be home to Jimmy John's and an at&t store.

Locally, Amy Fingerhut of CBRE, assists NPC in their un-hut-ing efforts.

In recent years, NPC has vacated freestanding hut locations in Buckhead on Piedmont Road and near Northlake Mall on Henderson Mill Road. In each case they reopened inline locations nearby. The Buckhead hut was demolished and rebuilt as a Chase Bank while the Northlake hut was taken to its foundation and rebuilt as a Chipotle Mexican Grill.

The 2,000 square foot Chamblee hut is currently"for lease" so hopefully it will be saved from the wrecking ball but with something better than Title Bucks or a pawn shop, please.

While there are a dwindling number of Pizza Hut operated hut locations remaining, NPC continues to operate at least two in metro Atlanta and on Peachtree Parkway in Norcross and Buford Highway in Brookhaven. NPC also operates hut locations in Lilburn, Buford, Winder, Loganville, Alpharetta, Commerce and Oakwood, among others.

One of the oldest continuously operating Pizza Hut restaurants in metro Atlanta closed last year on Collier Road. In business for over 40 years, the restaurant closed last January and is expected to reopen soon as "DAS BBQ."

For more UTBAPHs, click here.

What would you like to see the former Pizza Hut in Chamblee become? What is your favorite hut conversion in metro Atlanta? What is your favorite delivery-centric pizza business in metro Atlanta?

Please share your thoughts below

The new Kroger at Lindbergh Place

Kroger to anchor new center

Ardent Commercial Realty and Fuqua Development plan to begin pre-construction work soon on their joint venture at Northside Drive & 17th Street near IKEA. The new development, close to but not part of Atlantic Station, will be anchored by an approximately 82,000 square foot Kroger grocery store. The Kroger will be similar in size and offerings to the recently opened Kroger at Lindbergh Place, another Fuqua project, near the corner of Piedmont Road and Morosgo Drive. Among the "premium" amenities expected to be included in the new Kroger are a Starbucks, beer/wine bar, "ClickList" grocery ordering, The Little Clinic and assorted prepared and customizeable meal options.

Avid readers of ToNeTo Atlanta will recall that earlier this summer I revealed Kroger's plans to expand their existing store at Howell Mill Square on Howell Mill Road. With the Howell Mill store less than two miles from the planned store at Northside & 17th, sources indicate that Kroger may have indefinitely tabled their expansion plans for the older store.

I contacted Glynn Jenkins, Public Relations Director for Kroger’s Atlanta Division, about the company's Northside and Howell Mill plans. In response to my inquiry as to the status of each project and whether both are still in the works, Jenkins responded by indicating "There is currently no timeline for the expansion of this project."

This past June, Jenkins' response to the Howell Mill expansion was "There is no timeline for the expansion of this project, as we continue to work through scope of work and layout of the store. The proposed expansion will add 25,000 square feet making the store approximately 83,000 sf."

The new verbiage seems to reflect a change in direction.

While Kroger may not be expanding, Chin Chin, one of two restaurants slated to move to make way for the expansion, has moved. The Chinese eatery reopened in their new space near Piccadilly, on the other side of the center, a few weeks ago. Mama Niki's Pizza, the other restaurant that would have been on the move, is still in place but reportedly has an existing lease that is due to expire mid next year.

Overall, the Northside & 17th project encompasses about 12.5 acres with the Kroger and its accompanying 14 pump fuel center occupying a significant portion of the project. The center is slated to also include a number of restaurants and retailers in adjoining and freestanding pads/outparcels. Given the center's proximity to Georgia Tech, Atlantic Station and the Westside, there is surely to be healthy interest from quick serve restaurants and assorted service providers eager to tap into the growing market.

Earlier plans to include residential units in the complex have reportedly been abandoned in favor of additional commercial development.

Before the 2008 financial crisis, there was talk of both The Home Depot and Costco opening stores on the property, but those plans were abandoned years ago. Another more recent plan was to relocate the current 100+ year old AMTRAK station from Deering Road and Peachtree Street to the property, but that too failed to materialize.

Walmart Supercenter, which opened in late 2006, anchors the District at Howell Mill, a Selig project beside the existing Kroger store. Walmart filed a permit with the city of Atlanta last month for renovations to its nearly 150,000 square foot store. The permit, which indicates the retailer will spend $1,000,000 in renovations, doesn't indicate any revolutionary upgrades or changes. Instead, it may be a competitive move by the retailer given the previously announced expansion of its neighboring Kroger and now the planned opening of a second large format Kroger nearby.

Sources indicate that the new Kroger should debut in early 2018.

What restaurants or retailers would you like to see open as part of the new Northside & 17th project? Do you think the new Kroger will give the Publix in Atlantic Station a run for its money? Do prefer large or small format grocery stores?

Please share your thoughts below.

Earlier today Mercedes-Benz Stadium released the list of its restaurant partners, referring to them as "Best of Atlanta."

"Today, Mercedes-Benz Stadium announced the restaurant partners that will be featured in Mercedes-Benz Stadium and showcase the Best of Atlanta, as selected by our fans. Ranging from well-established iconic restaurant brands to best-in-class local and minority-owned restaurants, these partners will extend the fan-first pricing philosophy offering menu items priced comparably or the same as what is found in their respective restaurants."

Antico - locally owned authentic Neapolitan pizza (Antico is also opening at The Battery Atlanta, at SunTrust Park, the new home of the Atlanta Braves.)

Bruster's Real Ice Cream - an Atlanta favorite, premium handcrafted ice cream made fresh daily

Chick-fil-A– Atlanta’s iconic chicken sandwich and more

Golden Brown & Delicious, a fun Southern concept from Concentrics Restaurants, nationally renowned restaurant group, creators of Atlanta’s ONE. midtown kitchen and TWO urban licks.

Delia’s Chicken Sausage– Atlanta's chef-driven, hand-crafted, all-natural chicken sausage

Farm Burger– fresh, locally-sourced grass-fed beef burgers

Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q – award-winning local barbeque (Fox Bros. is also opening a new restaurant at The Battery)

Iberian Pig– local modern Spanish fare by the Castellucci Hospitality Group

Jim N Nicks– traditional regional barbeque

Kevin Gillespie’s Gamechanger – big flavors with playful riffs on American indulgence

King of Pops– Atlanta's own artisanal popsicles with thoughtful ingredients and interesting flavors

Miss D’s Popcorn– local Atlanta popcorn, pralines and sweets

Snackology 101 Market– locally-owned curated line of natural and organic foods

Sublime Doughnuts – Atlanta’s own chef-inspired doughnuts and gelato

The Varsity - Iconic hotdogs and part of Atlanta’s history since 1928

There restaurants are in addition to the previously announced "fan first" pricing which applies to traditional concession items.

$2 – Non-alcoholic beverage products with unlimited free refills (at freestanding refill stations)

$2 – Dasani bottled water; hot dogs; pretzels; popcorn

$3 – Peanuts; pizza; nachos; waffle fries

$5 – 12 oz. domestic beer

Mercedes-Benz Stadium is expected to open next spring and will be the permanent home of the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United FC, a new MLS (Major League Soccer) team.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium is slated to play host to a number of large sporting events in the coming years. Among the upcoming events are the Peach Bowl (annually) as well as the SEC Championship Game in 2017 until 2027. The stadium will also host the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game on Saturday, September 2, 2017, featuring the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Florida State Seminoles and a second 2017 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game, scheduled for Monday, September 4, between the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and the Tennessee Volunteers. Additionally, Mercedes-Benz Stadium will host the 2018 College Football National Championship Game and Super Bowl LIII in 2019. The stadium is also expected to host the men's college basketball Final Four in 2020.

What restaurant or concept are you most excited about? What other restaurant or concept would you like to see join the mix at Mercedes-Benz Stadium? Will the growth of Antico ruin the concept for you?

Please share your thoughts below.

The former Johnny Carino's just outside Sugarloaf Mill in Lawrenceville is undergoing renovations to become Pepe's Mexican Grill. Johnny Carino's closed last year and Pepe's is expected to open early next year. The former Johnny Carino's on Camp Creek Parkway was demolished and rebuilt earlier this year and and has since welcomed Chipotle Mexican Grill and at&t at Camp Creek Marketplace.

Culver's is now open on Buford Drive in Buford. Other locations are coming soon to Hickory Flat (Canton), Grovetown and Lawrenceville.

Kitchen Six at Oak Grove on LaVista Road is currently planning to open Christmas week. The new farm-to-table restaurant occupies the former Mezza Lebanese eatery. Kitchen Six has named Atlanta-native Chef Jason Jimenez as its Executive Chef. Jimenez attended culinary school at Johnson and Wales University in Charleston, SC and has worked at several popular Atlanta area restaurants, including Canoe, Local Three and Muss & Turner’s.

Local gift boutique Crafted has opened a temporary seasonal shop on the top floor of Lenox Square adjacent to Bloomingdale's.

La Fête Chocolat is now open on the main level of Lenox Square, just outside Bloomingdale's, below the escalator. The chocolate shop's opening follows the openings of Sugarfina (gourmet candy) Bubbleology (bubble tea) and Amorino (gourmet gelato) as recent shop additions to the main mall corridor.

Eisenberg & Bogdanoff Cosmetic & Family Dentistry announced earlier today that they are on the move. While I don't often cover dental practice re-locations, their new home merits mention. The practice will relocate from a small, older office across from Fire Station 8 on Clairmont Road to the former Briarcliff Library on Briarcliff Road. The new location is about a mile from the current office and is expected to open in early January. The new Fogo de Chão at Ashford Dunwoody and Meadow Lane Roads in Dunwoody officially opens today at 5 PM. The restaurant is expected to open for lunch service starting tomorrow.

Academy Sports + Outdoors, Starbucks, Panda Express and Freddy's, among others, have opened at Kennesaw Marketplace in Kennesaw. The new Fuqua Development center will soon welcome a new QuikTrip and a new Whole Foods Market next year along with a host of new restaurants such as Newk's Eatery, Zoës Kitchen, Burger 21 and Smoothie King, among others.

Frank Bragg plans to open a second location of his popular Candler Park eatery Radial Cafe next year in College Park. The restaurant will open on Main Street in the former The Pecan, which closed earlier this year after ten years in business. Bragg, an industry veteran, spent over nine years with Atlanta's Metrotainment Cafes before going it his own and purchasing Radial Cafe in late 2010.

Tropical Smoothie Cafe opened its newest location yesterday in TOWN Brookhaven. This marks the second Brookhaven location for the growing restaurant, the other is located in The Village at Druid Hills at Briarcliff and North Druid Hills Roads. In the coming months, Tropical Smoothie Cafe plans to open a new location at University House on Spring Street in midtown and at Owl Creek Commons, just off Chastain Road in Kennesaw. Tropical Smoothie Cafe also plans to join Pieology and others at a new center on Roswell Road in Sandy Springs. Other new locations are coming soon to Canton and Johns Creek.

WestPoint Home plans to celebrate the grand opening of its new store at North Georgia Premium Outlets in Dawsonville on December 17th. The store features an assortment of sheets, towels, quilts, blankets, comforters and decorative pillows, among other items. During the Grand Opening, customers will receive a free monogram (one per customer) with the purchase of any personalizable item. The store features products from designer brands such as Izod, and Southern Tide as well as Under The Canopy, Portico, Martex, Vellux, and many others. The 6,000 square foot store, one of the company's largest to date, is the third in the Peach state making Georgia its most significant presence. The company recently closed its Lake Park location but remains open in Savannah (Pooler) and Dalton.

TOWN Brookhaven to have pizza once more

Ohio-based PizzaFire, a quick-serve build-your-own pizza concept, plans to enter the metro Atlanta market next year with a new restaurant in TOWN Brookhaven. The pizza eatery will open in the space previously occupied by another quick serve pizza restaurant, treza. Treza was the original occupant of the 3,000 square foot space and opened in late 2011 but was closed by early 2014.

PizzaFire was launched in Akron, Ohio in October 2014 and has since expanded to thirteen locations throughout Ohio with another 20 or so listed as "coming soon" on the company's website. Strangely, the Brookhaven location, which TOWN Brookhaven's twitter account announced last month would be joining the "merchant mix in 2017," is not listed on the PizzaFire website in any category.

Sean Brauser, the creator of PizzaFire, previously expanded Romeo's Pizza, once a single unit traditional mom & pop pizzeria, to a regional franchise with over 30 locations. (While named the same, Romeo's Pizza is not related to Romeo's Pizza of Johns Creek and Emory Village)

Brauser's entry into quick serve pizza comes at a time when countless quick serve pizza shops have popped up both locally and nationally. In PizzaFire's home market of northeast Ohio, Blaze Pizza, a Pasadena, California-based chain recently entered the market, helped by the star power of Akron-native LeBron James. (James opted not to renew his endorsement deal with McDonald's in 2015 and has since become a spokesperson for, in addition to an investor in, Blaze Pizza.)

Earlier this year, Technomic, a restaurant industry research firm, released its Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report which tracks year-over-year sales growth. Three of the five best performers were quick serve pizza operators with Blaze Pizza leading the pack with 205% YOY sales growth. MOD Pizza was second (up 131%) and Pieology Pizzeria was fourth (up 67%).

Brauser sets PizzaFire apart in two ways.

One, each restaurant reportedly grows their own hydroponic romaine lettuce and basil. This methodology provides patrons not only an organic offering but also a ridiculously fresh product.

The second differentiating factor for PizzaFire is that their pizza ovens rotate internally and deliver a product that is ready in three minutes. (Given treza did not utilize such an oven, this would seem to represent a significant expense if the oven must be replaced.)

PizzaFire offers 12 inch "Neapolitan style" pies in both fully customizeable varieties ( $6.49 / $7.49 / $8.49 for 1, 3, & 5 topping pies) and "specialty pies" priced between $7.49 and $8.49. The restaurant also reportedly offers a gluten-free dough option.

PizzaFire also offers assorted sides and salads. Amazingly, they even include a link to their nutrition facts on their website.

In such a competitive market, will these features be enough to make PizzaFire successful in metro Atlanta? It's tough to say for sure but given the local franchisee (believed to be Suwanee resident Daniyar Bekenov) inherits a second generation pizza restaurant that limits his capital expenditures, one can hope he succeeds.

The former treza

Local quick serve pizza operator Uncle Maddio's Pizza has experienced a significant reduction in its store count following months of continual closures. In a fascinating recent article in Nation's Restaurant News, Matt Andrew, the company's founder, blamed the closures on “early mover mistakes.”

The Brookhaven community recently lost Slice of Brookhaven off Dresden Drive but still has Vero Pizzeria on Dresden as well as Avellino's Pizzeria on Windsor Parkway. That being said there has not been a quick serve pizza option in Brookhaven since the closure of treza.

TOWN Brookhaven has added a number of new restaurants over the past few months including Jefe's Tacos & Tequila, Tin Can Oyster Bar, Copper Coin, and most recently Tropical Smoothie Cafe.

The former Bonehead's

Still, Smash Kitchen & Bar and Bonehead's both remain vacant while another "fully equipped turnkey restaurant" is currently listed for sale on The Shumacher Group's website.

Do you think PizzaFire will find success in TOWN Brookhaven? What is your favorite quick serve pizza brand, locally or that you've experienced elsewhere? What would you like to see open in the Smash and Bonehead's spaces?

Please share your thoughts below.

Peachtree Corners pizza place quietly closes

The Mellow Mushroom on Peachtree Parkway in Peachtree Corners has closed. The approximately 2,500 square foot restaurant, in business for twenty years, abruptly shuttered its doors earlier this week. The Norcross area franchise of the Atlanta-based restaurant had reportedly suffered a sales drop amidst a significant overhaul and renovation at the shopping center.

As I detailed in a post this past September, Peachtree Market Place, the center in which Mellow Mushroom was previously a tenant, is expected to welcome new locations of both LA Fitness and Aldi as well as Buffalo Wild Wings. With Mellow Mushroom sandwiched beside the Aldi construction site, it's understandable to see why their business was hurt.

In addition to the effects the construction likely had on the pizza restaurant, Mellow Mushroom corporate has reportedly been pushing hard on existing franchisees to complete expensive renovation projects. As a company, Mellow Mushroom is moving away from inline locations in order to prioritize freestanding units.

At times, franchisees complete some or all of the requested upgrades, other times they find them to be too costly to complete and either close or rebrand.

In Decatur, a once popular Mellow Mushroom was forced to close in 2014 after Homegrown Industries of Georgia. Inc., Mellow Mushroom's parent company, insisted the franchisee complete what he felt were excessive renovations and upgrades. (A new Mellow Mushroom Decatur, designed by local firm square feet studio, is expected to open next week on West Ponce de Leon Avenue.)

In Lawrenceville, longtime Mellow Mushroom franchisee Charlie Taylor closed his Mellow Mushroom restaurant this past August. A few days later, Taylor opened "Mystic Moon Gourmet Pizza" in the same space. A source close to the situation credited Homegrown and their renovation demands as being the catalyst for branding change.

Another longstanding Mellow Mushroom in Carrollton near the University of West Georgia abruptly closed in 2012, reportedly due to a "franchise disagreement."

A sign posted on the window of the former Mellow Mushroom in Peachtree Corners thanks guests for their patronage and invites them to dine at the Johns Creek Mellow Mushroom, about six miles north on Peachtree Parkway.

Although only four miles from the Johns Creek location, perhaps a new Mellow Mushroom, either freestanding or encap, could come to the upcoming Fuqua Development project, Peachtree Corners Town Center, across from The Forum.

While an earlier site plan indicated that Aldi, Buffalo Wild Wings and LA Fitness would open in November, December and "Spring 2017," respectively, at Peachtree Market Place, those all seem to have been delayed. Aldi looks like it could open in late January/early February, Buffalo Wild Wings may open in the spring, with LA Fitness looking more like a summer debut.

Are you sad to have lost Mellow Mushroom from Peachtree Corners? Do you feel like Mellow Mushroom has become "too corporate?" What else would you like to see open in revamped shopping center?

Please share your thoughts below

Local restaurant & real estate brokerage The Shumacher Group consistently has restaurants for sale in and around Atlanta and the southeast. Much of the time the restaurant's name or exact location are not disclosed, but sometimes they are. Below are four current listings for Atlanta area restaurants actively for sale and my take on each.

521 Kitchen & Que

This 2,500 square foot restaurant opened in late 2014 in place of the former Tin Drum in Wieuca-Roswell shopping center. Off the bat, the restaurant was competing for BBQ sales with The Greater Good BBQ, a Fellini's/La Fonda group restaurant located nearby. I live very close to this restaurant and only went once and left unimpressed. If you are a new concept competing against an established and well capitalized operator, you gotta set yourself apart by either offering a compelling value or superior food. In my opinion 521 offered neither.

The sales listing indicates that the restaurant includes seating for 70 with rent of $8,300 per month (all in). The lease has several years left on primary with 2-five year options to renew. The owners reportedly spent $300,000 to renovate and update the space. The BBQ smoker is not included in sale but could be purchased for an additional $16,000. "Sale does not include name or brand so no books and records other than lease, asset list, fixed costs and expenses will be provided."

Priced at $99,000

Burger 21

An independent franchise of the Tampa-based company, the Buckhead location in Chastain Square opened last summer in place of Chopstix/Scenario to the left of Publix. Even before it opened, I questioned the viability of another "better burger" joint in north Buckhead where Cheeseburger Bobby's and FLIP, among others, already exist. I rarely saw the restaurant busy, and although I live nearby, I only visited once. The food was good, not extraordinary, and did not leave me wanting to return any sooner than I would to any other place. Locally, the chain also has locations in Buford near the Mall of Georgia and in Johns Creek. A location on Scenic Highway in Snellville remains "temporarily closed" following a brief nearly 90 days in business earlier this spring. Another location is "coming soon" to Kennesaw Marketplace, while two others are in the works in Midtown and Sandy Springs.

The sales listing indicates that the roughly 3,100 square foot restaurant has seating for 100 and that restaurant's buildout cost over $750,000. The restaurant is signed to a ten year lease with an option to renew with monthly rent of $10,700 (all in). New owner would be able to either keep as is or convert to nearly any quick serve or casual restaurant not already present in the center.

Priced at $199,000

Momma Goldberg's Deli

Located in the street level retail of SkyHouse Midtown between West Peachtree and Spring Streets, the 2,250 square foot restaurant opened in early 2014. An independent franchise of the Gainesville, Florida-based business, the midtown location is off the beaten path and is the chain’s only location in metro Atlanta. While some might see this as making the location a destination for those who seek out the restaurant's food, I see it as a hindrance, and something that has surely negatively impacted its sales. Interestingly, although the company was founded in Auburn (in 1976), it's today based in Gainesville, Florida. A brief internet search shows that at least three locations of the chain have closed in Florida (Fort Walton Beach, Panama City & Tallahassee) leaving them with zero presence in their current home state.

Locally the restaurant's opening was met with tremendous enthusiasm from Auburn grads like PR maven Tori Allen and countless others eager for a taste of home to open in Atlanta. While having a cult-like following is great, it seems the restaurant failed to grow the following enough to sustain itself.

The sales listing indicates the restaurant has seating for 55 and that the owner is "breaking even" with "zero effort and no advertising." The restaurant was opened at a reported cost of nearly $400,000. The restaurant is currently signed to a "long term lease" at $4,500 per month (all in) with options to renew. New owner would be able to keep existing franchise or convert to any concept.

Priced at $69,000

Fuego Mundo

South American Wood-Fire Grill Fuego Mundo is located in The Prado shopping center on Roswell Road in Sandy Springs. The nearly 2,500 square foot restaurant has seating for 80 (outdoor patio seating adds 20) and was opened in mid-2009. The full service restaurant features kosher South American fare and in accordance with the Atlanta Kosher Commission, is closed Friday night and all of Saturday. While operating fewer days than even Chick-fil-A, the restaurant seemed to do well with a heavy Jewish population nearby and others adopting a "kosher lifestyle" for its health benefits.

The sales listing indicates monthly rent of $9,500 (all in) with several years left on the lease with the option to renew. Opening costs for buildout and asset package came in at $600,000. 2015 gross sales were $1,078,517 with net profit of $216,775 after all expenses, and including $50,000 manager salary. New owner would be able to maintain current concept or convert the restaurant to nearly any other concept not already present in the center.

Priced at $476,000.

All four of these restaurants have their own set of challenges and while Fuego Mundo has one of the worst locations of the four, I think it stands the greatest chance of continuing a going concern. 521 Kitchen, Burger 21 and Momma Goldberg's are likely to be converted into other concepts. But what should they become? Countless concepts are canvassing metro Atlanta for new locations, but is a new concept in a bad location a good idea?

What do you think should replace any of these restaurants, or should they remain the same? Do you think a good concept can overcome a terrible location? What new restaurant with plans to enter/expand in the Atlanta market (i.e. Blaze Pizza, The Halal Guys, Salata, KEBA Sandwiches, Earl of Sandwch, Potbelly Sandwich Shop, Amsterdam Falafelshop, Garbanzo Mediterranean Grill etc.) are you most existed about?

Please share your thoughts below.

Marlow's Tavern plans to open its new restaurant in Brookhaven December 13th. The 3,558 square foot restaurant opens in a newly constructed second building in Brookleigh Marketplace on Johnson Ferry Road. The restaurant is the chain's 17th in Georgia and 22nd overall. Early next year, Marlow's will be joined by a new frozen custard joint, Southern Custard, occupying a 1,300 square foot space next door.

After 24 years in business, Leather & Luggage Depot began a "Going Out of Business" sale on Black Friday. Originally opened in 1992, the family owned & operated business has been a fixture on Chattahoochee Avenue since long before "West Midtown" was en vogue. Leather & Luggage Depot carries such brands as Briggs & Riley, Delsey, Hartmann, Travelpro & ~~Simmons~~, ~~Swanson~~, ~~Swenson~~ Samsonite!, among others. The store, which is actively liquidating its entire stock of luggage, briefcases, backpacks, wallets and accessories, plans to remain open until the inventory is depleted. The store is currently offering discounts of up to 45% retail prices. In addition to the complete merchandise liquidation, racks counters and other store fixtures are for sale. After a lifetime in the retail industry, and approaching retirement age, owners David & Gill Green are appreciative of the customers and relationships they have built over the years but decided now was as good a time as any to call it a career.

Another Broken Egg Cafe plans to open a new location in Roswell at Roswell Market Place at the intersection of Mansell Road and Alpharetta Highway. The nearly 3,600 square foot restaurant will be the Destin, Florida-based chain's sixth in Georgia. The restaurant will open in a new outparcel building to the right of anchor Sprouts Farmers Market. The new restaurant will compete head to head with local breakfast joint, Flying Biscuit Cafe, located in an Office Depot anchored center across the corner from Roswell Market Place .

An existing Burger King restaurant on Northside Drive in the shadow of Mercedes-Benz Stadium will soon undergo a significant exterior renovation. The burger chain is trying to keep up with the renovations of competitors Wendy's and McDonald's, both of whom have renovated dozens of restaurants in and around Atlanta and the country. The Burger King renovation will bring new brand messaging to the restaurant's exterior such as "Flame Grilling Since 1954" and "Taste is King." The classic mansard roof will also be eliminated in favor of more contemporary stone features. Burger King recently completed similar remodels at existing restaurants in Duluth on Pleasant Hill Road and in Decatur on Memorial Drive.

Atlanta-based Haverty's Furniture plans to open a new Haverty's Outlet store in Duluth on December 16th. The new store opens on Venture Drive, beside Dave & Buster's, in place of PGA TOUR Superstore, which relocated to a new location near Sugarloaf Mills last fall.

Main Event plans to open its new location in Suwanee on December 13th. The new location is located on Lawrenceville Suwanee Road. Dallas-based Main Event operates other Atlanta area locations near Cumberland and North Point.

BLT Steak, the upscale steakhouse situated in the ground floor of the W Atlanta - Downtown, plans to close its doors at the end of the year. I predicted a closure was imminent when I reported last fall that the space was being marketed for lease. The restaurant, which is short for Bistro Laurent Tourondel, opened along with its host hotel in 2009. BLT's last day in business is scheduled for New Years Eve. The hotel will reportedly take over restaurant operations effective January 1st, rebranding the space, at least temporarily, as "The W Kitchen." (This is likely a temporary concept as the hotel looks to secure / confirm a new signature restaurant). Other W properties in Atlanta have changed their signature restaurants from those that they opened with as well. In 2012, W Atlanta - Buckhead replaced Market, a contemporary American restaurant from chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten with Cook Hall, a gastropub. In 2014, W Atlanta - Midtown replaced Spice Market, a southeast Asian restaurant also from Vongerichten, with TRACE, a southern, farm-to-table restaurant.

Seattle-based Amazon revealed this week that they plan to enter the brick & mortar grocery business. The concept called Amazon Go, allows customers to use their phone to "swipe in" to their store and exit the store without ever "checking out." A short video showing the store and how it works describes the process briefly: "We used computer vision, deep learning algorithms and sensor fusion much like you'd find in self-driving cars.""We call it Just Walk Out Technology." Customers are billed to their Amazon account only for the items they leave the store with. The 1,800 square foot store is being tested now and is only open to Amazon employees with plans to make it open to the public early next year.

Amazon is also expanding its partnership with Tulsa-based QuikTrip. Amazon Locker, a secure location from which customers can pick up Amazon orders, is now available at about 20 Atlanta area QuikTrip locations. Metro locations offering the service include the QT on Clairmont & Briarcliff Roads, Chamblee-Tucker Road near I-285 and Lawrenceville Highway in Tucker. The service, which was tested in Atlanta, is also being expanded to the Carolinas, an expansion market for QT where the service is being credited with bringing in additional foot traffic.

Crunch Fitness plans to open a second Atlanta area location as it continues its return to the market. After opening a 32,000 square foot gym in place of the former Forum Athletic Club in Johns Creek in January, franchisees Geoff Dyer and Tony Scrimale plan to convert the former OfficeMax in Perimeter Place in Dunwoody to a new Crunch Fitness. The 18,200 square foot facility will be a lot smaller than the Johns Creek location but will seek to appeal to the many apartment dwellers and busy professionals in the area. 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. Dyer and Tony Scrimale, who together have a combined 75 years of experience in the fitness industry plan to open at least 20 Crunch locations in the next few years.

Philly Connection of Snellville closed as of November 30th. The restaurant was located in Snellville Plaza at the intersection of 78 (East Main Street) and 124 (Scenic Highway). The cheesesteak eatery previously closed in Decatur. Twelve locations remain open in Georgia according to the company's website. A sign posted to the Snellville restaurant's door thanked patrons for 1.5 years of patronage.

Longstanding watering hole to close.

Famous Pub, a Toco Hills landmark, will close later this month after 30 years in business. I first got word of the planned closure late last week with the news officially confirmed yesterday on the restaurant's official Facebook page:

"Toco Hills Dear Customers, We want to inform you that Famous Pub is closing after 30 years. Thank you for every single day that you spent at our pub. Because of your love and support, our pub was neighborhood's favorite one during years. Thank you for letting us be part of your lives for so many years! We will have Blow out parties on 17th and 18th of December and you all are invited! Thank you all for the experiences that we've had with you!"

The restaurant will have two parties on the 17th and 18th and close for a few days before reopening for one final "Club Famous" event the night of the 23rd. Club Famous is the restaurant's event space in the back of Famous Pub.

Famous Pub, which opened in 1986, is among the longest tenured of the current tenants at Toco Hills shopping center. Its closure comes on the heels of the closure of Shoe Center and the upcoming relocation of Petite Auberge.

Unlike Petite Auberge, there are reportedly no plans to reopen Famous Pub in another location once they close at Toco Hills.

Well placed local sources indicate that there is a significant chance that other longstanding tenants such as Maggie's Neighborhood Grill & Bar, Bagel Palace & Deli and the Department of Labor may be forced to relocate amidst skyrocketing rents, which have reportedly tripled in the months following Edens' acquisition of the center. At 20,000 square feet, the DOL represents the largest single tenant likely to close. Its space, between Maggie's and Petite Auberge, is likely to be divided into smaller shop and restaurant spaces.

Edens, which claims to be "Devoted to Local Neighborhoods," has riled many in the Toco Hills community with what many see as a cookie cutter-ization of the popular community center.

What are your thoughts on the current status of Toco Hills? Are you sad to see places like Famous and Petite Auberge close? If the DOL is forced to relocate, what would you like to see take its place?

Please share your thoughts below.

Spiller Park will occupy the space marked "Brown" in this rendering

Premium coffee shop joining crowded market.

Spiller Park Coffee, the gourmet coffee shop from "Top Chef" Hugh Acheson, is coming to the revamped Toco Hills shopping center next year. The coffee shop will occupy a 1,080 square foot space carved out of the former Shoe Center space, one of the earliest victims of increasing rents at the historic center.

Current status of the space Spiller Park will occupy

The first Spiller Park Coffee opened last October in a kiosk type set-up within the Central Food Hall at Ponce City Market on Ponce de Leon Avenue. The coffee shop gets its name from Spiller Park, (aka Spiller Field/Ponce de Leon Park) which was a baseball park home to the minor league Atlanta Crackers in the early to mid 1900s, across the street from what is today Ponce City Market.

Hugh Acheson is Canadian by birth but has spent a lot of time in Atlanta and Athens. He is married to Mary Koon, a Georgia native, and currently resides with her and their two daughters in Athens. In addition to Spiller Park, Acheson owns Empire State South on Peachtree Street in Midtown.

Acheson's "coffee lieutenant," Dale Donchey, is no stranger to the Emory/Toco Hills area. Donchey was co-owner of Steady Hand Pour House in Emory Village (now closed) and before that, spent time at both Octane Coffee and Method Coffee Bar (now closed.)

Spiller Park’s coffee menu rotates based on availability and seasonality, with no varietal on the menu for longer than three months. Most varietals offered are from Chicago's Intelligencia coffee, Phil & Sebastain of Calgary, AB Canada and George Howell of Acton, MA. The shop also features assorted doughnuts from Atlanta's Sublime Doughnuts.

Spiller Park joins a crowded coffee market in and around Toco Hills that already includes Starbucks Coffee, Dunkin' Donuts, Goldberg's Bagel Co. & Deli, Bagel Palace, Atlanta Coffee Roasters and Golden Drop, near the VA. In addition, and as I earlier reported, Caribou Coffee will soon re-join now brother-brand Einstein Bros. Bagels and create a new "Coffee & Bagels" co-branded unit at North Druid Hills and LaVista Roads.

Based on the current status of the space and intel from local sources, I'd expect for the Spiller Park Coffee at Toco Hills to debut sometime next spring/summer.

The addition of Spiller Park Coffee marks the first new tenant to join the center since Columbia, S.C.-based Edens signed a 35-year ground lease on Toco Hills late last year.

To their credit, Edens has invested in updating the infrastructure, lighting and parking in the center. At the same time, their paving and parking lot alterations have reduced the overall number of spaces, and their improvements have led to increased rents and the departure of a number of longtime tenants.

Despite rumors to the contrary, both Bagel Palace & Deli and Maggie's Neighborhood Bar & Grill have both publicly stated they have no intention of leaving Toco Hills anytime soon.

Conceptual renderings with some noticeable current tenant absences

Shoe Center closed earlier this spring, and just yesterday I announced that Famous Pub would close before the end of the year. Petite Auberge is also leaving the center, but is relocating to/joining with the current Violette restaurant on Clairmont Road near Sam's Club.

Although Edens claims to be "Devoted to Local Neighborhoods," their actions at Toco Hills have angered many longtime residents.

The Edens website provides the following narrative to describe what they do:

"We’re out to reclaim and rebuild places that give our communities gathering places where people can slow down in a convenient, safe, and vibrant atmosphere."

Edens controls all colored portions of the map at Toco Hills

Personally, I sense that Edens may be hoping to recreate the success they have found in Charlotte's Park Road Shopping Center, at Toco Hills. Like Toco Hills, Park Road shopping center was built in 1956, and has remained a community draw, pulling from numerous surrounding neighborhoods.

Given that my mother is a native Charlottean, I've visited the Queen City many times. While SouthPark is always a stop (literally walking distance from my grandparents' home), Park Road became a frequent destination as well.

Park Road Shopping Center in Charlotte,N.C.

Anchored by Harris Teeter, Michael's (like Office Depot at Toco Hills, in a former A&P), a six-screen Regal Cinemas, and blackhawk Hardware (the coolest hardware store around), Park Road is a high traffic, popular center with lots of variety. Aside from the anchors, Park Road is also home to a number of local and regional restaurants including Atlanta's The Flying Biscuit Cafe and Charleston, S.C. based CO, an Asian eatery. While CO might have had interest in Toco Hills, the fact that they recently signed a lease for a space in the new 675 North Highland development, makes that less likely.

Like Toco Hills, Park Road is also home to a number of banks. Fifth Third, First Citizens, and SunTrust all operate full service bank branches while Wells Fargo and Bank of America each have ATMs on property. The property's site plan indicates another bank may be planned with one 2,625 square foot outparcel labeled as "proposed bank."

Park Road is also home to CHOPT Creative Salad Company, a company that had previously expressed interest in entering the Atlanta market and J.Crew Mercantile, essentially J.Crew Factory Outlet by another name.

A franchise of I Love Juice Bar also operates a unit in Park Road. A local franchisee opened I Love Juice Bar in Toco Hills Promenade last summer, but closed it just a few short months later.

Charlotte's Amelie’s French Bakery plans to open a new cafe at Park Road early next year and entered the Atlanta market in mid 2014 on the Westside. It's not unreasonable to think they could be interested in space in Toco Hills. Urban Cookhouse, a Columbia, S.C.-based quick serve restaurant, entered the Atlanta market earlier this year at Gateway in Sandy Springs and is slated to open at Park Road early next year. At the time of the Sandy Springs opening, I spoke with Will Gillespie, the restaurant's owner and president, and he indicated to me that he was definitely interested in expanding the brand elsewhere in Atlanta.

Park Road is also home to Bruegger's Bagels (co-branded with a Caribou Coffee) but it seems highly unlikely they would come to Toco given their previous struggles in the Atlanta market.

Retailers Onward Reserve and bevello each operate locations in Park Road and have a local presence in metro Atlanta. Onward Reserve already has four locations in Georgia (Buckhead, Ponce City Market, Athens and Thomasville), while bevello has a single location in The Forum in Norcross following the closure of its Buckhead location last year. Personally I see neither store as a good fit for Toco Hills.

Rooster's Wood-Fired Kitchen, part of the Charlotte based restaurant group Noble, would in my opinion be a great fit for Toco Hills. I've visited the group's location near SouthPark a number of times and had been told years ago they were looking at expanding to Atlanta.

Are you excited for the addition of Spiller Park Coffee to Toco Hills? Who would you like most to see join the tenant mix at Toco Hills? What remaining tenant would you be most devastated to see close or relocate? Are you a fan of what Edens has done to Toco Hills thus far? Do you think Edens is "reclaming and rebuilding" Toco Hills for the good, or are they going down a road of cookie-cutter-fication?

Please share your thoughts below.

Landmark bar for sale.

The Star Community Bar, a Little 5 Points mainstay since 1991, is currently for sale. The bar, often referred to simply as "Star Bar," is located near the intersection of Euclid and Moreland Avenues in the heart of Little 5 Points. The sales listing, indicates the business is for sale for $425,000, with some owner financing.

The Star Community Bar is nearly 6,000 square feet, spanning two concepts in fact: Star Community Bar and The Little Vinyl Lounge.

The Star Community Bar features Monday Night Comedy weekly, Downtown Tuesday Dance Party every Tuesday, Live Band Cowboy Karaoke Wednesdays, and live music Thursday through Sunday.

The Little Vinyl Lounge is the smaller, more cozy, non-smoking performance space featuring a baby grand piano and solo, duo and trio acts. The venue features Monday Night Songwriter Showcase, Wednesday Night Rock N' Roll Trivia, Thursday, Friday and Saturday DJs, and live shows.

The addition of the Little Vinyl Lounge a few years ago added more space for events but took away the bar's kitchen. The sales listing indicates that overall capacity could be increased if/when new owner(s) opt to add back the kitchen. Early estimates are that replacing the kitchen would cost around $30,000 as the hood vent and hookups still exist.

The opportunity to own such a well known and profitable bar in an intown neighborhood of Atlanta does not come along often.

Famous Pub, a longstanding Toco Hills watering hole, which I recently announced will close in the coming days is doing just that: closing. Smith's Olde Bar, another popular bar and entertainment venue, saw its landlord change last year (now a Selig Enterprises property), but was never for sale itself.

I'm told that the current owners of Star Community Bar prefer to sell it to an owner or group who would maintain it rather than drastically change it.

The current owners are paying $7,500/month in rent. The bar is currently signed to a five year lease which expires September 2017 with Star Bar owners guaranteed "first right of renewal."

Who would you like to see purchase Star Community Bar? What is your favorite memory of Star Community Bar? Would you like to see food added back to the menu at Star Community Bar?

Please share your thoughts below

The Rancher - a new sandwich

Schlotzsky's to debut new concept in Duluth

Schlotzsky's Deli, the sandwich shop that started as a single restaurant in Austin, Texas in 1971, will debut an edgy new restaurant concept tomorrow in Duluth. "Schlotzsky's Austin Eatery" will offer a number of new offerings not previously found in traditional Schlotzsky's locations.

The approximately 3,500 square foot restaurant, located in Fuqua Development's Sugarloaf Marketplace (corner of Sugarloaf Parkway & Peachtree Industrial Blvd.), will feature not only a drive-thru but also a self-ordering kiosk.

Drive-thru ordering is not completely new to the Schlotzsky's brand, but its use in the new test location will surely be closely monitored by the company. Up to 70% of a fast food restaurant's sales can come from drive-thru ordering with more and more fast casual restaurants like Jason's Deli and Panera Bread discovering the benefits of offering the service.

The restaurant will also offer table service for customers who want to order additional food or beverages once seated. The addition of follow up table service is meant to elevate the service levels. Schlotzsky's executives indicated that this does represent a departure from the restaurant's "fast casual" positioning but is meant to elevate "service touchpoints" in an effort to differentiate the brand from its competitors. Locally, Grub Burger Bar, Fresh To Order and even Chick-fil-A offer some sort of supplementary table service.

An alcohol license is also new for Schlotzsky's and something that will allow the restaurant to offer local beers such as Monday Night Brewing, Jekyll Brewing and assorted "not mass produced" wines.

The restaurant will feature standard classic Schlotzsky's meats like ham and turkey along with new proteins like chorizo, pulled pork and shrimp – available on sandwiches, in tacos, on sliders and on flatbreads called Flats. An open kitchen and bakery will work to showcase the food preparation in an effort to be more transparent to customers.

Among the new menu offerings are the:

Picante Papusa

Sweet corn cake with slow-roasted pork, mozzarella, salsa verde, jalapeños, pineapple kale coleslaw, queso fresco, cilantro cumin dressing and cilantro.

The Picante Papusa

The Rancher

Hickory-smoked brisket and cheddar with roasted red peppers, pickled jalapeño, queso fresco, salsa verde, lettuce and chipotle mayo on jalapeño cheese bun with signature sauce. (at top)

Cinnabon, (which got a facelift of its own last year) is often packaged as a complementary dessert option within Schlotzsky's and will be available within the new Duluth restaurant.

The restaurant's decor will feature "found objects" amidst textured brick and corrugated metal walls. The restaurant will also offer live music at least three nights per week.

Anchored by Sprouts Farmers Market, Sugarloaf Marketplace is also home to a number of eateries including Freddy's, Chipotle, Panda Express & Zoës Kitchen. The new ordering options and menu additions are meant to help Schlotzsky's capture more customers.

Schlotzsky's, which went public in 1995 with over 600 units in operation was purchased in 2006 by Atlanta-based FOCUS Brands, an affiliate of the Atlanta-based private equity firm, Roark Capital Group. At the time of the acquisition, Schlotzsky's was said to have had "about 365 locations."

Although atypical for previous Roark acquisitions, Schlotzky's moved their headquarters from Austin to Atlanta about a year ago. (It's worth noting that Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, which was founded in New Orleans, is today based in Sandy Springs). FOCUS Brands, which also includes Carvel, Cinnabon, Moe's Southwest Grill, Auntie Anne's and McAlister's Deli is based in Sandy Springs.

In metro Atlanta, Schlotzsky's has opened a couple new locations in the past few years including one in Suwanee that opened in a converted former Mrs. Winners'.

There have also been a number of closures including restaurants previously located on Piedmont Road in Buckhead, Perimeter Village in Dunwoody, LaVista Road in Tucker and most recently on Holcomb Bridge Road in Norcross.

If the new concept proves successful, perhaps the chain will seek to re-enter markets that it previously operated in.

Today, there are "over 350" Schlotzsky's in operation with at least one more "Schlotzsky's Austin Eatery"reportedly planned for the Austin area at The Park at Bee Cave shopping center next year.

The Duluth restaurant is slated to open tomorrow, December 15th at 10AM. To celebrate the opening, the restaurant will award a redemption card good for one free small Original per week for 52 consecutive weeks to the first 100 guests who purchase a six-pack of Cinnabon Classic Rolls ($17.99).

Are you excited for the new brand positioning at Schlotzsky's? What is your favorite sandwich shop in Atlanta? Where would you like to see Schlotzsky's Austin Eatery open next?

Please share your thoughts below.

Charlotte, N.C.-based Bojangles' opened a new restaurant this past week in Marietta. The new restaurant is located at 2745 Powder Springs Road, not far from its intersection with the East West Connector. Among the new elements of the Marietta restaurant is the “Biscuit Theater,” where upon entering the store, customers will be able to witness Bojangles’ Biscuit Makers making biscuits from scratch every 20 minutes. This location is the fifth Bojangles' to open in Cobb county. Bojangles' along with an already opened freestanding Dollar Tree were built in place of a partially constructed and later demolished strip center. Current owner Columbia Properties has plans to add at least one more outparcel tenant to the project known as Powder Springs Pavilion.

A new Chili's Grill & Bar is coming to Covington. The new freestanding restaurant will be about 4,500 square feet and is one of the first new Chili's in metro Atlanta in a number of years. The restaurant will be location on Paras Drive, just off John R. Williams Highway (142) and Lochridge Boulevard. Earlier this year the restaurant debuted a new campaign which highlights its hippie origins: "Chillin' Since '75." The new branding will likely have a strong presence in the new restaurant. Chili's is owned by Dallas,Texas-based Brinker International, a company that also owns Maggiano's Little Italy. Calls to Brinker for comment on an expected timeline were not immediately returned.

The north Buckhead SunTrust bank branch in Powers Ferry Square on Roswell Road has reopened after a multi-month renovation.

Tulsa, Oklahoma-based QuikTrip opened its 130th location in the Atlanta market last week in Kennesaw Marketplace.

A second location of Lincolnshire, Illinois-based Sarpino's Pizzeria is planned for metro Atlanta. The new restaurant is slated to open "in about six months" at The Peninsula Buckhead, the apartment complex next to Home Depot in Buckhead. The first location opened in late 2014 at Tenside on Northside Drive near Georgia Tech. In a move some might consider transparent and others might consider foolish, the company publishes good and bad customer reviews directly to its website.

A new Family Dollar is slated to open in the coming weeks in Decatur at Valley Brook Road and East Ponce de Leon Avenue.

The Halal Guys under construction in Chamblee

The Halal Guys is finally in the home stretch as they prepare to open their first Atlanta area restaurant. The concept, born from a street cart in Manhattan, first announced plans to expand to metro Atlanta last year. The new restaurant, located in a freestanding building at the corner of Chamblee Tucker Road and Buford Highway in Chamblee has been completely gutted over the past few months to become the new gyro-centric eatery. The restaurant will be hosting a job fair this week and next at the Goodwill Career Center in Northeast Plaza and at the Georgia Department of Labor in Toco Hills. More information about the job fairs can be found here. Well placed sources indicate that the new restaurant should be open by mid-January.

My friends at The Douglasville Menu are reporting that a new Ollie's Bargain Outlet is coming to Douglasville next year. The new store will occupy the vacant former Circuit City in The Landing at Arbor Place, a large shopping center also home to Toys "R" Us near Arbor Place Mall.

Long delayed Aliño Pizzeria to debut tomorrow at Mall of Georgia in Buford. A true Napoletana pizzeria, Aliño will open in 6,209-square foot space in the Village next to Chico’s. The family-friendly eatery will offer a simple, fresh menu with nine signature pizzas and assorted salads, Italian wines, international bottled beers and desserts.

Chamblee to get chicken chain next year.

Memphis based Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken, which opened its first Atlanta area location last year in Peachtree Center downtown, and has a second location under construction in Sandy Springs, has plans for a third location in Chamblee. The Chamblee Gus's will open at the corner of Broad Street and Peachtree Road in historic Chamblee.

Gus's will occupy an approximately 2,900 square foot space at the end of the center, identified by the large, wall that contains the restored Rust-N-Dust Antiques advertisement.

Terminus Commercial Real Estate Partners is renovating and leasing the property where Dutchman's, a furniture and gifts retailer, opened earlier this year.

Gus's Sandy Springs location is located in the 6500 block of Roswell Road, across the street from Sandy Springs Toyota. The restaurant will occupy a newly created nearly 4,000 square foot space. Gus's opening meant the closure of Clay's Sports Cafe and InstaLoan. Clay's, a local wing institution for over 25 years, was expected to reopen in nearby Hammond Springs late this year, but has been delayed for unknown reasons. After hinting at an update earlier this week, Clay's updated their Facebook page earlier today announcing they are "officially opening towards the end of March."

As it stands now, plans call for Gus's Sandy Springs location to open in late January followed by the Chamblee restaurant a few months later.

A disagreement over use of an alleyway behind the Chamblee restaurant could have delayed the restaurant's opening but fortunately a resolution was finalized earlier this week and things appear to be on track.

BCS Restaurant Ventures, LLC is the franchise group leading the restaurant's expansion in metro Atlanta. The group previously announced plans to open at least five locations in the Atlanta market in the coming years.

Where would you like to see the next Gus's open in metro Atlanta? Who do you think serves the best fried chicken in metro Atlanta? What other types of restaurants would you like to see open in Chamblee?

Please share your thoughts below.

Kinjo Brothers bringing Vietnamese fare back to midtown.

The Kinjo Brothers, who returned to the Atlanta area last year with MF Sushi in Inman Quarter after a three year absence, plan to open a new Vietnamese restaurant in midtown next year.

"Anh's Kitchen," named for the brothers' mother Anh Hoang, is slated to open in March in an approximately 2,500 square foot street level space of the Viewpoint condo building at 855 Peachtree Street.

Anh's will occupy a space that had most recently housed Starbucks ahead of their relocation to the ground-floor of the nearby 7th & Peachtree condo building. The ill-fated Evos "healthy fast food" chain was the original tenant in the space, meaning that the space should come with quite a bit of necessary restaurant infrastructure already in place.

Although details of the new restaurant are sparse, (it's not even listed on the site plan for Viewpoint yet), one can surmise that the Kinjos will bring some of the popular dishes from their NAM restaurant to Anh's. NAM, once located in the Trader Joe's anchored Midtown Promenade shopping center, was the Kinjos' first restaurant. NAM opened in 2003 and closed January 1, 2011 with the explanation then being that the restaurant's lease had expired and that it would reopen elsewhere. It never reopened.

In midtown, Anh's will join Pho King, a Vietnamese restaurant that plans to open late this month at The Plaza Midtown. Less than a half mile from Anh's, Pho King replaces the shuttered Dressed salad restaurant as the group's second location, the first being on Peachtree Road in south Buckhead.

AnhKitchenATL.com (yes, Anh singular) launched this week but seems to be just a placeholder as it directs to "Gracie Beauty & Accessories." The website lists Gracie's address as 299 North Highland Avenue Suite K (MF Atlanta's address).

In addition to Anh's Kitchen, the Kinjo brothers previously announced plans to open MF Bar and District 3, both new concepts, at Phase II in Avalon in Alpharetta. The Alpharetta restaurants will reportedly debut next spring.

Are you excited for not one, but two, new Vietnamese options in midtown? Do you think the Kinjo Brothers will break the curse that has plagued so many street level restaurants on Peachtree Street in midtown? Where would you like to see the Kinjo Brothers open next?

Please share your thoughts below

Silly shoe store has closed at Lenox

Crocs, the love them or hate em shoe retailer has closed its store at Lenox Square. The store, which opened in 2011 on the second floor of the popular Buckhead mall, closed abruptly last night. The store, which replaced a Crocs kiosk in Lenox Square, sold the brand's full line of men's, women's and children's footwear.

Amazingly, despite many harsh critics of the shoes, the company celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2012 and has sold more than 200 million pairs of shoes in more than 90 countries around the world.

The next closest Crocs stores are located in Town Center at Cobb in Kennesaw and Sugarloaf Mills in Lawrenceville.

The Crocs page on the Lenox Square website was still active as of 1PM today and lists the store's "special hours" through January 1st, 2017. As seen in the photo above, the store's sign has been removed from the store's exterior and workers were packing up remaining inventory today. The fact that the store closed in advance of Christmas week, indicates that mall management has a new tenant lined up, and the tenant is eager to begin renovations.

Will you miss Crocs from Lenox Square? Are you surprised the company has lasted as long as it has? What would you like to see open in its place?

Please share your thoughts below.

Restaurant and music venue on the move

Darwin's Burgers & Blues, currently located in the 1500 block of Roswell Road in Marietta, plans to relocate to Sandy Springs next year. The restaurant and music venue originally opened in 1995 and was purchased by current owners Lindsay Wine and Jonathan Akin in 2011. Following their purchase, the new owners reportedly "invested time and money, and brought the club back to its original juke-joint popularity."

Flash forward to present day and Darwin's landlord has reportedly refused to either offer the restaurant a lease renewal or allow for the owners to purchase the single, freestanding building from which they operate.

Wine and Akin reportedly explored taking over the former Rocco's Pub, another music venue and restaurant, also on Roswell Road in Marietta, but found the space's rent to be in excess of what they could afford. Rocco's closed late last month just shy of what would have been their one year anniversary of reopening (Rocco's first opened in 1980).

The new Darwin's is about 11 miles from their current location.

Darwin's new home will be familiar to those in the Sandy Springs community as having previously operated as Steve's Live Music. The music venue, owned by musician Steve Grossman, operated for four years before closing this past June. The venue is located on Hilderbrand Drive, just off Roswell Road. Following the closure of Steve's Live Music venue, Grossman now provides music to assorted venues in Sandy Springs in addition to representing musicians. More information on his current offerings can be found here.

Steve's had a very limited food operation, something in fact that led to its closure, but that means that the owners of Darwin's must start from scratch in assembling a kitchen. Although the space is a "second generation" venue space, it comes with little in the way of "furniture or equipment."

As a result of this need, Darwin's owners have taken to social fundraising platform GoFundMe to seek financial assistance from anyone willing to contribute.

Their GoFundMe page states: "We will need to purchase everything from sinks to fryers, ice bins to ice machines & rugs to pint glasses. Any small amount that you can give will help! Help us to continue the tradition of bringing the blues to Atlanta!"

As of 3PM today, 53 donors have contributed nearly $5,000 of the business' $30,000 goal.

It's rather ironic that a business called Darwin's is attempting to "survive" by soliciting donations from others. While not new (LGBT Bookstore & Coffeehouse Outwrite and premium chocolate shop Cacao both sought "donations" when their respective businesses were in "trouble"), I find it troubling that for profit businesses are using sites like GoFundMe to help fund their operations.

Are you excited to see Darwin's relocating to Sandy Springs? What are your thoughts on for profit businesses using sites like GoFundMe to aid their operations? Have you been to any shows presented by Steve's Live Music since the venue closed?

Please share your thoughts below.

Kroger Marketplace Embry Hills moving forward

This past February I released news on this site regarding Kroger's planned expansion at Embry Hills shopping center in Tucker. Kroger planned to nearly double the size of their current store creating what it calls "Kroger Marketplace."

In the months since, S&S Cafeteria, the beloved southern institution closed. While Magnolia Room Cafeteria, an S&S replacement, being opened by a longtime patron nears completion a few miles away, nothing further had been said, or done, at Embry Hills.

I dug deeper and uncovered rumors of Kroger abandoning the project and others of Kroger looking at both North Hills shopping center and "other" locations on which to build their big new store.

To get what I hoped would be a clear and definite response, I contacted Glynn Jenkins, Public Relations Director for Kroger’s Atlanta Division.

In an email, I asked Jenkins, "What is the status of the upcoming Kroger Marketplace at Embry Hills in Tucker?"

His [full] response is below.

"Kroger continues to open stores to suit the unique needs of our customers. Kroger’s new 113,000-square-foot Embry Village Marketplace will have upscale service departments, drive-thru pharmacy, Starbucks, Chef on the Run, apparel department, and more that will cater to our Tucker-area customers' shopping needs. Kroger’s Atlanta Division operates ten Marketplace stores including locations in Athens, Carrollton, Cartersville, Dawsonville, Gainesville, Grovetown, Rincon, Savannah, and Warner, Robins, GA and Columbia, SC. Construction is tentatively scheduled to commence in the spring 2017, with a completion in summer 2018." [Although Jenkins does not explicitly mention it, Kroger has reportedly received all necessary permits / approvals to have a fuel center at their new store.]

As a follow-up question I asked "Will the existing store ever close or will the new store be built around / in front of it in a manner that does not affect customers' weekly shopping?"

Jenkins responded, saying "The existing store will close after the new store opens."

As you can see in the image above, the site plan indicates that the former Motel 6, former S&S and multiple other spaces are "available." This of course is not the case as the Kroger will consumer both of those spaces, and more. Interestingly, while the siteplan seems outdated, verbiage on the Kimco website for Embry Hills states the following:

"Embry Village is under redevelopment to expand Kroger to 120,000 square feet for a new Marketplace concept store. The complete site renovation will include 9,900 square feet of new shops next to Planet Fitness in 2017."

Given this timeline, one has to wonder why the S&S was forced to close this past July.

Are you excited for the new Kroger Marketplace at Embry Hills? Do you still miss S&S Cafeteria in Embry Hills? What restaurants or retailers would you like to see join Kroger in the redeveloped center?

Please share your thoughts below.

Salad joint shutters

Doc Green's Gourmet Salads & Grill has closed its location at The Shoppes at Powers Ferry on Power Ferry Road, just outside Sandy Springs in Marietta. The restaurant was one of many in the center, which also includes Dunkin' Donuts, Smoothie King, Moe's Southwest Grill and Bonehead's. The restaurant reportedly closed a few days ago with no prior warning. Sources indicate that the restaurant had changed hands at least four times since opening.

The closure marks the last of the original Doc Green's to close in metro Atlanta. The chain was launched by Martin Sprock's Raving Brands (known today as Big Game Brands) in early 2005. The brand was built to be a franchise from day one but never quite lived up to its lofty expectations.

Raving Brands once included Doc Green's, Moe's Southwest Grill, Bonehead's Grilled Fish Piri Piri Chicken and Planet Smoothie, among other concepts.

The Powers Ferry closure was preceded in death by Atlanta area Doc locations in Atlantic Station (now BGR The Burger Bar), Ponce de Leon Avenue (now Gusto!), North Buckhead (now 521 Kitchen & Que but currently for sale), Cobb Parkway (now Otter's Chicken), Perimeter Place (empty) and The Shoppes Webb Gin (now Pho.com).

Scott Rhee, former operator of the original Cobb Parkway location, reopened the restaurant with a different logo and tweaked menu but the same name last year in a different location on Cobb Parkway.

In place of the former Powers Ferry Doc Green's, a new place called "ZEUS Fresh Greek Street Food" plans to open soon. Zeus appears to be a new, independently owned, non-chain restaurant that will specialize in classic Greek fare in a fast casual setting. While I have thus far been unable to confirm an opening timetable, I'd expect that Zeus will open early next year.

Are you surprised Doc Green's closed just a few months away from the first pitch at nearby SunTrust Park? Why do you think Doc Green's did not find the same blockbuster success as Moe's Southwest Grill? Are you excited about the prospect of a local, casual Greek joint opening in place of Doc Green's?

Please share your thoughts below.

New locations of Fresh To Order, Another Broken Egg Cafe and Fuzzy's Tacos are all coming to Sugarloaf Centre at Satellite Boulevard and Sugarloaf Parkway in Duluth. The Duluth restaurants will mark the ninth, sixth and second locations of the respective chains in metro Atlanta. The new restaurants join Marlow's Tavern and Firehouse Subs as dining options in the development. The new restaurants will be part of a new outparcel, which is currently underconstruction beside the existing restaurants.

Carriage Cleaners and Lush Nail Bar are the first two tenants to be named as joining Publix Supermarket in the new Moores Mill shopping center. A number of spaces remain available and one can hope property owner Edens has more exciting tenants lined up than these two and a possible Mattress Firm.

The newestAtlanta area location of Newk's Eatery opened this past Monday at Kennesaw Marketplace in Kennesaw.

Kitchen Sixin Oak Grove plans to open for dinner service next Tuesday, December 27th.

The Men's Parlor at IQ opened this past Monday at Inman Quarter in Inman Park.

Army Surplus Sales, a downtown Atlanta mainstay for 60 years, was expected to close yesterday. After seeing "high demand," the store announced it will remain open through the 23rd (Friday) from noon until 3pm. Nearly everything in the store is 40% off. Store ownership noted that retail just ain't what it used to be, in general, but especially in downtown Atlanta. No word on what might replace them in the space, which was previously a sewing machine factory and a car showroom.

American Signature Furnitureplans to open next monthin the old Sports Authority space in Mansell Crossing on North Point Parkway in Alpharetta. Adjacent to the Sports Authority space, REI opened in a former OfficeMax last year. The Alpharetta location of American Signature Furniture will mark the chain's eighth store in metro Atlanta. Despite the popularity of Avalon, a mixed-use, outdoor lifestyle center nearby, the North Point retail and restaurant district have performed better and remained more relevant than many expected.

Publix at Atlanta and Spring Roads in Smyrna is now open. The store at nearby Cobb Center has closed.

Arden's Garden plans to open a new location on Stone Mountain Highway (US 78) early next year. The shop will open in place of a former InstaLoan in a multi-suite outparcel in front of Lowe's Home Improvement. The Lilburn location will mark the chain's 15th location.

Midtown's Establishment is offering Atlantans what some might consider a once in a lifetime New Year's Eve celebration: APappy Van Winkle Party. The bar and restaurant, which last year moved from Buckhead to Midtown's Colony Square, will host a limited number of patrons for a four course meal complete with 10 and 12 year old Pappy Van Winkle. The meal, limited to 100 (about 50 remain available), is priced at $175 per person. In addition to one ounce pours of 10 and 12 year Pappy, guests will be served Copper & Thief Bourbon, a barreled wine. Having amassed what owner Brandon Lewis considers the largest Pappy Van Winkle assortment in the southeast, Establishment will also offer pours of 15, 20 and 23 Pappy Van Winkleàla carte.

JAB Holding Co., a European investment firm that has in recent years acquired a number of breakfast-centric businesses, could be looking to add another. The company already owns Caribou Coffee, Einstein Noah Restaurant Group, Stumptown Coffee Roasters, Intelligentsia Coffee, Keurig Green Mountain, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc., Jacobs Douwe Egberts and Peet’s Coffee & Tea, among others. However,industry experts speculate that they could target Dunkin' Donuts next. Dunkin'Donuts and its sister brand Baskin-Robbins would not come cheap with early estimates indicating a possible deal would be in the $9 Billion neighborhood (inclusive of $2.4 billion in long term Dunkin' debt). Dunkin' operates nearly 20,000 locations and if purchased, would further JAB's efforts to create a formidable challenger to Starbucks.

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EXCLUSIVE: Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken Coming to Chamblee

Kinjo Brothers Returning to Midtown Next Year With Anh's Kitchen

Crocs Quietly Goes Under at Lenox Square

Darwin's Singing the Blues in Move to Sandy Springs

UPDATE: Kroger Embry Hills Delayed Until 2018

Doc Green's Gets Chopped, Zeus to Begin Rule Soon

Bits & Bites