Tomorrow's News Today

The wait is almost over!

DAS BBQ, the new barbecue restaurant opening on Collier Road, is expected to open December 30th after months of renovations.

The counter-service restaurant, which occupies an UTBAPH (Used To Be A Pizza Hut), includes both the original, heavily renovated "hut," as well as a second, smaller "hut" building. Pizza Hut closed at the location early last year after over 40 years in business. DAS BBQ Owner Stephen Franklin debuted his restaurant's food at Taste of Atlanta this past October where it received high praise.

Clover, a POS system produced by Sandy Springs-based First Data, was the system Franklin chose to handle customer payments. It was a fortuitous choice. Dan Charron, Executive Vice President-Global Business Solutions for First Data, hand delivered Franklin's unit earlier this month, as it was the 500,000th sold. Charron brought not only the POS system, but a team of Clover specialists to train Franklin and his team in advance of their grand opening.

A video First Data produced to commemorate the milestone includes DAS BBQ owner Stephen Franklin describing the restaurant as being "designed to scale" seemingly with plans to open "multiple locations in different cities."

A phone number listed for the restaurant on its website is in fact Franklin's personal cell phone number, and is not answered with any regularity. With that in mind, I visited the restaurant yesterday, where I found handwritten signs indicating that the opening is scheduled for December 30th.

Are you excited for the opening of DAS BBQ? What has become of your local UTBAPH? What is your favorite place for BBQ in Atlanta?

Please share your thoughts below.

American Apparel became known for controversial ads like this one staring then adult film star Faye Reagan

Beleaguered chain closing metro location

Los Angeles-based American Apparel, the troubled clothing retailer involved in its second bankruptcy filing in two years recently won court approval to close nine stores by the end of the year. The company, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in October 2015 and emerged in early 2016, filed again this past November.

Separately, Gildan Activewear Inc, a Canadian apparel maker, said it agreed to buy intellectual property rights related to the American Apparel brand and certain assets from the company for about $66 million in cash. Gildan will reportedly not be purchasing any retail store assets.

Controversial American Apparel founder Dov Charney was ousted from the company in 2014, but reports of the company having not made a profit since 2009 suggest the ouster was long overdue.

Nine store will close ahead of an expected January auction, where the company's remaining stores, about 100, are expected to be sold to the highest bidder.

The nine stores that will close before the end of the year are located in New York, Washington, D.C., Seattle, Atlanta, Dallas, Memphis, Santa Cruz, CA, Evanston, IL, and Burlington, VT.

In Atlanta, the company currently operates three stores in Buckhead, Atlantic Station and Little 5 Points. (The company previously operated a store at Tech Square in midtown but it closed in late 2008.) The Buckhead store at The Shops Around Lenox is the flagship of the trio and is the store actively closing. The store, which measures about 6,400 square feet, is currently pretty picked over but is offering remaining merchandise at 90% off.

With such limited inventory, the store expects to close in advance of the December 31st deadline.

At Shops Around Lenox, American Apparel occupied suites 207-212. Given its size and visibility, the spaces will likely be broken up into at least two new suites for other tenants.

Tisha Maley, who previously worked for Simon Property Group and handled leasing for Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza, is today charged with leasing The Shops Around Lenox. Following her departure from Simon, Maley assisted Jamestown in leasing for Ponce City Market. Given her years of experience and Rolodex of retailers, one can surmise American Apparel's replacement(s) will be solid additions to the center.

What would you like to see open in place of American Apparel at Shops Around Lenox? Are you as surprised as I'am to learn the company has not made a profit since 2009? If the other Atlanta area American Apparel locations close, what would you like to see open in their place?

Please share your thoughts below.

The converted former Publix in Norcross

Nam Dae Mun to open in place of shuttered Publix

Atlanta-based Nam Dae Mun, a chain of international farmers markets, has reportedly signed a lease to open in place of the former Publix at Cobb Center on South Cobb Drive. Publix, which had operated there for 20 years, closed just over a week ago when they opened a new store at the Jonquil development at Spring and Atlanta Roads.

According to the company's website, the market is named after the Namdaemun Market adjacent to the Namdaemun Gate in Seoul, South Korea.

Nam Dae Mun Farmers Market, which opened their first store in 2005 on Shackleford Road in Duluth, has six locations open currently with a seventh coming soon to Morrow. The Morrow location, which was first announced last year, replaces a former Target that closed in early 2014.

Among the existing stores is a market in the 2300 block of Spring Road in Smyrna, just over four miles from the upcoming Cobb Center store. A store employee who confirmed the opening also confirmed it will be in addition to, not instead of the current Smyrna store. Nam Dae Mun also has distribution centers in Norcross and Lawrenceville.

The company is not new to converting former Publix locations. The company previously converted former Publix stores on Memorial Drive in Stone Mountain and on South Norcross Tucker Road in Norcross to Nam Dae Mun Farmers Markets.

Are you excited for another Nam Dae Mun Farmers Market in Smyrna? What else would you like to see open in / around Cobb Center? Where would you like to see Nam Dae Mun open next?

Please share your thoughts below.

Mexican restaurant changing names...again

T'kilas tacos & more has closed and will be reopening early next year with a new name and a new menu. The restaurant, located at the corner of North Decatur and Clairmont Roads in the Emory Walk shopping center, changed its name from Los Loros to T'kilas in late 2014. The restaurant was reportedly sold to the owners of Mezcalito's a few months ago, but they continued to operate it as T'kilas until December 11th.

A sign posted on the restaurant's door indicates the new name will be "Sotolero [Grill], comida mexicana" and that it will reopen in "4-6 weeks."

Although the association is not made on the signage, a brief internet search shows Neil Mejia is owner/partner of both Mezcalito's Cocina and Tequila Bar as well as Solotero Grill.

Interestingly, a Yelp review from November 23rd indicates that the restaurant was already using the Sotolero name at that point. The same reviewer (who has left only one review on the platform) also states: "They are charging liquor tax, not honoring signage for lunch, and confrontational. Service is slooooooooooow."

Mezcalito's has locations in Oakhurst (opened in 2006) and Grant Park (2013) and is described by Mejia as "one of the few good, traditional, regional Mexican places in Atlanta. Crisp ingredients, fresh homemade drinks and a well-established tequila bar."

Are you excited to hear the owners of Mezcalito's are involved in Sotolero? Did you prefer Los Loros or T'kilas? In your opinion, who in Atlanta offers the best casual Mexican fare?

Please share your thoughts below.

The Limited on the second floor of Lenox Square actively liquidating

The Limited has closed half of its Atlanta area stores (and many others across the country) as the company continues to struggle. The Limited stores in Town Center at Kennesaw and The Outlet Shoppes at Atlanta in Woodstock have closed. Stores in Perimeter, Lenox Square and Northlake Mall remain open, but are actively liquidating all on-hand merchandise. Industry observers anticipate the retailer, which was first started in 1963, will file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the coming days. The Limited, previously the flagship retailer of Limited Brands, was purchased by private equity firm Sun Capital Partners in two parts, 75% in 2007 and the remaining 25% in 2010.

In the 80s and 90s, Limited Brands was a powerhouse in retail. Victoria's Secret, Lane Bryant, Henri Bendel, Lerner, Abercrombie & Fitch, Limited Express (now known as Express), the Limited Too (now known as Justice), Bath & Body Works, The White Barn Candle Company, Structure (now Express Men), and Galyan's (later purchased by Dick's Sporting Goods) are all former Limited Brands.

Charlotte, North Carolina-based Belk plans to open a new 85,000 store at Mullins Colony in Evans, in the greater Augusta area. The new store will anchor the new project in the 4200 block of Washington Road. The new Belk store will be one of the first to open following the formerly family-owned business's acquisition by private equity firm Sycamore Partners in 2015.

Wichita Kansas-based Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers plans to open a new restaurant at Dawson Crossroads in Dawsonville. Dawson Crossroads, developed by local firm Halpern Enterprises, opened earlier this year and is anchored by a new 45,600 square foot Publix as well as a PetsMart. The Dawsonville Freddy's will mark the chain's tenth in Georgia after first entering the market in 2014. Another location is expected to open next spring in Marietta. Freddy's offers a menu similar to Steak 'n Shake and Culver's, which also recently entered the metro Atlanta market, with a location in Dawsonville, among others.

Yumbii Taco Shop opened earlier today on Peachtree Road in Brookwood Hills.

Kansas-based AMC Entertainment Holdings, owner of AMC Theatres, has completed its acquisition of Columbus, Georgia-based Carmike Cinemas. The acquisition, valued at $1.2 billion, creates the worlds largest movie theater chain with a combined 650 plus theaters. AMC operates their popular "Fork & Screen" dinner and movie concept in Buckhead, while Carmike opened their new Ovation Theater, a similar concept, on Scenic Highway in Lawrenceville, last month. It's unclear what, if any, immediate change the acquisition will have on the Ovation theater. It would be amazing to see it swiftly re-branded, but that may ultimately be what happens.

The new "Embassy Suites by Hilton Atlanta NE Gwinnett Sugarloaf" is currently accepting reservations for January 30th, 2017 and beyond. The 166 room hotel, located on Satellite Boulevard beside Infinite Energy Arena (fka The Arena at Gwinnett Center), was first announced in 2007. I reported last year that things were finally looking up and that a new owner was moving forward with the project.

The Roswell East SuperTarget is indeed closing but will not have a "liquidation sale." A representative from the retailer indicated that the store will be marking down older and holiday merchandise like any other Target, but will transfer most non-seasonal general merchandise to other nearby stores. The store will offer discounts on perishable grocery products, but that will likely be the extent to which customers see significant savings.

A new franchised location of build your own pizza joint Your Pie is planned for downtown Clarksville in northeast Georgia. The restaurant will open in place of what had most recently been Sharky's Sports Grill. According to the company's website, the Clarksville restaurant will be the chain's 17th in Georgia for the Athens-based chain.

The new Omni Hotel at The Battery Atlanta is now projecting an early 2018 opening, pushed back from what had most recently been fall 2017. Ideally, the 260 room hotel would have been open in time for the first game at SunTrust Park in April, but that goal was a reach from the start.

Hardee's is planning a new location near the corner of Wrightsboro Road and Jimmie Dyess Parkway in Augusta. The new, freestanding, approximately 2,800 square foot restaurant will be built on Wrightsboro Road.

Paces Properties recently announced the signing of two new leases at its Atlanta Dairies project on Memorial Drive in Reynoldstown. THRIVE Farmers Coffee, the Roswell-based coffee company known to many as the sustainable coffee offered at Chick-fil-A, will open their first ever coffee cafe at the new project. In addition, "Collier's Department Store," which aims to bring the concept of the family-owned department stores back to Atlanta, will also open in the project. Dan Collier, the man behind The Merchant, Archer Paper Co., Read Shop and Collier Candy Company, has enlisted local design firm Square Feet Studio, to design the 10,000 square foot space. Collier's will offer everyday conveniences like cosmetics and personal care, baby and kids items, furniture, denim and workwear for men and women, home decor, confections, stationery, and books. To me, Collier's sounds like an attempt to replicate "Mast General Store," popular old style department stores with multiple locations in the south. The original Mast General Store & Annex is in Valle Crucis, NC, but the retailer also has locations in Boone, Waynesville, Winston-Salem, Hendersonville and Asheville, NC, Greenville, North Greenville and Columbia, SC, and Knoxville, TN. Having visited a number of Mast stores, I think Collier's may be on to something if it's similar and executed well. I'm always a fan of Square Feet Studio's work, so this should be a nice addition to the project.

Peach Pit, a cheerleading gym with one location near Bolton Road in northwest Atlanta, is planned a second location in Brookhaven. The gym will occupy the long-vacant former Blockbuster Video on Johnson Ferry near Ashford-Dunwoody Road.

Korean street food eatery Bull Gogi has opened its new Decatur location. The restaurant, whose original location is on Peachtree Parkway in Norcross, opened in place of the shuttered Seven Hens at the corner of North Decatur and Clairmont Roads.

Earlier this month, Publix confirmed it was ending its popular "Mystery Coupon" promotion, as well as "Double Coupons." The Mystery Coupon allowed patrons to purchase a weekly "mystery item (often a private label product) for 1 penny with a qualifying purchase, normally $10. The promotion had been phased out previously, but was brought back a few years ago.

Inside the new KEBA Sandwiches at Emory Village

Athens-based KEBA Sandwiches will open their first Atlanta area location this Friday, January 6th in Emory Village. The new restaurant, the chain's fifth, replaces what had most recently been a Yogli Mogli frozen yogurt shop. Franchise partners Alex Jones and Josh Gentrup are opening the new restaurant and may open others in the coming years.

A new Three Dollar Cafe has opened in Morrow. The new 7,500 square foot restaurant opened late last month in place of a one time On The Border restaurant on Mount Zion Parkway.

Sprouts Farmers Market has announced expected opening dates for two of its upcoming Atlanta area stores. The new Sprouts at the new Parkside West Cobb shopping center on Dallas Highway is expected to open January 25th. The new Sprouts at Decatur Marketplace on North Decatur Road is expected to open March 1st. There is a third Sprouts in the works at Tucker Meridian at Northlake Parkway and LaVista Road in Tucker. Sprouts currently operates twelve locations in the greater metro Atlanta area.

On the heels of the closure of American Apparel at the Shops Around Lenox, the retailer's Atlantic Station location is reportedly closed for "repairs." A sign posted to the retailer's door reads "We're sorry, we are closed for repairs and will reopen very soon. Happy New Year."

Victoria's Secret at Atlantic Station is also "temporarily closed until further notice." (Both American Apparel and Victoria's Secret were reportedly damaged by flooding from a tenant above them.)

Wendy's on Piedmont Road has reopened after an extensive "Image Activation" remodel. The restaurant now sports a refreshed modern interior and the brand's new logo.

The Cook's Warehouse/Sherlock's Wine Merchant have decided not to renew their lease on their shared space on West Ponce de Leon Avenue at Commerce Drive in Decatur. The store opened in 2005 and will close at the end of February. Sherlock's had previously looked at opening in Emory Village but opted to open in Brookwood Hills/South Buckhead instead. The store opened last summer. Cook's Warehouse, meanwhile, will debut their new location at Peachtree Station in Chamblee later this spring. The store, originally meant to serve as a relocation for the previously shuttered Brookhaven location, will seek to be the home for Decatur customers as well. As fate would have it, S. J. Collins, the developer of Peachtree Station, is also developing North Decatur Square, a new mixed-use center at North Decatur Road and Church Street in Decatur. The center, which is not yet under construction, is currently slated to open in 2018 and could be a good fit if The Cook's Warehouse opted to re-enter the Decatur area. In the release announcing the Decatur closure, Mary S. Moore, founder and CEO of The Cook's Warehouse says "We will continue to be on the lookout for an opportunity that will allow us to return to Decatur."

Egg Harbor Cafe is slated to open their new East Cobb location on Monday, January 23rd. The restaurant will open on Lower Roswell Road in place of what had most recently been Tavola and had before that been Ritter's. The East Cobb restaurant will be the fourth in metro Atlanta for the Lincolnshire, Illinois-based chain. Existing Atlanta area locations are in Johns Creek, Sandy Springs and south Buckhead.

The American Eagle Outfitters at Avenue Webb Gin in Lawrenceville will soon begin renovations.

Magnolia Room Tucker - Update as of January 4th: "We expect final Fire Marshall Inspections next week (around Jan 10). If they go well, we can proceed to get our approvals to open from the City of Tucker and the Health Department. We are CLOSE…but at the mercy of the approval authorities. We will continue to keep you updated and thank you for your patience."

Brian Sozzi, "senior correspondent" for TheStreet is again predicting that ROSS will buy Macy's this year. Sozzi made the same prediction in 2016, along with the notion that lululemon athletica would be acquired. Lululemon, for what its worth, saw its stock soar over 27% last year and recently reportedly exceptional sales. There is no doubt Macy's is not the same colossus it once was. This acquisition makes little sense to me.

In other Macy's news, the company is expected to formally announce what stores it expects to close as part of its previously announced plan to shutter about 100 stores nationwide. Five stores: Carolina Place in Pineville, NC, Oakwood Mall in Eau Claire, WI, Greenwood Mall in Bowling Green, KY, Quail Springs Mall in Oklahoma City, OK and Lancaster Mall in Salem, OR have either already closed or have been confirmed to be closing soon. In Georgia, Macy's stores at Gwinnett Place Mall, South DeKalb Mall, Greenbriar Mall, Peachtree Mall (Columbus) and Oglethorpe Mall (Savannah) are seen as most likely on the bubble for closure.

The triple Drive-Thru Chick-fil-A at Akers Mill Square shopping center has closed for an extensive "renovation." The restaurant will in fact not be renovated but demolished and re-built as a twin drive-thru with inside seating. Marshall McCabe, operator of both the Cumberland Mall food court location as well as the Akers Mill restaurants, knows demand will be far higher once SunTrust Park opens and is re-configuring the Akers Mill location to accommodate the increased demand. The restaurant is expected to reopen in May. The Chick-fil-A on Windy Hill Road completed a similar "scrape and rebuild" last year, also in preparation for SunTrust Park/Braves traffic.

Lastly, if you own, invest in, dine out at, rent to, or are in any was involved in restaurants... you should read this.

Pizza and coffee destined for Decatur center

Blaze Pizza and Starbucks Coffee are reportedly going to share the former Evans Fine Foods (and recently vacated Royal Cleaners) at the Publix-anchored shopping center. Located at the corner of North Decatur and Clairmont Roads, Emory Commons is a good location for any brand looking to capture both Decatur and Emory area traffic, but parking can be an issue.

Evan's, a local mainstay for nearly 70 years, closed in late 2015 with rumors of a Blaze Pizza coming to the space starting to percolate this past summer. Repeated attempts to get confirmation from Blaze Pizza (via their official Twitter account) have proven unsuccessful. Interestingly, having gotten word of the executed lease just before the holidays, I tweeted them once more hinting at knowing it was a done deal. Their response was something vague (which has since been deleted) but the location at Emory Commons was added to the website as "coming soon" days later.

The Emory Commons Blaze Pizza will be the first in Georgia for the Pasadena, California based quick-serve pizza restaurant started by Rick & Elise Wetzel of Wetzel's Pretzels. The chain has been targeting Atlanta for expansion for some time, and enters the metro area at a curious time.

Local upstart Uncle Maddio's Pizza has closed over a dozen locations (including their original in Toco Hills in 2015), while Rize, another local upstart, is planning to open a second unit in metro Atlanta. Ohio-based PizzaFire is planning to enter the Atlanta area with a restaurant in TOWN Brookhaven, and is scouting Roswell for a second location.

An existing Blaze Pizza in Mason, OH

Despite existing and oncoming competition, Blaze does enter the market with some serious cred. Blaze surpassed $100 million in system-wide sales in 2015, having grown sales a whopping 205% year over year. In addition, NBA star LeBron James joined the company as an equity investor in 2012, and ditched a lucrative endorsement deal with McDonald's in 2015 to become more involved in marketing for Blaze.

The Blaze Pizza "Franchise Brochure," provides the following criteria for "street locations."

Ideal size is 2,000 to 3,000 square feet, plus an outdoor patio. We will consider 1,500 to 2,000 square feet, depending on expected volume.

• STREET LOCATION REQUIREMENTS.

• Frontage: 25 feet minimum

• Parking: Adequate for restaurant use

• Visibility: Unrestricted from primary access

• Signage: Prefer 2+ signs plus monument or pylon

• Patio: Prefer exclusive patio with 15 to 30 seats

It's interesting the restaurant would have such specific quantitative requirements but just say "adequate," when it comes to its needs for parking. Having visited the Blaze Pizza in Nashville last year, I can attest to the fact that like other QSR pizza restaurants, Blaze will require a substantial number of parking spaces at peak dining hours.

Yesterday, I observed a small crew onsite prepping the spaces to be delivered to their respective new tenants.

The former Evan's space is 3,694 square feet with the Royal Dry Cleaners adding another 600 square feet.

Blaze will likely take the portion of the building facing North Decatur and will likely occupy about 2,600-3,000 square feet with Starbucks occupying the balance.

Starbucks will likely occupy this side of the building

While Starbucks prefers drive-thru accessibility in new locations, I don't see Selig being able to offer them that feature in this location. Selig previously shaved off part of the former Chapter 11/Blue Elephant Books to create a drive-thru for Chase Bank and adding a second drive-thru to the center seems unlikely.

This Starbucks would be in addition to the Starbucks at Suburban Plaza (another Selig property) which opened last year and does have a drive-thru. Sources indicate the Emory Commons lease may have been offered to Starbucks with "very favorable" terms to make up for the fact that the coffee company was forced to close its new Midtown location just a few months after opening it.

Based on all that has to be be done, I'd guess neither Starbucks nor Blaze will be open until sometime this summer.

Are you excited for these new additions to the Emory area? Have you tried Blaze Pizza before and if so how does it compare to other quick serve pizza options? Where would you like to see Blaze open next?

Please share your thoughts below.

Metro Atlanta spared in latest round of closures.

Cincinnati,OH based Macy's today confirmed another 59 stores it plans to close in the coming months. Today's news comes on the heels of an earlier announcement of nine other stores it had either already closed or was about to liquidate. While retail observers speculated that Macy's stores in Savannah's Oglethorpe Mall and Peachtree Mall in Columbus were "most likely to close," neither was included in this round of closures. (Last year's announcement was for "100 store closures," and with this recent news bringing the confirmed count to 68, there could still be more closures to come.)

The only Georgia store slated for closure is at Georgia Square Mall in Athens. Opened in 1981, the 121,000 square foot two level Macy's store was included in a list of "Year-End Closings." Although no closure timeline was provided, a store employee with whom I spoke indicated that the store will be closed by early March. Georgia Square Mall is owned and operated by Atlanta based Hendon Properties, which until 2014 owned North DeKalb Mall in Atlanta, where Macy's closed its store early last year.

In addition to the Savannah and Columbus stores, there was speculation that Macy's stores at Gwinnett Place Mall, Northlake Mall, Arbor Place, South DeKalb Mall and Greenbriar Mall could be included in the closure announcement but all seem to have survived...for now.

One curious inclusion in the list of closures was the 188,000 square foot Macy's in Kenner, LA at The Esplanade. The Kenner store, located in the greater New Orleans area, first opened in 1986, but closed in 2005 after suffering severe damage from Hurricane Katrina. The mall also suffered damage but reopened a few months after Katrina, in late 2005. Macy's reportedly went back and forth on its plans to reopen at the mall before officially making its announcement in 2007 and reopening in 2008. “Returning to the New Orleans market has been a top priority for us,” said Ed Holman, chairman and CEO of Macy’s South at the time of the announcement. Clearly things have changed.

The two oldest stores on the closure list are the the downtown Minneapolis store which first opened as Dayton's in 1902, and Eastland Center in Harper Woods, MI, which opened in 1957 as Hudson's.

The newest stores on the closure list are the Macy's at Nampa Gateway Center in Nampa, ID, which opened in 2009, and the Kenner store which (re)opened in 2008.

In addition to the downtown Minneapolis store which Macy's sold for over $40 million, the company is also closing its downtown Portland, OR store, which opened in 2007. The Macy's on Peachtree Street in downtown Atlanta, originally Davison's, closed in 2003.

The retail giant said it will also be cutting "layers of management'' at its central operations, and paring down the number of managers at individual stores, leading to a loss of roughly 6,200 more jobs.

"We continue to experience declining traffic in our stores where the majority of our business is still transacted,'' Terry Lundgren, Macy's CEO said in a statement. With regard to the store closings he added, "we are closing locations that are unproductive or are no longer robust shopping destinations due to changes in the local retail shopping landscape...These are never easy decisions.''

Lundgren, who has been at the company's helm since 2003, will step down as CEO next year. Jeff Gennette, 55, who was elected president of Macy's in 2014, will assume the CEO position during the first quarter. Lundgren, 64, will continue as executive chairman and work alongside Gennette for an undetermined amount of time.

The complete announcement from Macy's can be found here.

In other retail news, Hoffman Estates, Illinois based Sears Holdings, the parent company of Kmart and Sears, also announced plans to close 150 stores (108 Kmart stores and 42 Sears) by April. In the case of Sears and Kmart, metro Atlanta was again spared from the closure list but Savannah and Columbus were not so lucky.

Kmart stores at 33 W. Montgomery Cross Road in Savannah, 3200 Macon Road in Columbus, 365 Habersham Village Circle in Cornelia and 1601 Highway 40 East in Kingsland are all slated to close. In addition, Sears stores at Albany Mall in Albany and Columbus Park Crossing in Columbus are expected to close.

This latest round of closures will bring the total number of stores that Sears Holdings has closed this fiscal year to more than 200. These moves will leave the company with fewer than 1,500 stores by mid 2017, down nearly 60% from 2011, when Sears [Holdings] had more than 3,500 stores.

Business Insider's report including the full list of store closures can be found here.

Landmark photo and video store to close

Showcase Photo & Video and its sibling enterprise, The Showcase School, will both close February 28th. The main store, a local mainstay for about 40 years, is located at the corner of LaVista and Cheshire Bridge Roads in an outparcel of the Publix / Tara Theater anchored Cheshire Square shopping center. The Showcase School, which was launched in 1996, is located less than a mile from the retail store on Sheridan Road, just off Cheshire Bridge Road.

The company confirmed the news last week in an email to customers and later made an announcement on their website.

"SHOWCASE, INC AND THE SHOWCASE SCHOOL WILL CLOSE ON FEBRUARY 28TH, 2017.

But, no worries! All Showcase School classes will go on as scheduled through February. We can’t thank you enough for your support and friendship over the last 20 years at the school and 40 years at the store. If you have a School Gift Card, you may redeem it for remaining classes or it will be honored at the Showcase retail store until February 28."

As anyone in the photo or video industries would tell you, there are few places in Atlanta or anywhere that can match the knowledge and variety offered at Showcase. As described on the company's website, Showcase offered an experience unlike any other:

"As Atlanta’s Premier Authorized dealer for Nikon, Canon, Sony, Panasonic, Fuji, Blackmagic Design, Olympus and more, Showcase Inc. Photo & Video has been serving the Southeast’s professional and enthusiast photographers and videographers for nearly 40 years. Our team of photo and video experts along with our comprehensive selection of products guarantees the latest in digital photography gear as well as state-of-the-art video production equipment and services."

Showcase will be the second significant photo store to close in just the past few months. This past fall, The Camera Doctor, a popular Decatur business, closed at the corner of Clairmont and North Decatur Roads after 25 years in business.

The Showcase retail store is located in an outparcel of the Halpern Enterprises-owned Cheshire Square but is reportedly not part of the center itself. Property records indicate the building is 17,414 square feet and was built in 1967.

Leather & Luggage Depot, another locally owned Atlanta business, is in the final days of its liquidation sale with its last day in business currently scheduled for this Saturday, January 14th.

It's sad to see so many local businesses close, but the broad offerings and economic options offered by online merchants are making operating local brick and mortar stores an ever more challenging endeavor.

It's worth noting, Wing's Camera & Digital, located at Briarcliff & Clairmont Roads in the Williamsburg Village shopping center, has been in business over 100 years. The family-owned business was started by Henry Wing in 1912 and was originally located at 8 Pryor Street in downtown Atlanta. The shop later moved to East Paces Ferry Road in Buckhead before eventually relocating to their present location.

Are you surprised to see Showcase Photo & Video and The Showcase School close? Where do you do most of you camera equipment purchasing? What would you like to see open in place Showcase Photo & Video?

Please share your thoughts below.

Eatery fails to meet expectations intown

Tom + Chee, the grilled cheese and soup shop that shot to stardom on ABC's Shark Tank, has closed its Westside Atlanta location after barely a year in business. The restaurant's last day was yesterday, Sunday, January 8th.

The Westside location opened January 7th, 2016 and followed other Atlanta area locations in Buford, Alpharetta and Kennesaw.

Sources indicate the restaurant's owners made the decision to sell the restaurant after determining its location and the surrounding demographics were not as ideal as they had hoped.

The remaining metro Atlanta Tom + Chee locations are open for now but there are reports that the Buford location (same owners as Westside) and the Alpharetta location are being marketed for sale. The Kennesaw restaurant, as previously noted, is located in a better, more rent reasonable center and has been well received by the community.

A new "lunch focused" eatery has reportedly inked a deal to take over the space and will open in the coming months. Sources indicate that while there was a good deal of interest in the space, the property's landlord required the replacement be "lunch focused" given the realization that evening parking is a problem.

Would a different location on the Westside have been more successful for the chain or is the concept flawed? What do you think will replace Tom + Chee on the Westside? What is your favorite casual eatery on the Westside?

Please share your thoughts below

Local restaurant abruptly shutters...temporarily

Aqua blue, a popular Roswell area restaurant, closed January 3rd for what the company claims will be "remodeling." Therestaurant, which first opened n 2001, is located at 1564 Holcomb Bridge Road,between the PGA Tour Superstore and the recently renovated and renamed Connexion shopping center.

Aqua blue, a full-service, casual restaurant, is part of Sterling Spoon, an Atlanta-based culinary management firm that also owns Marlow's Tavern and operates several cafes at office buildings. Hi Life Kitchen & Cocktails, located on Holcomb Bridge in Peachtree Corners, was previously part of Sterling Spoon, but was sold last year. A new African restaurant is expected to open in its place in the coming months.

The freestanding 6,800 square foot Aqua blue has been listed for sale on The Shumacher Group's website for months.

A new message on the restaurant's answering machine announces that "Beginning January 3rd, we will be temporarily closed for remodeling."

The message goes on to direct customers to reach Kien [Sam] or John [C. Metz Jr.] at a separate phone number with any questions. According to the restaurant's website, Kien is Aqua blue'sChef de Cuisine/Operating Partner, and John is its Executive Chef, Partner & Co-Founder.

A message I left on the number provided seeking comment on the closure and a reopening timetable was not immediately returned.

Sterling Spoon opened their newest Marlow's location last month in Brookhaven. The chain, which opened its first location in Alpharetta in 2004, now has 22 between Georgia and Florida.

Given last year's closure of Hi Life and the fact that Aqua Blue had been marketed for sale, I don't see the logic in remodeling. It would seem as though Metz and company were headed in the direction of streamlining their operations and focusing on their more successful, multi-unit concepts.

Do you think Aqua blue will reopen? If Aqua blue does remain closed (as I think it will), what would you like to see open in its place? What is your favorite Roswell area restaurant?

Please share your thoughts below.

Atlantic Station eatery shutters

Copeland's Cheesecake Bistro, one of the original restaurants to open in Atlantic Station, has closed. The restaurant, which was more recently operating as Cheesecake Bistro by Copeland's, was located on 18th Street, across from CPK (California Pizza Kitchen).

Copeland's reportedly closed January second. Closing two days into a new year seems a bit odd to me given the likely tax/license implications, but I'm sure they had a good reason.

The following statement was supplied to me by an Atlantic Station representative.

"In a mutual strategic decision with Atlantic Station, Copeland’s Cheesecake Bistro has decided to close its 18th Street restaurant. Copeland’s will focus on its two Copeland’s of New Orleans franchise locations in the Atlanta area that “proudly serve customers the best of New Orleans creole cuisine” and “better represent the future of Copeland’s and our focus on growth within the company,” said Al Copeland Jr. The closing of Copeland’s Cheesecake Bistro also aligns with Atlantic Station’s strategy to refresh restaurant concepts with the latest and best in fast-casual and fine dining experiences. Plans for new dining concepts will be announced soon at Atlantic Station, the city’s original repurposed, revitalized development that today is Atlanta's premier in-town dining and shopping destination."

The restaurant was owned Al Copeland Investments, a New Orleans based enterprise. The company continues to operates two sibling concepts in metro Atlanta: Copeland's of New Orleans in Cumberland on Cobb Parkway and in Kennesaw on Barrett Parkway. A Buckhead location on Piedmont Road closed in 2011 and was replaced by Modern, which in turn closed a short time later. Today, the space is occupied by Chama Gaucha, a Brazilian steakhouse.

What would you like to see open in place of Copeland's at Atlantic Station? What is your favorite Atlantic Station restaurant? Do you feel the property has gotten better, worse or remained about the same since Hines purchased it from North American Properties in late 2015?

Please share your thoughts below.

Metro Atlanta's newest Zoës Kitchen will debut on Thursday January 19th in Kennesaw. The new restaurant will open at the corner of Barrett Parkway and Cobb Parkway in the soon to be Whole Foods Market-anchored Kennesaw Marketplace shopping center.

A new location of Charlotte, N.C based Bojangles' is planned for Fayetteville. The new freestanding restaurant will open in the 800 block of South Glynn Street. The new restaurant will be corporately owned and will feature the brand's new "Biscuit Theater" where patrons can watch as fresh biscuits are made. The restaurant will likely open by the end of the year, but as work has not started, it's difficult to speculate.

LaVergne, Tennessee based Bargain Hunt, a "unique discount retail chain," plans to open its next Georgia location in Griffin. The new 25,833 square foot store will open in Spalding Village shopping center between Fred's and Ross. All three stores, plus an additional vacant space, occupy a former Big K Mart which closed in 2003. Griffin will be the chain's 11th store in Georgia. Existing stores are located in Douglasville, Dalton, Austell, and Rome, among other cities. Thus far the chain has not penetrated ITP.

Walmart recently announced plans to close a number of its "Walmart Neighborhood Market" stores including a local store in Marietta. The approximately 41,000 square foot store opened in January 2013 and is slated to close March 3rd. The store is located in Bellemeade shopping center on Powder Springs Street and replaced what had previously been a Food Depot grocery store. Walmart continues to operate a number of Neighborhood Market stores in metro Atlanta including another store in East Cobb at the corner of Old Canton and Roswell Roads.

Another Broken Egg Cafe, a Destin, Florida based chain of breakfast and lunch eateries, plans to open its sixth Atlanta area location ~~Tuesday~~ Monday, January 16th in Roswell. As I first reported last month, the 3,600 square foot restaurant will open in Roswell Market Place, at the corner of Mansell Road and Alpharetta Highway. Green Olive Media, the public relations firm which represents the restaurant locally, distributed an email earlier this week announcing two special preview events in advance of the grand opening. The restaurant will hold preview events to support two local partners, the Roswell Fire & Police Foundation on Friday January 13th, and The Drake House (a local organization that provides short-term crisis housing, education and empowerment programs for homeless, single mothers and their children) on the 14th. Friday's preview will take place from 10AM until 1PM, Saturday's preview will run 9AM until 1PM. Diners can pay as much or as little as they wish for their meal, with 100% of the proceeds going to the respective charity. Those wishing to attend the pre-opening events must visit http://www.grandopening.newatabe.com or call (678)878-2210 for reservations, as seating is limited.

Willy's Mexicana Grill plans to open its newest Atlanta area location in Cartersville on Monday, January 30th. The new restaurant will be the Atlanta-based chain's 31st store. Other new Willy's locations are coming soon to Smyrna and Northlake.

Score one for David! Dunkin' Donuts, the Goliath national doughnut chain, has closed its location on Cobb Parkway North. The freestanding doughnut shop, owned by Ioan Donuts Holdings, LLC, opened in late 2015 and was closed by late 2016. Ioan owns over 30 Dunkin' Donuts but seems to have been unable to compete with the local Tip Top Donuts, located literally next door. More on this local success story can be found in this article from The Marietta Daily Journal.

Garden Fresh Restaurant Corporation, the San Diego-based operator of the Souplantation and Sweet Tomatoes restaurant chains, has been purchased out of bankruptcy by Cerberus Capital Management LP. The restaurant group filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy this past October. Although Cortland Capital Market Services, LLC, already one of the company's lenders, previously planned to purchase the company, Cerberus, also one of the company's lenders, eventually purchased the business when Cortland and another unidentified suitor dropped out. As of the bankruptcy filing, the company operated 124 restaurants. Garden Fresh previously announced plans to close 20 to 30 underperforming locations. In metro Atlanta, the company operates four units under the Sweet Tomatoes brand in Kennesaw, Gwinnett, Alpharetta & Sandy Springs.

American Apparel, the once hugely popular apparel retailer, has been purchased out of bankruptcy by Canadian apparel firm, Gildan Activewear. American Apparel filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy this past November and reportedly had drawn the interest of both Forever 21 and Amazon, among other companies. American Apparel already closed its Shops Around Lenox location in Buckhead. Its other retail locations in Atlanta and elsewhere are not part of Gildan's purchase and are likely to close. (The American Apparel in Atlantic Station is closed now due to a flood from an upper unit but is expected to reopen.. if only briefly.)

Popular Buckhead mall sees flurry of activity.

In the past few days, a number of stores have either closed permanently or relocated temporarily at Lenox Square. In addition, at least one new-to-market retail store will open in the mall in the coming months.

Oakley closed their 2,853 square foot store on the second floor of Lenox last week. A sign posted on the store's entrance announces the closure and directs customers to the Oakley [vault] store in Dawsonville at the North Georgia Premium Outlets. A store at North Point Mall in Alpharetta previously closed.

Hammer Made, a new-to-market men's retailer, will take over a portion of the former Oakley store, according to permits filed with the City of Atlanta. The permit indicates that Hammer Made will occupy 1,009 square feet of the Oakley space with as many as two other suites carved from the larger space.

Based in Galleria Edina, MN, Hammer Made is a line of "limited edition" men's shirts, T-shirts, socks, and ties introduced by entrepreneur Jason Hammerberg, aka "Hammer." There are currently seven Hammer Made stores open, thus far exclusively in Minneapolis and Illinois.

According to the company's website, dress shirts retail for about $150, ties for about $70, T-shirts for about $35-40 and socks for ten bucks or so. The building permit indicates the company plans to spend a quarter million dollars converting the space to suit their needs.

In other Lenox Square news, The Limited has closed their 4,377 square foot second floor store. The closure, which I reported on last month, followed the company's Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. While the Lenox store remained open longer than others, it too, like the chain itself, is now closed for good.

Across from The Limited, Crocsclosed their store last month. The 2,810 square foot Crocs store is now being occupied by Pandora as their store on the lower level is renovated.

Pandora has temporarily relocated to the former Crocs

Elsewhere on the second floor in the Luxury Wing, the 1,740 square foot one-time Nicole Miller space sits empty, as does the 4,968 square former Boston Proper space.

In addition to these retail vacancies, Lenox Square has yet to replace Prime, once part of Here to Serve Restaurants, which abruptly shuttered in the fall of 2015. The 6,230 square foot space is, well, a "prime" location and given its visibility, is a bit surprising to still be vacant. The Lenox Square leasing team is no doubt being choosy about who they fill the space with, but I gotta think they are close to having a deal in place. I previously announced that Simon had signed a lease with Savannah's Daniel Reed Hospitality Group to bring "Daniel Reed's Public Kitchen & Bar" to Twist, another former Here to Serve restaurant, at Phipps Plaza later this fall.

What would you like to see open in the various vacant spaces at Lenox Square? Are you familiar with Hammer Made? What type of restaurant do you think makes the most sense as a replacement to Prime?

Please share your thoughts below.

Southwest joint supplanted by salads at Atlantic Station

Moe's Southwest Grill closed its Atlantic Station location earlier this evening after ten years in business. The Atlanta-based franchise, which was by all accounts one of the most popular Atlantic Station quick-serve eateries, was reportedly not offered a lease renewal.

Moe's follows the recent closure of Copeland's Cheesecake Bistro, which closed earlier this month at Atlantic Station. Both restaurants were original tenants in the project. Following their closure, the only other remaining original restaurant tenants in Atlantic Station are California Pizza Kitchen (CPK), Rosa Mexicano, Boneheads, Lobby Bar & Bistro and Kilwin's.

When it opened in late 2005 / early 2006, Atlantic Station was home to four "Raving Brands" concepts: PJ's Coffee, Doc Greens, Boneheads and Moe's Southwest Grill. Amazingly, despite massive struggles of the chain elsewhere, Boneheads at Atlantic Station remains open. None of the aforementioned brands are still associated with their former parent company. For example, Moe's is now part of Atlanta-based FOCUS Brands.

The 2,489 square foot Moe's space is expected to reopen later this spring as Salata. I first wrote about Houston, Texas based Salata this past fall when they announced plans to enter the Atlanta market with as many as 20 franchised locations over the next several years.

Salata, which refers to their concept as "The Next Generation Salad Bar," has over 50 locations in their home state of Texas as well as a handful of locations in both Illinois and California. Seen as a healthier offering, Salata offers patrons the opportunity to create their own "tossed-to-order fresh and healthy salad or salad wrap."

In some ways Salata seems like a scaled down, quick serve version of Sweet Tomatoes, but with an emphasis on higher quality salad ingredients and protein options. The restaurant will also feature assorted soups and organic teas. Despite the previous failures at Atlantic Station of Doc Green's and Au Bon Pain,which are similar in some ways to Salata, Hines, which purchased the property in 2015, seems to believe the demographics and traffic have changed enough at Atlantic Station to make Salata a success.

What are your thoughts on the closure of Moe's at Atlantic Station? Do you think Salata will be successful at Atlantic Station? Where else would you like to see Salata open in metro Atlanta?

Please share your thoughts below.

The Holler & Dash in Homewood, Alabama

New to market concept coming to the Westside.

Holler & Dash, a nearly one year old breakfast and lunch concept, is entering the metro Atlanta market with a location on the Westside. The new restaurant will replace Tom + Chee, a grilled cheese eatery, which closed about a week ago after one year in business at Westside Ironworks.

Its corporate parent would prefer that Holler & Dash make a name for itself, but it's hard to not make light of the fact that Holler & Dash is owned by Lebanon, TN based Cracker Barrel.

While my confirmation of this location came from a well placed real estate source, Holler & Dash did not respond to my facebook comment seeking information on the Atlanta location. "Holler & Dash, LLC" was registered with the Georgia Secretary of State's office December 20th, 2016. While that alone only hints at the brand's plans to enter Atlanta, the more telling evidence of an exact location came from an innocent facebook post.

A photo that Holler & Dash's Culinary Director Brandon Frohne posted to his personal facebook page last week includes a shot of he and Jay Holdren, the brand's Director of Operations (aka Biscuit Warden), in "Atlanta, Georgia." Further examination of the photo reveals it was taken at Tom + Chee's westside location. (Frohne, Holdren and Mike Chissler, the brand's Chief Operating Officer (aka Biscuit King), also enjoyed a meal at West Egg Cafe.)

The landlord at Ironworks reportedly insisted that given the parking constraints, its replacement be a "breakfast and lunch only" concept, a prerequisite Holler & Dash definitely satisfies.

Frohne and Holdren pose outside Tom + Chee Westside

Launched this past March in Homewood, a suburb of Birmingham, Alabama, Holler & Dash is a counter service restaurant that features a variety of biscuit options along with assorted other complementary fare such as grits, parfaits, steel-cut oats and beignets, among other things. The restaurant also features a variety of hot and cold coffee options, teas, beer/wine, craft sodas and the many options of the Coca-Cola Freestyle.

Akin to its relationship to Cracker Barrel, Holler & Dash also features a small "retail shop," where it sells assorted regionally produced items such as Doux South products from Atlanta chef Nick Melvin.

I visited the original Holler & Dash this past spring in Homewood, and anticipated the company making its way to Atlanta eventually. A second Holler & Dash opened in Tuscaloosa this past summer, followed by a location in Celebration, FL, just outside Orlando, this past November. Earlier this month, Holler & Dash debuted their newest location in Brentwood, TN (near Nashville). The Brentwood location celebrated its "Grand Opening" this past week.

When the company revealed plans for their Brentwood and Celebration locations this past summer, it was clear to me that Atlanta would likely be included in their next round of openings.

The ordering counter and retail offerings inside the Homewood Holler & Dash

It is interesting that Holler & Dash chose the Westside to make their debut in Atlanta. Their new restaurant is literally across the street from local favorite West Egg Café, and down the road from where The Flying Biscuit Cafe will soon reopen. While many businesses (banks, grocery stores, car dealerships, burger joints, etc.) like to be near their competition, this location is still a bit of a head scratcher.

It's worth noting that many Nashville locals were similarly amazed to see Holler & Dash enter their market where local upstart Biscuit Love has established themselves with a significant following. In the case of Nashville, the new Holler & Dash is miles away from the current Biscuit Love (in The Gulch) and the future location in Hillsboro Village.

Established in 2003 and in its current home since 2010, West Egg Café is a locally owned, table service, breakfast, lunch and brunch restaurant offering a wide variety of breakfast and lunch favorites. The restaurant has experimented with dinner hours in the past, but currently operates primarily as a breakfast, lunch and brunch restaurant (7am - 4pm Monday through Friday and 8am-5pm Saturday & Sunday) with the exception of their Oddbird pop-up concept. Oddbird, which offers a variety of waffles, chicken and biscuits, takes place at West Egg from 5:30 until 9pm on the second Wednesday of the month effective February 8th.

Across all current locations, Holler & Dash is open from 7am until 2pm, hours more closely aligned with those of Egg Harbor Cafe, which operates from 6:30am - 2pm, seven days a week.

Have you been to Holler & Dash? Do you think Holler & Dash will do well on the Westside? What is your favorite breakfast spot in Atlanta?

Please share your thoughts below.

Local restaurants listed for sale not long after opening.

Madre + Mason, the "Latin American - Southern Fusion" restaurant that opened on midtown's Dutch Valley Road in late 2015 is for sale.

The restaurant, which was opened by chef Calavino Donati and her wife Doria Roberts, replaced what had previously been Couscous and before that Allegro. The 3,700 square foot restaurant is located in the lobby level of The Belvedere condo complex and is adjacent to the Atlanta BeltLine.

Donati and Roberts closed their popular Urban Cannibals restaurant this past fall on 5th Street in midtown saying at the time it was only temporary, but there has beenno news of reopening since. Urban Cannibals originally opened in 2009 in East Atlanta Village before relocating to midtown in 2015.

The duo continue to operate Tipple & Rose Tea Parlor and Apothecary in Virginia-Highland, which they opened in 2015.

While it could be said that the Madre + Mason space is cursed, its proximity to the BeltLine with plans to reportedly add direct access from the condo building, make it an intriguing opportunity to lease an intown second generation restaurant space.

A sales listing from The Shumacher Group indicates Madre + Mason is signed to a ten year lease with base rent of $5,665 per month. Extras run $2,312, plus electric, which runs approximately $750 per month.

Any prospective new owner is invited to "keep as is or convert"but "owners are not providing any books and records other then showing expenses."

Madre + Mason is being marketed at $100,000

Baked, which opened at the Tribute Lofts at John Wesley Dobbs Avenue and Boulevard in the Old Fourth Ward in late 2015, is also for sale. The 2,400 square foot restaurant quietly closed yesterday.

Yesterday afternoon Baked posted the following message to their Facebook page before deleting the page a short time later.

"Baked has closed its doors permanently in Atlanta. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you for allowing us to serve you."

When it opened, the restaurant was meant to be a sibling location to the original Baked in East Cobb. Sadly, the East Cobb location shuttered last March after four years in business. Baked ownership reportedly spent nearly $400,000 at the Tribute Lofts combining two spaces into one to form the first generation restaurant space.

A sales listing from The Shumacher Group indicates that takeout and delivery by six different delivery companies (including UberEATS) accounts for up 85% of sales. Given how much some delivery companies like UberEATS collect, that is a scary high number considering its effect on a restaurant's bottom line.

The Baked space is located adjacent to popular intown coffee shop Condessa Coffee, and like Madre + Mason, is located near to the Atlanta BeltLine.

The sales listing reports that Baked has several years left on a fiveyear lease with a fiveyear option to renew. Current rent is reportedly $6,100 per month, all in. The leasing flyer also includes the following: "Name and brand only comes with sale if current concept stays intact without name change. Seller has closed to focus on another business."

Baked is being marketed at $195,000

What are your thoughts on these intown restaurant opportunities? Are they hidden gems or cursed locations? What would you like to see open in each space?

Please share your thoughts below.

Fire of Brazil, a traditional churrascaria (steakhouse) and Jalapeño Charlie's, which served "Latin-Mexican fusion," have both closed on Peachtree Street in downtown Atlanta. The two restaurants, which shared space at the corner of Peachtree Street and Andrew Young International Boulevard, reportedly closed at the end of the year. All told, the 23,000+ square foot space has a total of four levels and is currently being marketed for lease by Coro Realty Advisors as "restaurant/retail." Coro purchased the property last year for just north of $20 million. Diplomat Companies, a local hotel operator, paid $11.3 million in 2006 for the property, to which it planned to add a boutique. The property, 218 Peachtree, was for many years a Lane Bryant retail store and then Planet Hollywood from the mid 90s until 2001. Level 3, a short-lived club, operated in the space before Fire of Brazil & Jalapeño Charlie's opening in 2007. Fire of Brazil previously operated locations in Dunwoody and Alpharetta, among other cities.

Grand China, the popular Buckhead Chinese restaurant that was forced to relocate due to its property being purchased for more premium apartments, has finally reopened. After 25 years at 2975 Peachtree Road, the restaurant quietly reopened a few weeks ago after a longer than expected renovation and permit process. The restaurant closed during the summer of 2015 and had hoped to be open by the end of 2015. The new Grand China is located across the street from "The Peach" shopping center and adjacent to the original Moe's Southwest Grill.

Wildleaf Salads, the new quick-serve eatery from chef Randy Lewis, soft opened this past weekend at Terminus in Buckhead. I first wrote about the concept last spring and of course, its opening was delayed (like anything in the City of Atlanta). Early word is that the restaurant has seen robust sales, a good indication given the struggles of other restaurants in Terminus.

The Halal Guys plans to open their highly anticipated first Atlanta area restaurant on Saturday January 28th on Buford Highway in Chamblee. The Halal Guys was born as a food cart in New York over 25 years ago, but recently began franchising with metro Atlanta among the first locations to open outside of New York. For those eager enough to wait in line for free swag, the restaurant is rewarding its first 50 customers with a free entree and drink and the next 200 customers with a free The Halal Guys t-shirt. Having visited their original New York City cart, I can't wait to get my hands on their famous chicken and rice platter!

Metro Diner, the Jacksonville, FL based eatery which entered the Atlanta market last year with a restaurant in Roswell, is adding two more locations to the Peach state. In the coming months Metro Diner locations are expected to open on E. Broad Street in Athens and at the Tanger Outlets in Pooler (Savannah). The Athens space will be familiar to those who attended UGA as the former home of the once popular East West Bistro.

Fuego Mundo at the Prado in Sandy Springs, which I previously reported was for sale, has been sold, and will be kept largely the same and will remain kosher.

The new Chuy's at Akers Mill Square near Cumberland Mall is actively hiring for their new restaurant. Expected to open in late February, and joining existing locations in Dunwoody and Kennesaw, the company is looking to hire as many as 165 employees for their new restaurant.

The Shell gas station at Powers Ferry and Roswell Roads in north Buckhead has begun its demolition work as it prepares to rebuild as a much bigger complex in the future.

The Burger King restaurant at 2425 Peachtree Road near the Peachtree Battle shopping center has closed. The closure, which I previously detailed last year, is part of an expected mixed-use complex being planned, much to the chagrin of local residents.

After weeks of industry rumors, Punch Bowl Social officially announced it will be joining the lineup at The Battery Atlanta at SunTrust Park later this fall. The concept, similar to Atlanta's own The Painted Pin (and upcoming The Painted Duck) will feature a gastropub (featuring a menu crafted by Chef Hugh Acheson) along with traditional table games, arcade, karaoke, and bowling. The Denver based company opened their first location in 2012 and has since grown to eight locations. Last week, in an interview with Nation's Restaurant News (NRN), company founder Robert Thompson revealed plans for Punch Bowl to open an additional six units this year. Thompson referred to an opportunity in which developers give favorable deals entertainment and restaurant concepts like his in an effort to generate traffic. With only 81 home games scheduled to be played at SunTrust Park in 2017, the Braves and their real estate partner, Fuqua Development, are banking on attractions like Punch Bowl Social and the reincarnated Coca-Cola Roxy theater to drive traffic to the complex. Kings Bowl, the upscale retro bowling and entertainment complex, which announced last year plans to open at The Battery, is no longer involved in the project. Sources indicate that based on the results of their location at The Battery, Punch Bowl may look into opening a second Atlanta area location at Fuqua's upcoming Leggett & Platt project on Memorial Drive in Reynoldstown.

"The Founder", a movie that tells the story of Ray Kroc and his acquisition of the McDonald's fast food chain, opens nationwide this Friday. The movie was filmed in Canton, Douglasville and Newnan, among other local spots, and was directed by John Lee Hancock.

Community thrift store to call it quits after 68 years

The Nearly New Shop, a service of the Junior League of Atlanta, announced yesterday via its Facebook page that it plans to close "in late Spring 2017." The shop, which relocated to Toco Hills from Howell Mill Square during the summer of 2014, was located in an earlier incarnation of Lindbergh Plaza in Buckhead for much of my childhood . In total, the shop has been in existence for 68 years.

The following is the message the organization posted to its Facebook page:

"Attention customers: Thank you for your loyal patronage! After careful consideration, the Junior League of Atlanta has decided to close the Nearly New Shop in late Spring 2017. As the JLA celebrates its Centennial Anniversary, we recognize the great impact Nearly New has had in the metro Atlanta area. The store’s 68-year history is a testament to the dedication of some of our longest-serving League members and to you, our customers. Please stay connected to us via Facebook and email so we can keep you informed of upcoming sales and store discounts. Again, we thank you for your continued support!"

One Facebook member Matthew K. responded to the store's post with the following question: "Did Toco Hill shopping center pressure you to leave in any way?" After 15 hours, the question sits unanswered. While I doubt Edens, (the Columbia, S.C. based firm that purchased the center in late 2015) "pressured" the store to leave, I feel confident that they did not make Nearly New feel welcome.

While it's sad to see Nearly New close, it's not shocking considering the rent increases at Toco Hills following the center's purchase. In the months since Edens purchased the center, a number of longtime tenants of the landmark intown center have closed including Shoe Center, Famous Pub and Petite Auberge. (Petite Auberge, now Petite Violette, merged with Violette on Clairmont Road and has since reopened in their space.)

The approximately 9,000 square foot Nearly New Shop is located beside Spiller Park Coffee, the one new tenant Edens identified it has a signed lease with. Surely, Edens has a far more upscale "high brow" tenant lined up to better complement the hip coffee shop.

For fans of Nearly New, there is one good piece of news in all of this. According to a statement on the Junior League's website, the store may return as a pop-up in the future. Their website states, "After the close, the legacy of the Nearly New Shop will continue through targeted pop-up stores and other impactful volunteer opportunities."

What are your thoughts on the changes at Toco Hills shopping center? What new tenants would you like to see added to the center? What is your fondest memory of Toco Hills shopping center?

Please share your thoughts below.

The HomeGoods store at Suburban Plaza which opened last March

HomeGoods to join T.J.Maxx on the Westside.

Following the abrupt closure of Ross Dress for Less at The District at Howell Mill, I have now confirmed that HomeGoods will open in its place. A tenant in the center since it opened in 2006, Ross closed quietly, without so much as a sale, this past Sunday night.

The former Ross space will soon be renovated for HomeGoods, the home-decor, furnishings and related merchandise retailer. The opening of HomeGoods will unite them with their corporate sibling T.J.Maxx. Both are owned by Framingham, MA based TJX Companies.

This is at least the second time that TJX has taken over a former Ross space. In 2014, Marshalls, another TJX brand, opened in place of a former Ross in Exchange at Hammond, a Whole Foods Market anchored shopping center on Roswell Road in Sandy Springs.

It's worth noting that in the case of the Sandy Springs Ross takeover, Marshalls took 27,633 of the 38,243 square foot space. Given HomeGoods average 26,000 square feet, it's possible that the retailer will take most, but not all, of the 29,643 square foot former Ross space on Howell Mill.

As a company, TJX likes to lease space where T.J. Maxx and HomeGoods can share a single, large, side-by-side storefront. This concept was previously known as "T.J.Maxx 'n More," with T.J. Maxx in the front and HomeGoods in the back of the store. The company now prefers the side-by-side format as can be seen in recent openings in Cumming and Peachtree City.

Following HomeGoods'relocation in 2013, Town Center Plaza in Kennesaw is one of few centers in Georgia to have all three TJX Companies brands represented, but in separate, not shared, spaces.

While not connected on Howell Mill, (Ulta sits between them), the new HomeGoods will surely benefit from being close to T.J.Maxx and will be a welcome addition to the community.

Last year in Georgia, HomeGoods opened new stores in Suburban Plaza near Decatur, Scenic Promenade on Scenic Highway in Snellville, The Overlook in Peachtree City and North Lake Square in Gainesville. Both Suburban Plaza and The District at Howell Mill are owned by Atlanta based Selig Enterprises.

Are you excited about the opening of HomeGoods on Howell Mill? Will you miss Ross Dress for Less? Where else would you like to see HomeGoods open?

Please share your thoughts below.

Holy Smokes! DAS BBQ to Debut December 30th

American Apparel to close Metro Atlanta Outpost

Farmers Market Finds Home in Former Publix

Hasta La Vista T'kilas: Sotolero Coming Soon

Bits & Bites

Bits & Bites

Blaze Pizza Hoping For a Slam Dunk in Atlanta Debut

Macy's, Kmart and Sears Closures... Oh My!

In a Flash! Showcase to Shutter

Toast! Tom + Chee Atlanta Has Closed

Aqua Blue Washed-Up in Roswell?

Copeland's Quietly Closes at Atlantic Station, New Concept Coming Soon

Bits & Bites

Changes Are in Store at Lenox Square

Goodbye to Moe's! Atlantic Station Location to be Replaced by Salata

EXCLUSIVE: Holler & Dash Bringing its Biscuits to Atlanta

Baked Has Closed, Madre + Mason Struggling...Both For Sale

Bits & Bites

Nearly New Shop Becomes Latest Casualty at Toco Hills

HomeGoods Bringing "Happy" to Howell Mill