Kale Me Crazy plans to open its ninth location later this spring at The Avenue East Cobb. The juice joint chain, which was started by Yogli Mogli founder Roi Shlomo in 2013 in Inman Park, has now expanded across Atlanta and is offering franchises nationwide.
A new Ashley Furniture HomeStore is expected to open in place of a former Staples store in Snellville Pavilion on Scenic Highway in Snellville. The approximately 24,000 square foot space will be renovated in the coming weeks with plans for the furniture retailer to open later this year.
Bonefish Grill plans to open their new Cumberland area restaurant Thursday, February 2nd at Akers Mill Square. I first reported plans for the new restaurant in early 2015, but construction did not begin until last year. A new Chuy's is expected to open adjacent to Grub Burger Bar, also in Akers Mill, in late February.
Magnolia Room Cafeteria updated its Facebook fans and members of its email list earlier this week with an update on its progress. Although the restaurant is still "about ten days from opening," they will be hosting a "sneak peek" this weekend. Although there is no mention of food being served, the restaurant's waitresses will be on hand to answer questions and eager patrons will have an opportunity to tour the new facility. The “Sneak Peeks” will be held this Saturday and Sunday, January 21st and 22nd, from 1pm-4pm each day.
Young Chefs Academy has closed its location in Toco Hills and expects to reopen in Howell Mill Village late this month or early next month. The location was previously known as "North Druid Hills," but has adopted "Atlanta Midtown" for its designation in its new home. The new Young Chefs will open adjacent to another business that recently relocated: Flying Biscuit Cafe.
Deanna Anderson, President of The Junior League of Atlanta, was kind enough to call me yesterday and clarify the reasoning behind the decision to close the organization's Nearly New Shop. Anderson stressed how appreciative the organization was to its patrons and donors who traveled with them to their various locations around Atlanta. Anderson said that despite my and many others' assumption that rent increases at Toco Hills were to blame for their decision to close, the store's future had been in doubt in recent years. In recent years, the Nearly New Shop witnessed not only competition from brick & mortar thrift stores but also competition from an unlikely source: Facebook. Anderson mentioned one group specifically, "Buckhead Exchange," a private Facebook group made up of largely female members, which serves as a local marketplace for buying and selling new and gently used items. The Junior League also experienced a change in membership which made staffing the shop difficult at times. In the end, after careful consideration and much thought, Anderson and her team arrived at the conclusion that Nearly New was no longer a "sustainable fundraising model." Going forward, the organization plans to take part in "more dynamic fundraising opportunities" with plans to continue to help the community for another 100 years. As I noted yesterday, the organization recently celebrated its 100th anniversary, but the store is a mere 68 years young. Prior to relocating to Toco Hills, Nearly New was in Howell Mill Square and before that in Lindbergh (fka Broadview) Plaza. Although I'm not old enough to remember, locals tell me that Nearly New previously operated from locations on 10th Street near Peachtree in the late 50s, and Peachtree Road near West Paces Ferry in the late 60s.
The new Chipotle Mexican Grill coming to the corner of Lawrenceville Highway and Hugh Howell Road in Tucker plans to open Thursday, February 2nd.
755 Restaurant Corporation, the franchise group owned by Hank and Billye Aaron, is planning what will be their 26th Popeyes location. Located in the 1400 block of Georgia Highway 34 in Newnan, the new Popeyes will come on the heels of the upcoming opening of the group's 25th location, which is expected to start construction in the coming days on Georgia Highway 27 in Carrollton. More on both of these opening can be found soon on The Newnan Menu and The Carrollton Menu respectively.
BCBGMAXAZRIA announced yesterday it plans to restructure and close stores amidst mounting competition. “In order to remain viable, the company -- like so many others in its industry -- must realign its business to effectively compete in today’s shopping environment,” spokesperson Seth Lubove said. "BCBG is a world-class designer and producer of apparel, which with the necessary changes, should be able to be successful." The women's fashion retailer operates 570 stores worldwide including about 175 domestically. In Atlanta the chain operates stores in Lenox Square, Perimeter Mall and Avalon in Alpharetta, among others. The BCBG Maz Azria Group also owns Hervé Léger, a brand it acquired in 1998 and relaunched in 2007. Locally, there is one Hervé Léger store in Phipps Plaza which opened in 2015, after relocating from Lenox Square. It's unclear if the Hervé Léger brand will be affected by the restructuring and store closings.
A new Hardee's is planned for the corner of Jimmy Dyes Parkway and Wrightsboro Road in Augusta.
Madre + Mason has closed. The restaurant, which opened in late 2015, had been listed for sale by The Shumacher Group. The restaurant reportedly quietly closed Wednesday, a day after my post announcing that it was for sale.
