Tomorrow's News Today

Burger joint joins new mixed use development.

Bad Daddy's Burger Bar, a growing burger chain will open its first Atlanta area restaurant later this year in Chamblee. The new restaurant will be located in Parkview on Peachtree, the new mixed use development currently under construction on Peachtree ~~Industrial~~ Boulevard.

Bad Daddy's is a casual restaurant, similar in some ways to Red Robin Gourmet Burgers & Brews, and offers a variety of burgers and non-burgers, along with assorted salads, sides and adult beverages.

Bad Daddy's Burger Bar first opened in Charlotte, N.C. in 2007 and now franchises and licenses 20 Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar restaurants in three states: North Carolina, South Carolina and Colorado. In 2015, Bad Daddy's became a wholly owned subsidiary of Golden, Colorado based Good Times Restaurants Inc. Good Times, which is publicly traded (NASDAQ: GTIM), operates 37 Good Times Burgers & Frozen Custard between Colorado and Wyoming.

Shortly after the April 2015 aquision of Bad Daddy's, the company's stock reached its five year high of $9.57. Today the stock sits at about $3, but company officials are hopeful that the Bad Daddy's new store development pipeline will lead to more interest in the brand and have a positive impact on its stock price.

In addition to the Chamblee location, two more Bad Daddy’s are under construction in Colorado, one in Raleigh, and two more are expected to begin construction soon in Charlotte. The company also indicated that they are finalizing leases in Nebraska and Oklahoma for fiscal 2017 and 2018 development.

A Bad Daddy's at Turkey Creek, a mixed use development in Knoxville,Tennessee, opened in spring 2015, but closed this past January.

In Chamblee, Bad Daddy's is expected to be joined by Atlanta's own The Nook as dining options in Parkview on Peachtree. Overall, Parkview on Peachtree will be comprised of about 40,000 square feet of street-front shop space, 14,000 square feet of loft office space, and 303 "luxury" apartments. A second phase of the development is expected to add another 200 apartments.

According to a representative from Bad Daddy's, the restaurant "is slated to open in September." Parkview on Peachtree has not published any detailed site plans as to who else will be opening in the development and has denied requests for details on expected openings.

Have you been to a Bad Daddy's Burger Bar? If so, how was it? Are you excited for Bad Daddy's and The Nook to be joining the Parkview on Peachtree development? What other tenants would you like to see open in the Parkview on Peachtree development?

Please share your thoughts below.

The Mad Italian's move to its new Savoy Drive location is reportedly "in a holding pattern" according to owner Tom Brown. I first announced the planned relocation and related opening of new concept Duke's Burgers & Brews last fall, but the timetable has shifted. Brown tells me he still expects for both to happen but they may not happen until next year pending permitting.

Smoothie King is now open in the former Donatos/Guthrie's on Holcomb Bridge Road in Peachtree Corners.

Metro Atlanta's second Black Walnut Cafe is to open next Thursday, April 6th across from The Forum in Peachtree Corners. The first Atlanta area Black Walnut Cafe opened last year in Alpharetta. A location planned for the former Old Hickory House in Dunwoody has been abandoned.

Atlanta School of Massage has taken over the former Denny's restaurant on Cotillion Drive in Dunwoody. The school plans to open a personal training facility in the space and is actively renovating with plans to open later this year.

Bellwoods Social House closed yesterday after less than three years in business. The restaurant posted a sign inviting patrons to join them at their Alpharetta restaurant [Bite Bistro & Bar] something I doubt anyone on the Westside will do. Bellwoods, which itself replaced what had been West & Mill and before that swit, had been for sale for since last month. I will be sharing news of its replacement soon.

Houston, Texas based Salata, a quick serve salad chain, plans to open what will be its second Atlanta area location later this year at Peachtree Center downtown. The first Atlanta area Salata is expected to open by the end of June at Atlantic Station in place of Moe's Southwest Grill, which closed this past January. Salata is reportedly actively scouting metro Atlanta for other locations with Toco Hills, Buckhead and the Perimeter Mall area among the areas in which they are interested.

A new Mexican restaurant called "Jimmy's Tequila & Carnes" plans to open later this summer in the Village at Tilly Mill Crossing (FKA Friday's Plaza). The Mexican restaurant will specialize in steaks and will open in the longtime Barnacle's space that had most recently been Front Row Seafood Sports Bar.

Retailer Express plans to open an Express Factory Outlet at the North Georgia Premium Outlets in Dawsonville next month.

Sotolero has officially opened in place of T'Kilas at Emory Walk near the corner of North Decatur and Clairmont Roads.

Grand Slam Baseball & Golf, the decades old driving range and batting cages on North Druid Hills Road near the Leafmore community, is counting down the days until it closes. A sign posted outside the property announces it will be closing with everything for sale. As I reported last year, the property, which sits on 11.5 acres, is expected to be redeveloped into nearly 80 townhomes. For those not "hip" enough for Topgolf, Grand Slam was a great, local, affordable place to shoot golf balls (or take battig practice.) The last day for Grand Slam will be April 9th. Following its closure, two local driving ranges remain in the intown area, one on Buford Highway in Chamblee, the other on Northcrest Road near Embry Hills.

The Ritz-Carlton Buckhead is in the midst of what might be one of the largest wastes of money in Atlanta since the introduction of the Streetcar in late 2014. The Buckhead hotel, the brand's oldest continuously operating hotel worldwide, opened in 1983 and has had a number of renovations over the years. The current renovation, which according to permits filed with the City of Atlanta is expected to cost at least $5 millon, includes rebuilding the hotel's lobby bar, restaurant and The Dining Room. While there is no doubt the performance of the restaurant had been disappointing for years, the elimination of the hotel's hugely popular lobby lounge fireplace is not just strange, it's short-sighted. The hotel has been plagued by questionable management decisions for years, not the least of which was introducing a white leather couch to the lobby, where it sees more butts than a MARTA seat. Most devastatingly, the hotel has failed to earn the coveted AAA Five Diamond Award for the past two years, relegated instead to the far more common Four Diamond level, that even the Atlanta Evergreen Marriott Conference Center & Resort received. With mounting competion from other luxury properties and the Omni which is expected to open early next year at The Battery Atlanta, and both an InterContinental Hotel and Solís Hotel, the latter of which is being developed by former The Ritz-Carlton President Horst Schulze, the Buckhead Ritz may need more than a restaurant renovation.

Metro Atlanta Hotel Group, LLC plans to build a new 92 room, four story Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott hotel on Washington Road in Augusta. The hotel would sit only roughly 1.7 acres and would occupy land previously occupied by Americas Best Value Inn which was demolished over three years ago.

A new restaurant called Petite Chou recently opened on Memorial Drive in Cabbagetown. The restaurant describes itself on its website as "Weird, in a good way Unlike any place you will find. Our food matches our design - made by craftsman, locally sourced and original." Petite Chou offers patrons "coffee, beer, wine and cocktails with a full menu of breakfast, lunch and dinner. Open early and late!"

Cinco Mexican Cantina has signed a lease that will bring it to the front of Perimeter Mall in Dunwoody. The Atlanta based chain currently has three other locations in metro Atlanta; near Cumberland Mall, in Suwanee and in Cumming. An Alpharetta location on McGinnis Ferry Road closed September 2014 Cinco at Perimeter Mall will be about 6,000 square feet and will occupy the former Chico's retail space, next to the new Shake Shack. Renovations of the space are expected to begin soon with plans to open the restaurant by the coming holiday shopping season. In addition to Shake Shack, which opened this past October, Cinco will be joined by a number of new food options. Max's Coal Oven Pizzeria is expected to open later this summer in the former Varasano's Pizzeria space, while Sbarro will open in the food court, replacing Villa Italian Kitchen. As I reported earlier this month, the mall will also welcome Carlo's Bake Shop from "Cake Boss" Buddy Valastro to the food court. Carlo's is expected to open next Thursday April 6th, and will be followed by a second location at Cumberland Mall later this summer.

New Italian eatery coming to Brookhaven.

Brookhaven Provisions, the nearly one year old concept from the team behind the Cafe at Pharr, has closed in Brookleigh Marketplace on Durden Drive, just off Johnson Ferry Road in Brookhaven. The concept, which ownership referred to a "relocation" of sorts of nearby shuttered concept Baci in TOWN Brookhaven, also incorporated some elements from the group's The Hungry Peach catering business and Cafe at Pharr. Things never really caught on and the restaurant closed this past Sunday, seemingly without any notice to patrons.

According to a ToNeTo Atlanta reader, "Brookhaven Provisions literally after being open for Saturday brunch, abruptly overnight by Sunday changed hands and had a new sign erected on the building called Fiorello's Italian Bistro, complete with renovations and new decor in by Monday with a planned opening date of tomorrow, Thursday of the same week!"

I spoke to Mike Fiorello, co-owner of Fiorello's Italian Bistro, who indicated that Tricia Patterson, co-owner of The Hungry Peach and Brookhaven Provisons is still involved, describing the new restaurant as a subsidiary of sorts. Fiorello did indicate however that Patterson will not be involved in the day to day operations of the new restaurant and that it will be his to operate.

When I visted the approximately 3,500 square foot restaurant space earlier today, it was amazing just how much had already been changed to make way for the new restaurant. Fiorello indicated that plans to convert the restaurant started this past January with much the staff aware of the change and transitioning to the new concept.

The restaurant will offer brunch, lunch and dinner with brunch and lunch entrees in the $10-15 range and dinner entrees in the $20-37 range.

Fiorello's already has a website up as well as twitter, Instagram and Facebook pages.

The restaurant's facebook page describes the restaurant as "Authentic Italian cuisine; Casual dining with a Five-Star Flair."

The following story is found on the website and gives would-be patrons a glimpse into the family's Italian roots and Atlanta history.

"The name “Fiorello” translates as “little flower.” Our roots trace back to Soccorso, Sicily where Nonno, grandpa, (Nicola Biagio Fiorello) and Nonna, grandma, (Maria Anna Frucella Fiorello) were born. They literally grew up across the street from each other. Nonna ventured to the USA alone as a teenager in 1955 to live with family in Altoona, PA. She went back to Soccorso in 1959 to marry Nonno! They came back as a couple to the Bronx, NY where they had 2 children, Carmela and Nick, Jr. After the children were born, they moved back to Sicily for 2 1/2 years and Nonno opened his first tailor shop in the neighboring town of Milazzo.

They then returned back to the USA and moved to Atlanta, GA where Nonno began a long career as a master tailor for Brooks Brothers. Nonna was busy cooking amazing Italian food and raising the two children when Cathy was born in 1971. They moved to Decatur which happened to be only be 2 miles from Susie Rodriguez’s family. Nick Jr. and Susie went to school together 1st-7th grade at Rehoboth Elementary and 8th -12th grade at Shamrock High School. Nick Jr. and Susie married and had two children, Michael Santino Fiorello (now General Manager of our restaurant!) and Kaylee Marie Fiorello.

Our whole family is passionate about cooking, eating, drinking delicious wine, making and listening to great music and just being with each other and our friends. We have always had a dream to share this with as many as possible. Susie’s first cousin, Drew Messina, knows the Italian restaurant business first hand since birth, as his family owned Messina’s Famous Italian Restaurant in New Orleans! Drew has joined our team and we have created an incredible menu combining Nonna’s and Messina’s authentic recipes for your enjoyment!"

Are you surprised that Brookhaven Provisions closed? Are you excited for the openng of Fiorello's Italian Bistro? What is your favorite local Italian restaurant?

Please share your thoughts below.

Sandy Springs Wendy’s to reopen after fire

An Atlanta area Wendy's restaurant is currently undergoing renovations with plans to reopen in May. The Wendy's, located at 8455 Roswell Road in Sandy Springs has been closed since a fire on January 12th, 2014 caused significant damage to the restaurant. The reasons for the over three year delay are not entirely clear, but apparently there was a multi-year long arbitration process between PAP Enterprises, the Wendy’s franchisee, and its insurance provider.

The renovated restaurant is expected to incorporate some of the brand's "image activation" elements that were recently added to existing Wendy's restaurants on Howell Mill Road on the Westside, Boulevard in the Old Fourth Ward and on Piedmont Road in Midtown, among others.

This is the second metro Atlanta restaurant to sit vacant for an extended period of time following a serious fire. A June 4th 2014 fire at the LongHorn Steakhouse on North Druid Hills Road in Toco Hills left the restaurant on the sidelines for over two years. The restaurant, one of the chain's oldest locations, was demolished and rebuilt and reopened this past August. In a strange coincidence, my contact at LongHorn in the months following the fire was Heidi Schauer who at the time was the brand's Manager of Public Relations & Communications. This past July, Schauer accepted the position of Director Corporate Communications for The Wendy's Company.

In Wendy's fiscal fourth quarter results announcement last month, the Company reported that it opened nearly 150 new restaurants around the world in 2016, its highest total of new store openings since 2005. Wendy's is now the world's third largest quick-service burger chain with more than 6,500 restaurants in 29 countries and U.S. territories.

"We believe we can grow the Wendy's system by approximately 1,000 restaurants and $2 billion in sales by 2020, resulting in a global system of about 7,500 restaurants generating $12 billion in sales." President and CEO Todd Penegor said in a statement.

Overall, Georgia is one of Wendy's' largest markets with nearly 280 locations as of January 1, 2017. Georgia is just ahead of California's 261 locations but behind Texas with 390 locations, Wendys' home state of Ohio, with 409 locations, and Florida, which had the most Wendy's, with 500 restaurants as of January 1, 2017.

In Atlanta, Wendy's has been renovating older restaurants but also closing some as either their leases ran out or the land on which they were built became too valuable.

Wendy's closed its popular Buckhead restaurant on Peachtree Road in 2014. PNC Bank built a new branch on the property in 2015. In south Buckhead on Peachtree Road, as well as o on Powers Ferry Road in Sandy Springs, former Wendy's restaurants are being replaced by Starbucks.

A former Wendy's on Stone Mountain Highway in Lilburn was converted into a Panda Express while another on Roswell Road in Roswell reopened as a TitleMax office. Others on Bankhead Highway in Carrollton, South Cobb Drive in Smyrna and on LaVista Road near Northlake Mall, among others, remain vacant.

An existing, currently operating Wendy's in Sandy Springs on Roswell Road near Johnson Ferry Road is slated to be replaced by a relocated SunTrust Bank branch in the coming months. I was unable to get an projected closure date either from Wendy's locally nor from the corporate office.

Are you pleased to hear that the Sandy Springs Wendy's is reopening? What do you think of the brand's updated "image activation" look as seen at restaurants on Boulevard and on Roswell Road in Marietta? Where would you like to see Wendy's open next? Of the quick serve burger joints in Atlanta, which is your favorite? Why?

Please share your thoughts below.

New restaurant to open later this year.

The former Houston's restaurant at the corner of Powers Ferry and Windy Hill Roads near the Wildwood office park will reopen as Sage Woodfire Tavern. The owners of the Orient Express Chinese restaurant in Vinings purchased the property this past fall with the intention of opening a Chinese eatery in its place. Later the owners changed their plans, opting instead as landlords of the space to lease the restaurant to James D. Liakakos of Infinite Dining Group.

The restaurant, located at 3050 Windy Hill Road, is 7,780 square feet and sits on an approximately two acre parcel.

One of the main reasons that reportedly led to Houston's decision to close the restaurant was that daytime business is great, but evening business was nearly non-existent. Will a local operator and the opening of SunTrust Park now make make this location a home run for Sage?

Infinite Dining Group consists of a number of restaurants around Atlanta, all of which have replaced other restaurants.

Last year, Sage Social Kitchen & Bar opened in the Target anchored Merchants Festival shopping center in East Cobb. Sage opened in place of Chequers Seafood + Steak which had itself replaced sibling brand Houlihan's. Later this year, Sage Social Kitchen & Bar is expected to open in the former Morton's The Steakhouse on Peachtree Road in Buckhead.

Infinite also currently operates Sage Woodfire Tavern locations in Alpharetta and Dunwoody as well as Spice Brick Oven Kitchen - Tapas Bar in Alpharetta. The Sage in Dunwoody at Park Place across from Perimeter Mall occupies a former Houlihan's. The Sage in Alpharetta occupies what I believe was built as Canyon Cafe, and later renovated into Stockyard Prime. The Spice Brick Oven Kitchen - Tapas Bar in Alpharetta occupies a former Joe's Crab Shack.

Sources indicate that plans call for the Windy Hill restaurant to open "in about three months" and for the Peachtree Road restaurant to open some time after that.

As I reported earlier this month, well placed industry sources indicate that Infinite was having"financing issues"related to their Peachtree Road restaurant that may have caused it to be delayed and or abandoned.

Do you think Sage Woodfire Tavern will do well in the former Houston's and Morton's spaces? What is your favorite local casual restaurant? Are you, like me, wondering how all the restaurants opening in and around The Battery Atlanta will find the employees to staff their establishments?

Please share your thoughts below

Donut joint plans Atlanta debut

Duck Donuts, a Harrisburg, PA based donut franchise, has leases signed for its first two Atlanta area locations. The two eateries will open in Alpharetta and Buckhead.

In Alpharetta, Duck Donuts will open in Old Alabama Square, a large shopping center anchored by the Fresh Market and located in the 3,000 block of Old Alabama Road. The Alpharetta location is expected to open by the end of May.

In Buckhead, Duck Donuts will open in Tuxedo Festival, a center located at the corner of Roswell and Piedmont Roads, which is already home to Zoës Kitchen and FLIP Burger, among other tenants. The Duck Donuts in Tuxedo Festival will be approximately 1,400 square feet and will be located behind the former inline Regions bank branch. The Buckhead location will likely open later this summer.

A typical Duck Donuts menu consists of about a dozen or so donut flavors with additional "topping" and "drizzle" options.

The Buckhead location of Duck Donuts would put it in competition with home grown doughnut shop, Bon Glaze. Additionally, the Shell gas station across the street, at the corner of Powers Ferry and Roswell Roads is being rebuilt to include a Dunkin' Donuts, among other amenities.

In addition to Bon Glaze and Dunkin' Donuts, Duck Donuts is also entering an Atlanta market already home to chains like Krispy Kreme and other local upstarts like Revolution Doughnuts (Inman Park & Decatur), Sublime Donuts (Home Park, Druid Hills, & a delayed new location in Sandy Springs) and DaVinci's Donuts (Dunwoody, Sandy Springs & Alpharetta). Additionally, QuikTrip and Kroger have upped their donut offerings in recent years.

Russ DiGilio, founder and owner of Duck Donuts, opened his first shop in 2007 at the Outer Banks in the town of Kitty Hawk, NC, and opened the second shop shortly after in Duck, NC. The company grew slowly with the first franchised unit coming online in 2013 in Williamsburg, VA. As of this past fall, Duck Donuts had about 100 locations open throughout the east coast.

What is your favorite place for donuts in metro Atlanta? Do you think Atlanta can handle another donut joint? Have you been to Duck Donuts?

Please share your thoughts below.

Farm Burger plans to open alongside Your Pie at The George on Memorial Drive in Grant Park. This will mark Farm Burger's fourth location in Georgia and tenth overall. George Frangos, Farm Burger's founder and owner, tells me that the Grant Park restaurant will be about 1,800 square feet, similar in size to the company's Decatur outpost. Frangos anticipates that the new restaurant will open by the end of the year. In addition to the Grant Park Farm Burger, Frangos expects to open two other locations this coming June/July in Birmingham and Memphis. The Birmingham location will be on the city's southside in a redevelopment of the the old Waite's Building at the corner of 7th Avenue South and Richard Arrington Junior Boulevard. In Memphis, Farm Burger will open at Crosstown Concourse, a Ponce City Market-like redevelopment of a former Sears property originally built in 1927. The previously announced satellite Farm Burger location within Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta is expected to open this summer with Frangos hinting at another Farm Burger location next year in the greater metro Atlanta area. This past December, Georgia Oak Partners, LLC, made an undisclosed investment in Farm Burger to fuel the restaurant's continued growth. Georgia Oak previously invested in Your Pie, but their franchised location in The George was reportedly coincidental and not planned or arranged in partnership with Farm Burger, a non- franchised model.

Following extensive "remolding," the new Krystal on Cobb Parkway is slated to open today. The new restaurant features an entirely new look, mid-century in design, with an expanded menu.

Marcello's at Emory Point, which I reported in February was for sale, has not been sold, but has closed. Sources indicate the restaurant was given "an out" by the center's landlord Cousins Properties, and quietly closed about a week ago.

Pinocchio's Incredible Italian has also closed. The Italian restaurant, located in the same center as the upcoming Kaiser's Chophouse and Clay's Sports Cafe, opened last spring. The center, at the corner of Hammond Drive and Roswell Road, is also already home to Jinya Ramen Bar, Cheeseburger Bobby's, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Sunflower Cafe and other tenants, so its closure should ease the center's parking issues, at least in the short run.

Troubled electronics retailer hhgregg, which last month announced plans to close 88 stores, or 40% of its overall store count, is reportedly struggling to find a buyer for its remaining assets. A mystery buyer who was lined up last month to buy the company subsequently backed out with the company now scrambling to secure another buyer. If the company is unsuccessful in finding a buyer, it may be forced to liquidate, possible as soon as this Saturday, April 8th.

LOFT Outlet, the outlet division of Ann Taylor LOFT, plans to open a new, approximately 6,100 square foot store in Sugarloaf Mills next month. The store, located in "Neighborhood 2," is next to Neiman Marcus Last Call and replaces the Kenneth Cole outlet which previously closed. This marks LOFT Outlet's fifth location in Georgia following locations in North Georgia Premium Outlets in Dawsonville, Calhoun Premium Outlets, The Ouler Shoppes at Atlanta in Woodstck and Tanger Outlets in Locust Grove. LOFT Outlet at Sugarloaf Mills joins H&M, also in Neighborhood 2 near Neiman Marcus Last Call, which opened their new, approximately 20,000 square foot store this past February.

Fleet Feet Sports has closed their Sandy Springs location on Johnson Ferry Road. The store was located in "The Springs" shopping center, just off Roswell Road, and across from the new City Springs development. The athletic footwear and apparel retailer continues to operate two other Atlanta area locations in Johns Creek and Lawrenceville.

Earlier today, Panera Bread was purchased by JAB Holding Co. in a deal valued at $7.5 billion. The German investment fund will pay $315 per share, a 20% premium over Panera's all-time high closing stock price on March 31st, the last before media reports of the possible acquisition. JAB has been on a carb & caffeine binge over the past few years. Last year, JAB purchased Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc. for $1.35 billion. In recent years, it has bought Caribou Coffee, Einstein Noah Restaurant Group Inc., Peet’s Coffee & Tea, Stumptown Coffee Roasters and Intelligentsia Coffee. Ahead of the Panera purchase, JAB was also reportedly in talks to acquire Dunkin' Donuts.

Struggling footwear retailer Payless ShoeSource filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection yesterday with plans to close at least 400 stores. The company operates 4,400 locations worldwide, with about 40 stores in the greater metro Atlanta area.

Apple, a company known for making smart, calculated decisions, is making the questionable move of relocating their successful North Point Mall store to phase 2 of Avalon, also in Alpharetta. The popular electronics retailer is seen a magnet to retail destinations, so they were surely given a lucrative lease, likely better than normal, as they were enticed from North Point, where mall owner GGP has a longstanding and mutually beneficial relationship with them.

Williams Sonoma, a former North Point Mall tenant, is also opening a new store in Avalon. While there is no doubt that many of the restaurants as well as the movie theater at Avalon do well, retail is another story, according to well-placed industry sources. Many retailers have reported less than stellar sales at the new mixed use lifestyle center with some, like Gap, reportedly seeing lower sales than experienced in North Point Mall.

Despite Avalon picking off retailers from North Point, the North Point Mall trade area has continued to thrive with a number of new openings both in the mall and in the centers surrounding it.

Tutti Spa & Nails plans to open soon in the former second floor location of Tommy Bahama at Phipps Plaza in Buckhead. Tommy Bahama relocated last year to a first floor space, adjacent to Nordstrom.

The Kroger store at Mountain View Village shopping center on 78 in Snellville is expected to close May 9th. The approximately 59,000 square foot store opened in 1987 and has been renovated a number of times and also saw the addition of a Kroger Fuel Center years ago. Kroger says the decision was made to close the store due to "declining sales." The next closest Kroger store is about six miles north on Scenic Highway near The Shoppes at Webb Gin.

Bacchanalia and Star Provisions Market & Café make their Ellsworth Industrial Boulevard debut today. The popular restaurants relocated from Westside Provisions where "Little Star Provisions to Go" will continue to serve lunch and dinner options Monday through Saturday. Owners Anne Quatrano and Clifford Harrison also operate W.H. Stiles Fish Camp in Ponce City Market and Floatway Cafe on Zonolite Road near Emory University. Floataway, which opened in 1998, seems to be to be the odd man out and is currently on deal site Groupon, often an early indicator of a restaurant's demise (i.e. The Luninary).

Vine & Tap promoting their failed effort to add lunch business

Vine & Tap on Lenox Road has closed

Vine & Tap, the Buckhead wine bar and restaurant that opened in early 2014, closed this past weekend. The roughly 2,800 square foot restaurant was located in Lenox Village, a small center nestled on Lenox Road where one can also find Roasters, Yogli Mogli and Mae's Bakery, among others. While staff was unaware of the planned closure, a ToNeTo Atlanta tipster informed me last week that the restaurant was slated to close March 31st. I called the restaurant a few times last week to inquire on this expected timeline and was informed that there were no imminent plans to close.

Sources close to the restaurant indicate the restaurant abruptly closed after dinner service Saturday night, April 1st. The restaurant is normally closed on Sundays and Mondays, so many staff reportedly did not find out until they reported for work on Tuesday afternoon that the restaurant had indeed closed.

Ryan Catherall, son of Here to Serve Restaurants founder and current Taco Cowboy restaurant owner Tom Catherall, was named Executive Chef of Vine & Tap this past January. Last July, Catherall was named Executive Chef at Char Korean Bar & Grill in Inman Park, but left the position this past October. Additionally, Catherall was at some point involved as a "chef" at Buckhead Village Italian eatery Portofino according to his Facebook page.

Vine & Tap was opened by Ian & Susan Mendelsohn with Susan reportedly providing much of the funding for the business. Vine & Tap opened in place of what had most recently been a restaurant called Pizzeria Venti and Cedar's Mediterranean before that. While under construction prior to its opening, Vine & Tap suffered a fire causing the renovation timeline and expense to skyrocket.

The restaurant, which was previously dinner only, tested lunch hours last year and rebranded the restaurant "Lobster Shack" Tuesday-Saturday during lunch. The effort failed to catch on and the restaurant reverted back to dinner only.

Until today, the restaurant's Facebook page has been silent since January 26th. Today, the following message was left:

"We regret to inform you that we have closed due to the health of myself and my family. It has been a pleasure being part of the Atlanta restaurant community over the last several years. We have made good friends, and even better memories. We will see you all soon. Thank You"

Sources close to the restaurant indicate that Mendelsohn had been quietly shopping the restaurant to prospective buyers for nearly a month and that marital problems likely played a part in the decision to close.

Are you surprised that Vine & Tap closed? What would you like to see open in place of Vine & Tap? Are you opening a new restaurant or are you in need of staff?

Please share your thoughts and contact information below to help get those affected by this closure back to work.

The current Payless logo on top, the classic Payless logo below

Footwear retailer announces store closures.

Payless ShoeSource, the struggling footwear retailer that recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, announced plans earlier this week to shutter nearly 400 stores. I have now confirmed that the closures will include five stores in Georgia, including two in metro Atlanta.

Payless plans to close its stores at Northlake Mall in Tucker, Delk Spectrum shopping center in Marietta, Stockbridge Corners in Stockbridge, Savannah Mall in Savannah and Dublin Shopping Center in Dublin.

The Payless at Northlake Mall is located on the mall's lower level in the Sears wing. A store associate indicated to me that a liquidation sale has begun, with all in-stock merchandise 20-40% off, with plans to increase the discounts as the planned May 31th closure nears.

Interestingly, Georgia was one the markets least affected by the closure announcement. Georgia has about about 50 locations and will see four close. California has over 150 locations and 40 store are to close.

Payless call the stores destined for closure "underperforming," which seems to suggest that overall, Georgia is a good market for the retailer.

Payless will continue to operate stores in a number of upscale malls and shopping centers including Buckhead Crossing in Buckhead and Perimeter Mall in Dunwoody.

Payless also has existing Atlanta area stores in Cumberland Mall in Smyrna, Cobb Center in Smyrna, Gwinnett Place Mall in Duluth, The Mall at Stonecrest in Lithonia, and Camp Creek Marketplace in East Point, among others.

After the initial round of store closures, Payless will operate about 4,000 stores globally.

Are you surprised that Payless seems to do so well in Atlanta? Where do you shop for basic footwear? What would you like to open in place of the soon to close Payless stores in Georgia?

Please share your thoughts below.

Toco Hills nabs new donut joint.

Duck Donuts, a Harrisburg, Pennsylvania based donut franchise which I announced last week was coming to both Buckhead and Alpharetta, has now confirmed a new lease in Toco Hills. The new Duck Donuts will be located between Taziki's and Menchies in the Publix-anchored Toco Hills Promenade shopping center on North Druid Hills Road.

A typical Duck Donuts menu consists of about a dozen or so donut flavors with additional "topping" and "drizzle" options. Duck Donuts differentiates their donuts as "warm, delicious & made to order."

The Duck Donuts at Toco Hills will be about 1,800 square feet and should open later this fall.

In Toco Hills, Duck Donuts will compete with an existing and popular freestanding Dunkin' Donuts franchise at the corner of LaVista & North Druid Hills Roads. Additionally, an inline location of Atlanta based donut shop Sublime Doughnuts opened about a year ago at North Druid Hills & Briarcliff Roads in The Village at Druid Hills shopping center.

Duck Donuts marks the first new confirmed tenant in the Publix portion of the Toco Hills property this year. Edens, who owns both the Publix and Office Depot portions of Toco Hills, has replaced or is in the process of replacing a number of popular tenants from the Office Depot anchored portion. (The Pike and Kroger portion of the center remains owned by the Shepherd family, who originally developed the property.)

Learning Express, an educational kids' toy store, shuttered its Toco Hills Promenade location March 27th.

The Local Pizzaiolo, a new fast casual pizza restaurant, is slated to open in place of the former Toco Hills Coin Laundry later this summer. Hudson Grille expects to open later this fall in place of Famous Pub, while Spiller Park Coffee will open in place of a portion of the former Shoe Center later this year.

Petite Auberge, a Toco Hills mainstay since 1974, closed at Toco Hills at the end of last year, and "merged" with Violette on Clairmont Road. Young Chefs Academy, a popular children's cooking class franchise, "moved" its popular Toco Hills location to Buckhead's Howell Mill Village earlier this year.

The Nearly New Shop will close April 30th, while the Georgia Department of Labor expects to relocate soon to a temporary location near North DeKalb Mall.

What is your favorite place for donuts in metro Atlanta? Are you enjoying the changes at Toco Hills and are you looking forward to the new options? What else would you like to see open at Toco Hills?

Please share your thoughts below.

Electronics and appliance retailer to end operations after 62 years in business.

Hhgregg, the bankrupt electronics and appliances retailer, announced yesterday that it was unable to find a buyer for the company and will now close all of its 220 stores in 19 states.

Early last month, the retailer announced plans to close 88 stores or 40% of its overall network as well as three distribution centers, in an effort to regain stable footing and exit bankruptcy a leaner, more profitable company.

Hhgregg CEO Bob Riesbeck said the company "continued to fight for the future" since March 6th, when it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

"While we had discussions with more than 50 private equity firms, strategic buyers and other investors, unfortunately, we were unsuccessful in our plan to secure a viable buyer of the business on a going-concern basis within the expedited timeline set by our creditors," Riesbeck said.

It's been a rough decade for the chain.

Hhgregg, under the ticker symbol HGG, went public on July 20th 2007 at $13 per share. On May 28th, 2010 the stock reached its all time high of $30.01. The stock tanked shortly thereafter, reaching $20.11 September 20th, 2013, for what would be the last time ever. On December 30th, 2016, the stock closed at $1.43, before arriving at today's share price of four cents a share.

In February, the company said it would lay off 100 people, including 70 workers at its Indianapolis headquarters. Strangely, the number of job "opportunities" listed on its website has increased this month with eleven new jobs added today, 35 yesterday, 12 Thursday and another 33 since April 1. Most amazingly, all of the current 420 current "opportunities" have been posted since the company filed for bankruptcy March 6th.

Hhgregg entered the Atlanta market in 2002, and grew its presence in the market to a total of 14 stores. The Buckhead store, at Buckhead Trangle shopping center, was the chain's last Atlanta area store to debut when it opened in fall 2012 in place of a former Circuit City store.

According to hhgregg's website, the last store it opened was in Matthews, North Carolina, a Charlotte suburb. The Matthews store opened in late 2014, and was not included on last month's closure list, but is now closing. Hhgregg renovated and celebrated grand re-openings of stores in Orlando and Tampa in 2015 that showcased the company's then new store design.

In Atlanta, closing sales are already well underway at the four previously announced store closures including the aforementioned Buckhead store, in addition to those in Duluth near Gwinnett Place Mall, in Morrow near Southlake Mall, and in Lithonia near the Mall at Stonecrest. These four stores, which are currently offering between 60-90% off retail prices, are all expected to close no later than this coming Wednesday, but possibly sooner depending on inventory levels.

Following Friday's announcement, ten other Atlanta area hhgregg stores have begun liquidation sales that are expected to last until late May. In all, 132 hhgregg stores will begin sales nationwide.

The stores that are included in the final wave of closures are now offering patrons 5-30% off retail prices with many items, like computers and televisions, reportedly at the minimum discount, and items like Keurig K-cups more significantly discounted.

The Atlanta area stores that just started their liquidation sales are:

Cumberland Crossing Shopping Center on Cumberland Boulevard in Smyrna

Snellville Pavilion on Scenic Highway in Snellville

The Plaza on Windward Parkway in Alpharetta

Barrett Pavilion on Cobb Place Lane (Just off Ernest Barrett Parkway) in Kennesaw

In an outparcel of Mall of Georgia on Woodward Crossing in Buford

Eisenhower Crossing on Billy Williamson Drive in Macon

Next to Columbus Park Crossing on Whittlesey Boulevard in Columbus

Fayette Pavilion on Pavilion Parkway in Fayetteville

Near Arbor Place Mall on Concourse Parkway in Douglasville

Newnan Crossing on Newnan Crossing Bypass in Newnan

Snellville Pavilion has been hit especially hard with the center having only recently backfilled the former Staples retail space to Ashley Furniture Homestore, and still sitting on a vacant Anna's Linens. Fortunately, Sports Authority, which closed all of its stores last summer, was located in a separate nearby center on 78.

Perhaps the most appealing thing about the hhgregg in Kennesaw is its phone number, (770) 919-1991.

Hhgregg's store closure announcement follows announcements from a half dozen other retail chains closing all or some of their stores. Family Christian Stores, which dates from 1932, is currently winding down operations of their entire chain, including 240 locations nationwide. Kmart, Sears, Macy's, The Children's Place, Payless ShoeSource, Gander Mountain, BCBGMAXAZRIA, Bebe and other retailers have all announced significant reductions in their store counts. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania based teen retailer Rue21 operates over 1,100 stores nationwide, including over 30 in Georgia, and could file for bankruptcy as soon as this month, according to a report from Reuters.

Click here for a cool history lesson on the hhgregg brand and a collection of the chain's commercials.

Are you surprised hhgregg was unable to find a buyer? Do you think hhgregg opened too many stores in metro Atlanta? What would you like to see open in place of your local hhgregg?

Please share your thoughts below

Indian eatery quietly closes.

Raja Indian Restaurant, located in Buckhead Walk at 2955 Peachtree Road just north of "The Peach" shopping center in Buckhead, has closed. The north Indian restaurant, which Calcutta native Ramen Saha first opened in 1979, quietly closed after dinner service on April 2nd.

A sign posted to the restaurant's front door reads:

"After 37 years in business, Raja Indian Restaurant has decided to close the doors. We can't fully express our deep gratitude for your business and support. Working with our customers has been nothing but an absolute pleasure! Our last effective day of business will be April 2, 2017.

Until Next Time....

Sam"

At least one would-be patron, "Jay C.," was unaware of the closure and left the following Yelp.com review on April 6th.

"this place is shut for good. Please update the database. Drove 10 miles based on review. Leaving empty stomach :-)"

The 2,346 square foot space with Peachtree Road frontage is currently available for lease.

For years, Raja was one of few Indian restaurants in Atlanta and especially in Buckhead. More recently, a slew of Indian eateries have opened not only across metro Atlanta, but in Buckhead too.

Bhojanic, a full-service Indian eatery, opened at the Shops Around Lenox near Lenox Square in early 2013.

Copper Cove Indian Bistro, another full-service restaurant, located just off Pharr Road on North Fulton Drive, opened in mid 2014.

NaanStop, a fast casual Indian eatery, opened on Piedmont Road across from Atlanta Tech Village in late 2014.

Where is your favorite Indian eatery in Atlanta? Are you surprised Raja closed? What would you like to see replace Raja?

Please share your thoughts below

Buckhead home to be replaced by McMansions.

A hidden Buckhead home was sold late last year to a developer planning to replace it with five new homes. The home, which city records show was built in 1930, is located at 4362 Wieuca Road on 2.9 acres in zip code 30342, on a tremendous hill. Real estate records indicate the property was sold for $735,000 this past November.

Building permits filed with the city of Atlanta indicate the developer plans to improve the accessibility and infrastructure of the property by constructing both a bridge and retaining walls. The permits indicate $500,000 will be spent to accomplish this.

The five home development will be called "Wieuca Woods."

One of the five homes is currently being marketed with an asking price of $1.3 million. The "estate home" comes with five bedrooms, four bathrooms and 1 half bath. The property is described as being "walking distance to shopping, restaurants and Sarah Smith Elementary. Close proximity to Chastain Park, Phipps Plaza, Lenox Mall & Brookhaven. More details to come, completion date is late 2017."

The home is being marketed by Atlanta native Comer Jennings III of Ansley Atlanta Real Estate.

A brief internet search reveals that Jon J. Johnson, who previously owned the property, sought to redevelop the property into a subdivision at least once before, in 1998. Johnson died in an auto accident in 2008 and his wife Estelle seems to be the one who sold the property.

A Curbed Atlanta article from February 2015 quotes a $799,999 offering price and refers to the home as a "turnkey haunted house." The owners seem to have come down in price, perhaps realizing the home would inevitably be demolished and that needed infrastructure improvements would surely impact the selling price.

Residential real estate website Zillow indicates that there are currently 300 homes for sale in 30342. "The median home value in 30342 is $581,400. 30342 home values have gone up 7.5% over the past year and Zillow predicts they will rise 2.8% within the next year. The median list price per square foot in 30342 is $256, which is higher than the Atlanta average of $213. The median price of homes currently listed in 30342 is $699,950."

Are you currently in the market for a home? If so, where are you looking? Do you think we are on the verge of another residential real estate bubble? Would you want to live on Wieuca Road?

Please share your thoughts below.

Inside the new Design Within Reach store at Westside Provisons District

Design Within Reach opened their new "flagship" location on Howell Mill at Huff Roads on the Westside this past Saturday. The store replaces Figo, which previously relocated to Marietta Street. The designer furniture store relocated from their former home on Peachtree Road, just north of Peachtree Battle shopping center. The new store is about triple the size of the former store. The Peachtree Road Design Within Reach store has been converted to "Design Within Reach Contract," which deals exclusively with corporate accounts. Plans call for the Peachtree store and recently demolished former Burger King restaurant to be joined as a single parcel and redeveloped as a high rise condo building.

Yard House, Antico Pizza Napoletana and the Terrapin Taproom and Fox Bros. BBQ are among the recent openings at The Battery Atlanta at SunTrust Park. The complex will host its first regular season Braves game this coming Friday April 14th when the Atlanta Braves play the San Diego Padres at 7:35PM.

Harken Health plans to open what will be its seventh Atlanta area facility later this year in Midtown. The new office will open in place of the former Gatsby's Social Club & Dessert Lounge beside Tuesday Morning in the Midtown Promenade shopping center on Monroe Drive. Other Atlanta area Harken Health offices are located in Austell, Brookhaven, Decatur, Duluth, East Cobb and Roswell. Harken Health, an independent subsidiary of Minnetonoka, Minnesota based UnitedHealth, was launched last January, and currently operates exclusively in the Atlanta and Chicago markets. For more about Harken Health, read this.

A new independent restaurant called The Diner at Webb Gin plans to open in former Romano's Macaroni Grill at The Shoppes at Webb Gin on Scenic Highway in Snellville. The 6,665 square foot Romano's Macaroni Grill closed last year.

Willy's Mexicana Grill plans to open their new Smyrna location in the new Publix anchored Jonquil development at Spring & Atlanta Roads on Wednesday April 19th. On opening day, the first 50 guests will receive a free burrito and drink. In addition to the Smyrna restaurant, Willy's plans to open a new location in Tucker later this July. The Atlanta based chain, started by Willy Bitter in 1995, and now with 30 restaurants, has been on a growth spurt of late, and continues to scout metro Atlanta for additional locations.

Stockyard Burgers & Bones has leased the former Double Zero Napoletana restaurant on Roswell Road. Restaurant sources tell me that Stockyard plans to open by mid-June. There are existing Stockyard Burgers & Bones locations in downtown Marietta and Vinings Jubilee.

A new location of Harbor Freight Tools is planned for South Cobb Drive in Smyrna. The approximately 20,000 square foot store will open in place of a former clothing store in a center also home to an Aaron's, NAPA Auto Parts and a freestanding Smoothie King.

Burlington Coat Factory plans to open later this year in the former Best Buy at Turner Hill Marketplace near the Mall at Stonecrest in Lithonia. Best Buy closed their Lithonia store last year and "moved" to Conyers Crossroads in Conyers for what a company spokesperson said was "a better retail mix."

Nectar, a "healthy lifestyle cafe," plans to celebrate the grand opening of its Georgia Tech location next Wednesday, April 19th. The eatery replaced "The Coffee Snobs" in The Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience building at 315 Ferst Drive. Owners Naruna Rangel and Gaurav Malhotra started Nectar nine years ago with their first location in Decatur. In addition to their Decatur and Georgia Tech outposts, Nectar also operates a location at Piedmont Park, as well as two food trucks.

The owners of Tin Lizzy's Cantina plan to open a new concept, Beni's Cubano, adjacent to their new Tin Lizzy's at the Avenue East Cobb. "Beni’s Cubano pairs authentic Cuban cuisine with fast and friendly service," and is expected to open "in May." There is no word yet on whether the concept will be expanded beyond the East Cobb location.

Preserving Place is closing at the Westside Provisions District. The store's owner, Martha McMillin, sent out the following release regarding the decision to close: "For over three and a half years, it has been my passion project to share my love of Southern cooking, entertaining, and preserving with you. However, it's time for a new adventure. I have decided to close the door on this excellent chapter and go back to my first love, practicing law in-house. I am so proud of our team and what we've accomplished at Preserving Place, and we could not have done it without the love from our city. We have you, the most amazing customers, and you have all given us so much energy and inspiration. Thank you, Atlanta, for supporting us. Our last day will be Sunday, April 30 so do come see us before then!"

Chick-fil-A will open their newest Atlanta area location tomorrow, April 13th, at Avalon in Alpharetta. The new restaurant is located at 2720 Old Milton Parkway and is part of Avalon's second phase. The restaurant will be operated by John and Cristina Crays, who most recently operated the Chick-fil-A in downtown Decatur, although they have residents of Alpharetta since 2005. Later this month, Chick-fil-A will open another new restaurant, this one on Cascade Road in southwest Atlanta. The new restaurant replaced a former Rite Aid and is expected to open Thursday April 27th. A new, larger Chick-fil-A is expected to open next month at Akers Mill Square shopping center on Cobb Parkway not far from Cumberland Mall.

Thanks to my friends at The Carrollton Menu, I have made a number of trips not only to Carrollton, but also to Birmingham. That said, I have become somewhat familiar with the Birmingham market and bring you this Birmingham Bit.

Jacksonville, Florida based Metro Diner plans to open a new location later this year in the Birmingham suburb of Hoover. The new restaurant will open in Inverness Plaza, at the corner of Valleydale Road and US Highway 280. The restaurant will open in place of a shuttered Steak & Shake. Steak & Shake opened in the plaza in June 2014, and closed this past December. Metro Diner entered the Atlanta market last year with a location in Roswell and most recently opened a new restaurant in Pooler (Savannah) at the new Tanger Outlets complex. Another Metro Diner is planned for Macon in May and in Augusta later this year. The chain currently has open or "coming soon" locations in nine states as far west as Nevada.

#ICYMI ToNeTo Atlanta is now on Instagram! Search #ToNeToATL or @ToNeToATL for exclusive IG photos, updates and content.

Grocer confirms both stores will open...

For months now, I have gotten tweets, texts, calls, emails, smoke signals and the like, from readers inquiring about the status of the upcoming Whole Foods Market stores in Kennesaw and Chamblee. Originally slated to open in late 2016 and early 2017 respectively, the stores have yet to open with community members fearing their stores might never open.

I contacted Darrah Gist, Marketing Coordinator for Whole Foods Market -- South Region, and inquired about the status of the upcoming stores. I was provided the following responses:

"Kennesaw will be opening this Fall, and Chamblee will be before that, but that’s all I can give you at this point. Due to the nature of construction, we typically announce an opening date about 3 weeks before."

A peek inside the upcoming Whole Foods Market in Chamblee

As to assertions that the company will close their Harry's Farmers Market store on Powers Ferry Road in Marietta once the Kennesaw Whole Foods opens, Gist responded by saying:

"We have not announced any plans to close the Harry’s store."

Whole Foods Market however did close Harry's in Alpharetta ahead of the 2014 opening of Whole Foods Market in Avalon, also in Alpharetta. The company initially denied the planned closure, but as my friend Lee at Roots in Alpharettawrote then, "the writing was on the wall."

If Harry's does close, it would effectively end the brand. Launched by Harry Blazer in 1987, Alpharetta was the first of four Harry's Farmers Markets to open. Subsequent locations opened in Gwinnett and Clayton, with the latter having a short life due to an apparent lack of affluent customers. The company later expanded into smaller markets with Harry's in a Hurry, with locations in Buckhead, south Buckhead and Poncey-Highland, among others. Blazer took the company public in 1993, but by the late 90s, the chain was struggling and in 2001, Whole Foods purchased the company, continuing the three large scale markets, but shuttering the Harry's in a Hurry stores.

Elsewhere in Atlanta, Whole Foods plans to open a new multi-level, 70,000 square foot "flagship" store at the corner of Spring & 14th Streets in Midtown. Gist tells the Midtown store is expected to open "Spring/Summer 2018," after having orginally been planned for a late 2017 debut.

Whole Foods is also bringing their new concept, 365 by Whole Foods Market, to Atlanta. The grocer plans to open 365 stores in both Decatur and Buckhead. The Decatur store will anchor the new North Decatur Square development at the corner of North Decatur Road and Church Street. The Buckhead store will anchor the reimagined Paces Ferry Plaza at West Paces Ferry and Northside Parkway. Both stores are expected to open in late 2018.

Interestingly, John Mackey, co-founder and CEO of Whole Foods, recently spoke with the Wall Street Journal about his company and their recent struggles. According to Mr. Mackey, The company doesn’t do as well “in the suburbs with people who have an expensive mortgage, they have 3½ children and a golden retriever.” This past February, the company abandoned plans to triple the number of Whole Foods stores in the U.S., and closed nine "underperforming locations," including one in Augusta. The company also indicated that "other planned stores are being delayed indefinitely."

I found evidence of at least two other Whole Foods stores that have been delayed.

In Las Colinas, an upscale community in the Dallas suburb of Irving, Texas, a new 45,000 square foot Whole Foods is expected to anchor a new shopping center. Other tenants have been open since last year, while the grocery, first announced in 2014, sits completed but idle, with local media calling it a "phantom" Whole Foods.

In Alston Town Center in Cary, North Carolina, Whole Foods has reportedly also hit the pause button. The new 35,000 square foot store has been mostly finished for weeks, but is reportedly been delayed indefinitely.

Real estate sources indicate that the grocer has delayed certain store openings to the fall when the company's new fiscal year starts. The company's 2017 fiscal year ends September 24th.

By delaying the openings, Whole Foods could push much of the expense associated with the opening process – including the purchasing of merchandise and hiring & training of staff – into the 2018 budget and financial period.

This past Tuesday, Whole Foods Market Atlanta took to their Instagram account to post a photo outside their new Kennesaw store with the caption "We're coming for ya, Kennesaw!"

Are you excited about the upcoming Whole Foods Markets in Atlanta? Which location are you most looking forward to? Will you be dissapointed if Whole Foods elects to close Harry's Farmers Market?

Please share your thoughts below.

Local luggage store calls it quits at popular center.

Mori Luggage & Gifts, the Atlanta based luggage retailer, has closed its Peachtree Battle shopping center store after 32 years in business. A sign posted to the retailer's front door indicates says:

"After 32 years at Peachtree Battle, we regret this location has closed. Since 1984, we have truly enjoyed serving your travel and gift needs at Peachtree Battle. Thank you for your patronage and support."

The store reportedly closed earlier this month.

Mori operates ten stores in metro Atlanta plus an eleventh in Augusta and an additional pair of stores at Hartsfield-Jackson. Overall, the chain has 30 stores throughout the southeast, including stores at both Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza in Buckhead, as well as their newest store, concept sibling ROAM by MORI, a millennial focused, more moderately priced boutique, at Ponce City Market.

Mori previously closed locations in Northlake Mall in Tucker and near Gwinnett Place Mall in Duluth, as well as stores in Columbus, Georgia and Spartanburg, South Carolina.

This past fall, Leather & Luggage Depot, which had been in West Midtown for 24 years, closed. Originally opened in 1992, the family owned and operated business has been a fixture on Chattahoochee Avenue since long before "West Midtown" was en vogue. Owners David and Gill Green reportedly approached the owners of Mori Luggage about a merger or buyout, but no deal was ever reached.

Where do you buy your luggage? Is luggage something you have to buy in person? What would you like to see open in place of Mori at Peachtree Battle?

Please share your thoughts below.

Club Monaco's Fifth Ave. store in New York with Toby's Estate Coffee

Retailer cancels planned store.

Club Monaco, the trendy apparel retailer, has decided not to open a new store at Westside Provisions District. The store was to have opened in the corner space behind YEAH! Burger where local store Crafted previously operated a pop-up shop.

Club Monaco filed a "commerical alteration" building permit with the City of Atlanta on April 15th, 2016 for:

"CLUB MANACO #A01&A02 NEW TENANT INTERIOR BUILD OUT AND ADDITION OF MEZZANINIE"

The store's construction was to expected to cost $2 million. No other permits were ever filed.

In July, the company took out an ad in Food & Wine magazine to promote its flagship and food-related locations in New York, Charleston, Washington and Montreal. The ad revealed that the Atlanta store would also feature a food component, "West Side Provisions Cafe."

The Charleston store on King Street, which was to have featured "Root + Spiller" by Chef Hugh Acheson, did open, but without Acheson's cafe concept. An employee I reached at the store was "not authorized" to even confirm whether or not the store has any food component. A local source indicates the store does not have a food or beverage element, and that the store is women's only, similar to the rumored plan for the Westside unit.

Club Monaco renovated and expanded their store at Lenox Square in Buckhead in 2012, and has been enjoying a renewed interest in the brand since the refresh. Started by Canadians Joe Mimran, Saul Mimran and Alfred Sung in Toronto in 1985, the chain was purchased by Ralph Lauren in 1999 for $52.5 million.

Ralph Lauren announced plans earlier this month to shutter their New York flagship on Fifth Avenue and close other unspecified stores in an initiative refered to as the "Way Forward Plan," an effort aimed at reducing costs.

Additionally, the new strategy includes exploration of "new retail concepts," such as the Ralph's Coffee brand, which the company debuted at the Fifth Avenue store in 2014, and announced plans earlier this year to expand to the company's Regent Street shop in London.

The Fifth Avenue store is slated to close this Saturday, and is currently offering a whopping 30% off of in-stock merchandise.

It was not immediately clear whether the unspecified store closures would be exclsuive to the Ralph Lauren brand or could include Club Monaco stores as well.

Are you surprised that Club Monaco has deciced not to open on the Westside? Are you a fan of the Club Monaco brand? What would you like to see open at Westside Provisions District in lieu of Club Monaco?

Please share your thoughts below.

Coming Soon signs surrounded Garrett Popcorn in 2015 at Mall of Georgia

Garrett Popcorn, the Chicago based gourmet popcorn chain, has closed its Buford location at the Mall of Georgia. The shop, which followed the late 2014 opening of the Lenox Square store, opened in early February last year and closed about two weeks ago. Garrett Popcorn at the Mall of Georgia was located on the mall's main level near JCPenney. A mall representative tells me there are no updates on who will replace them at this time. The Lenox Square location remains open.

In other Mall of Georgia news, the mall will soon welcome a host of new and expanded/renovated stores.

Amazon plans to bring their popular "Amazon Pop-Up" to the mall's lower level later this month. The pop-up will provide shoppers the opportunity to experience the full range of Amazon devices such as the Echo, Amazon Fire TV, Fire tablets, Dash Button and Kindle. The pop-up will be staffed by "Amazon experts" on site to help navigate, recommend and set up Amazon devices. The shop will also carry Amazon compatible accessories. Amazon opened its first Atlanta area pop-up at North Point Mall in Alpharetta last year.

Slated to open in late June in a 4,229 square-foot storefront, Brooklynn’s will offer women shoppers a versatile selection of bohemian, classy clothing and accessories. The store is located near Forever 21 and Belk. Brooklynn's is a local retailer with existing locations on Chambers Street in Woodstock and at Town Center at Cobb in Kennesaw.

Billy Beez, an indoor kid’s entertainment facility, is scheduled to open later this year. Billy Beez offers an array of activities ranging from slides to sport courts, tunnels to towers, ball blasters to bouncy trampolines, and plenty more fun in the 20,949 square-foot space located on the mall's lower level near Haverty’s Furniture.

Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics recently completed an expansion of its store on the mall's upper level near Belk. The renovation increased the space from 620 square feet to 2,282 square feet and will allow the retailer to significantly increase its product offerings. Lush is also expanding and relocating their store in Perimeter Mall in Dunwoody.

Artful Living, which carries an assortment of gift, jewelry and home accessory options, recently relocated to a 1,135 square-foot storefront on the lower level near Von Maur. Eyewear retailer Sunglass Hut underwent a remodel and is now open on the upper level near abercrombie kids. Journey’s, Journey’s Kids and Swarovski Crystal are expected to remodel later this spring.

Tikka Cafe - Healthy Indian Fusion, a new Indian fast casual eatery, opened this past January on Britt Road in Tucker. The restaurant is located in a small strip center near the Chevron convenience store and gas station, close to Heritage Golf Course. The restaurant will celebrate their grand opening on April 29th, all day, by offering patrons specials including everything "buy one get one free," free pani puri (Indian street snack) and free mango lassi (smoothie). The event will also include DJ/Music, photographers, "High Profile Dignitaries," face painting for kids and the opportunity to win a 12.9" iPad Pro.

F&H Food Trading Group plans to debut their newest Little Alley Steak July 1 in Buckhead's One Alliance Center office building. The restaurant, which I exclusively broke news of last August, opens in place of Aja which itself replaced Emeril's. Little Alley Steak's original location opened in 2012 on Canton Street in historic downtown Roswell.

Men's apparel retailer UNTUCKit plans to make their Georgia debut with a location at Lenox Square later this year. UNTUCKit will open in place of Lovesac which closed last month on the mall's upper level near Anthropologie. Launched in 2011 by friends Chris Riccobono and Aaron Sanandres, the concept behind UNTUCKit is that their shirts are meant to be worn untucked. "They established that the length of the shirt be halfway between the belt and the bottom of the zipper, which allowed the front pocket of the pant to be slightly exposed." UNTUCKit's main product offering includes assorted long sleeve shirts, T-shirts, henleys and polos. The business was initially run out the third bedroom of Riccobono's home in Hoboken, New Jersey. The company is now headquartered in SoHo, New York, where their first brick and mortar store opened in September 2015. In 2016 UNTUCKit expanded, adding new stores in Chicago (Michigan Avenue), Los Angeles (Melrose Avenue), Austin (The Domain on Century Oaks Terrace) and San Francisco (Union Street). Given how competitive apparel can be, UNTUCKit's name and concept seem rather silly and limiting but hey, that's just me. UNTUCKit was named the “Brand to Know” by Maxim (2012) and the brand’s product was dubbed “perfection” by GQ (2011).

A new Burger King restaurant is planned for the site of a former CVS Pharmacy in southwest Atlanta, not far from the Hamilton E. Holmes MARTA station. The space has been vacant since CVS Pharmacy relocated to a new building nearby over ten years ago. The new restaurant would rise near the intersection of Peyton Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, across the street from an existing McDonald's. The 2,974 square foot restaurant is being opened by GPS Hospitality, an Atlanta based franchisee of both Burger King and Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen restaurants. As of a December 2016 acquisition of 194 Burger King restaurants, the company operates 424 Burger Kings and 7 Popeyes restaurants.

Speedway is proposing a new gas station and convenience store on Cobb Parkway at Ellison Lakes Drive in Kennesaw. Speedway, owned by Findlay, Ohio based Marathon Petroleum, re-entered the Atlanta market last year with locations in Alpharetta and Norcross. Earlier this year, I revealed that the company plans to add a third location, on Sugarloaf Parkway in Lawrenceville. The proposed Kennesaw location, about a mile and a half from where Tulsa, Oklahoma based QuikTrip opened a new location at Kennesaw Marketplace this past December, is being met with neighborhood pushback. Concerned residents have created an "ipetition" seeking to influence the mayor and council regarding the rezoning approval. The group indicates that "land use allowances for this tract were changed in 2011 eliminating gas stations." The petition, which currently has 173 "signatures" has a goal of reaching 1,000. The group's full list of grievances can be found here.

A rue21 store in liquidation mode

Metro Atlanta largely spared in store closure announcement.

Teen apparel retailer rue21, based in the Pittsburgh suburb of Warrendale, Pennsylvania, announced plans earlier this afternoon to close nearly 400 of the chain's roughly 1,200 locations nationwide. In Georgia, the retailer plans to close 12 stores.

Established in 1976, the chain seemed to grow like kudzu in the late 2000s, swelling from 250 stores in 2009 to over 500 by January 2010, earning it the #9 spot on FORBES Magazine's "America's Best Small Companies" list that same year.

Rue21 opened their 1,000th store in late 2013. At the time, the retailer said it anticipated growing to more than 1,700 stores in the continental United States. "Our real estate model gives us the opportunity to open successfully in strip centers, regional malls and outlet centers in small or midsized communities where there are few teen specialty apparel retailers," stated Bob Thomson, Senior Vice President of Real Estate for rue21.

Earlier this month, Debtwire, a website that provides analysis and date on "distressed debt, leveraged finance and asset-backed markets," reported that rue21 was struggling to pay its bills and was restructuring.

Earlier this afternoon, the company posted a notice on its Facebook page confirming that it is trimming its store count.

“It’s true — we are closing some stores,” the post said. “It was a difficult but necessary decision. But the good news is we still have hundreds of locations across the country, and our website rue21.com, open for business!”

The 12 Georgia stores slated for closure are:

Mullins Crossing 4217 Washington Road (suite #4/5) -Evans

Savannah Mall 14045 Abercom Street (sp #2616) - Savannah

Milledgeville Mall 2400 North Columbia Street-Milledgeville

Rincon South Shopping Center 410 S. Columbia Avenue (suite 1) - Rincon

Columbus Park Crossing 5550 Whittlesey Boulevard (suite 580) - Columbus

Dublin Mall 2005 Veterans Boulevard (suite A20) - Dublin

Cordele Square 1007 East 16th Avenue (suite B) - Cordele

Victory Square 1915 E. Victory Square (suite K) - Savannah

Bartow Marketplace 289 Marketplace Boulevard-Cartersville

Lakeside Marketplace 3384 North Cobb Parkway (suite 170) - Acworth

North Point Mall 1000 North Point Circle (suite 1008) - Alpharetta

The Overlook 210 Line Creek Drive - Peachtree City

The Alpharetta and Peachtree City locations are among the company's newest, having opened in fall 2015 and 2016 respectively. The Peachtree City store, which opened this past October, seems to have been a pre-opening replacement for Dress Barn in the TJMaxx / HomeGoods anchored center.

The North Point Mall store opened in early September 2015 in a nearly 8,000 square foot first level space in the Sears wing.

Following this round of store closures, rue21 will still have plenty of Georgia locations including stores in Carrollton, Newnan, Douslasville, Athens and at the Tanger Outlets in Locust Grove and North Georgia Premium Outlets in Douglasville, among others.

Are you surprised that rue21 is closing so many stores? Are now or have you ever been a rue21 shopper? What would you like to see open in place of the various local rue21 stores slated for closure?

Please share your thoughts below.

Grilled cheese eatery closes third Atlanta area location.

Tom + Chee, the Cincinnati, Ohio based grilled cheese and tomato soup restaurant, has closed its Buford franchise near the Mall of Georgia. The 2,850 square foot Tom + Chee restaurant opened in March 2015 and was located in The Plaza, a small shopping center on Buford Drive.

Sources say the restaurant closed after dinner service on Saturday night.

Steve Josovitz of The Shumacher Group represented the seller and Irving Jacobson, also of The Shumacher Group, Inc., represented the buyer.

The Buford closing comes on the heels of January's closure of the Tom + Chee on Howell Mill Road in West Midtown and February's closure of Tom + Chee in Alpharetta.

Bibby Donnelly Investments, LLC owned both the West Midtown and Buford restaurants. Victor Bibby and Brian Donnelly are the men behind the franchise and funded their failed franchise effort with proceeds from this.

In my February post, I predicted the Buford location would be the next to close, leaving Kennesaw as the lone local survivor of the once promising chain.

After receiving an equity investment from "shark" Barbara Corcoran on ABC's Shark Tank in 2013, Tom + Chee began to rapidly expand, growing from three locations to upwards of 50 with reportedly "over 25,000 franchise requests." In recent months, franchised Tom + Chee restaurants in O’Fallon, MO, Lexington, KY and Louisville, KY have all closed.

Overall, franchisees have closed over a dozen Tom + Chee locations over the past couple of years including one in Carrboro, North Carolina, that closed last year after just six months in business.

The former Tom + Chee in West Midtown is expected to reopen later this year as Holler & Dash, a new breakfast and lunch restaurant. The former Alpharetta Tom + Chee restaurant remains vacant, according to owner Stream Realty's website.

Poké Bar, an LA based poke joint, entered the Atlanta market last fall with a location in Sandy Springs. Poke, for those who are not up on current food trends, is a popular west coast dish which essentially is deconstructed sushi in a bowl.

Poké Bar has leased the former Tom + Chee Buford and plans to open later this summer. As I previously reported, the chain has also inked leases in Alpharetta at The Atwater (former Pieology) and in Atlanta at Edgewood Retail District (former Uncle Maddio's Pizza).

Whereas Poké Bar is concentrating on OTP locations for new restaurants, Poké Perfect, with U.S. headquarters in Atlanta, is concentrating their efforts on intown locations. The chain's first U.S. location will open in Decatur on May 1st, with plans to open on the Westside in late June or early July. A third intown location is in the works for late this year or early next year.

Back in Buford, Aklat Mediterranean Cafe, which has been in the works since last summer, announced via their Facebook page on April 15th that they are "3 weeks away from opening." Aklat is located in a former Radio Shack, to the left of where Poké Bar is opening.

Are you surprised to see Tom + Chee struggling so much? Were you a patron of Tom + Chee in Buford? Do you think a poke joint will thrive in Buford?

Please share your thoughts below

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