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[CLOSURE ALERT] Boneheads Has Closed Its Last Atlanta Area Restaurant

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The last remaining Atlanta area location of Boneheads has closed.  Located in a 2,800 square foot endcap space in Dunwoody's Perimeter Place shopping center, the Boneheads restaurant closed permanently as of December 29, 2018 according to signage on its front door.  The restaurant opened with the center itself in 2007.  (The Boneheads closure, while seemingly quiet, actually occurred before the recent closure of The Cowfish at neighboring Perimeter Mall that ToNeTo Atlanta was first to report on January 10.)  
A sign notifying guests the restaurant is "permantly" closed 

Boneheads, which offered "fresh" seafood in a quick-serve setting, was originally launched in 2006 by Moe's Southwest Grill creator Raving Brands.  Unlike Moe's, however, Boneheads was not an assembly line ordering process, but was instead more like Zoes Kitchen where food is ordered at a counter and then prepared in the back and then brought to your table.

The company attempted to replicate the success it had with Moe's to other cuisines, seafood and Asian (Mama Fu's Asian House) among them.  These attempts, and others like them, proved unsuccessful.  Raving Brands, now known as Big Game Brands, sold Boneheads to Ron Barber, then a franchisee of the brand, and his BH Acquisition, LLC, in late 2009.  Barber subsequently relocated the company's headquarters first to Chastain Park, and later to what appears to be their current home, on Jonquil Drive in Smyrna.  

Information under the "Become a Franchise Owner" [BE A BONEHEAD] tab on the Boneheads website is filled with exciting verbiage like "#1 Fast Casual Seafood Brand with No National Competitors" and wins like "Voted One of the Top 100 Movers and Shakers" in 2014 and "One of the Top 50 Brands of the year in 2014," but the "growing brand" is now down to just a single location.  

The last remaining Boneheads known to still be in operation opened just over three years ago in Pensacola, Florida near the University of West Florida. 

In 2018, Atlanta area Boneheads closed at Atlantic Station in Atlanta, along Powers Ferry Road near SunTrust Park and at Camp Creek Marketplace in East Point. 

The former Atlantic Station location is expected to reopen soon as Pho 24, the former Powers Ferry location reopened last year as Mambo Italiano, and the Camp Creek Marketplace space was back-filled by Old Lady Gang, a restaurant run by Kandi Burruss-Tucker and her husband Todd Tucker. 

Other former Boneheads locations in metro Atlanta include those on Windward Parkway in Alpharetta, Pharr Road in Buckhead, Chastain Square in Buckhead, Peachtree Battle in Buckhead, TOWN Brookhaven in Brookhaven, and West Crossville Road in Roswell, among others.

At Perimeter Place, the now former Boneheads joins a growing list of available restaurant spaces.  The 7,022 square foot former Cheeseburger in Paradise remains available following their late 2012 closure.  In 2013, Mad Bull's Tavern was to open in the space, but never did, followed by World of Beer in 2015, which also failed to come to fruition.  

Applebee's went dark in their freestanding 5,322 square foot restaurant in early 2017 and its building remains vacant today.   

Perimeter Place has also added a couple of new restaurants, with Hobnob opening last month in place of Mimi's Cafe while Sweet Tuna opened in late 2017 in a space once occupied by former Raving Brands sibling concept Doc Green's. 

The manageable, 2,800 square foot Boneheads space should be attractive to quick-serve restaurants looking to enter the market given both its size, endcap location and the fact that it could be an economical option given its existing restaurant infrastructure.  

Are you surprised that Boneheads closed?  What would you like to see open in place of Boneheads at Perimeter Place?  What is your favorite restaurant in the Dunwoody area?

Please share your thoughts below  

Bits & Bites [Commercial Real Estate News Atlanta]

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As you might have noticed, Bits & Bites has been absent from the site over the past few weeks. ToNeTo Atlanta apologizes for the delay and hopes you will enjoy the following GIANT Bits & Bites, chock full of bits and bites and a few things nice.  As always, please message us if we missed anything and don't forget to follow us on Instagram for exclusive update pics, contests and other fun stuff. 
Kremo, a rolled ice cream eatery, and Gong Cha, a tea shop, are both opening new locations along Roswell Road in Sandy Springs.  The two new businesses will share space in a converted building at 6135 Roswell Road in Sandy Springs, just north of the new Modera Sandy Springs apartment complex.  There are existing Kremo locations at Avalon in Alpharetta and on Pleasant Hill Road in Duluth.  Gong Cha has an existing locations on Pleasant Hill Road in Duluth and another in the works within the Perimeter Mall food court in Dunwoody.


Ministry of Supply, a retailer previously located in The Shops Around Lenox, has relocated to the former Agent Provocateur space on the first floor of Phipps Plaza near Starbucks.

A long rumored Chipotle Mexican Grill is finally making headway at 1010 Midtown on Peachtree in Midtown.  The quick serve burrito joint will occupy a storefront on Peachtree Street alongside Panera Bread.


The freestanding 80s era Chick-fil-A on Peachtree Parkway in Peachtree Corners closed November 30 and has now been completely demolished.  The restaurant, like others around the metro Atlanta and around the county, is being rebuilt as a slightly larger, updated version.  Plans call for the restaurant to reopen in May.

Benihana at Peachtree Center closed as of early December.  The restaurant seemingly closed without prior notice and despite having completed a $200,000 renovation in 2012 after two decades in business.  The popular hibachi chain is still open in south Buckhead near Piedmont Hospital and in Alpharetta near North Point Mall.  The company's casual concept, RA Sushi is also still open at 1010 in Midtown.

Hobnob opened its newest location at Perimeter Place December 12.  The restaurant opened in place of Mimi's Cafe which closed in the development in late 2017.  Next up for Hobnob is a new restaurant in the redeveloped Central Park at Atlantic Station.  The Atlantic Station restaurant will likely serve as a replacement for the current Hobnob at the corner of Monroe Drive and Piedmont Avenue that is due to close as part of the Piedmont Park expansion.

Boba Theory, a bubble tea and coffee shop, recently opened on Clifton Road at Emory Point in a space formerly occupied by Indian eatery Paradise Biryani Pointe.

1000 Degrees Pizza planned to open its latest Atlanta area location Thursday January 10, but has since pushed its planned opening on Chastain Road in Kennesaw to Thursday January 31.  The postponement was blamed on "construction delays."  The quick-serve pizza chain is already open on Cobb Parkway in Marietta with another coming to Woodstock Road in Roswell.

A new RaceTrac is planned for Peachtree Corners at 5780 Peachtree Parkway Engineering Drive, just off Peachtree Parkway.  The new roughly 5,500 square foot convenience store and gas station has been in the works since at least early 2018 and could open by late this year.  

Abodo Tacos on Lenox Road has already closed.  The restaurant, a satellite location of the restaurant's original outpost in Johns Creek, opened late this past April in place of Vine & Tap in Lenox Village.  The 2,800 square foot space is currently being marketed for lease. 

Performance Bike is actively liquidating all four of their Atlanta area stores including those on the Northeast Expressway near Children's Heathcare of Atlanta, on Alpharetta Highway in Roswell, on Ernest W. Barrett Parkway in Kennesaw, and on Woodward Crossing Boulevard near Mall of Georgia in Buford.  Advanced Sport Enterprises, the 2-year-old company that is parent to the Performance Bicycle retail chain, Bike Nashbar and distributor ASI, filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in mid-November. The company is due to be put up for auction January 15 after which someone may buy the business and may continue it a going concern, or the company may cease operations.  All Atlanta area stores are offering between 30-70% off on-hand merchandise with all stores slated to close no later than late February, pending the result of the auction. 

Grindhouse Killer Burgers is planning to open their seventh overall location in Brookhaven at the corner of Apple Valley Road and Dresden Drive as part of the forthcoming Dresden Point development.  

Gino's East, a Chicago-style pizzeria, has opened at 675 North Highland in the former Rize Artisan Pizza space.

Metro Atlanta will this year get two locations of Nashville's Slim & Husky's Pizza Beeria. First up, the hip-hop themed eatery will open in the space previously occupied by One Rooster Mongolian Grill at 1016 Howell Mill Road in West Midtown.  Work on the second generation restaurant space is well underway and the company hopes to open at the end of February or the beginning of March.  A second location, planned for 581 Metropolitan Parkway in Adair Park in southwest Atlanta, will be built from the ground up and should open later this summer, or early fall.  Additional locations could be added around Atlanta in the years to come.


A new Arden's Garden, the Atlanta-based company's 17th overall, is planned for west Newnan. The new juice and smoothie shop will open at 98 Temple Avenue, converting an existing building to suit their needs.  Our friends at The City Menus spoke to Leslie Zinn, daughter of founder Arden Zinn, and current President/CEO of Arden's Garden about her plans for the Newnan location.  Zinn tells The City Menus that  “We are excited about putting a location in Newnan, We’ve been interested in opening in south Atlanta. We look forward in expanding our mission to offer healthy options that are convenient and affordable.”  A renovation will happen very soon to the current 280 square foot space along with a 670 square foot addition. In addition to their own shops, Arden's Garden juices can be found in Whole Foods Market, Publix, Kroger, Sprouts Farmers Market and The Fresh Market, among other grocers and shops.
Subway has closed its restaurant at Akers Mill Square near Cumberland Mall.  A sign on the restaurant's front door indicates it closed due to "a leasing issue."


The LB Brand"Flagship" at Ponce City Market has quietly closed.  The newish brand's target market is young women and mothers, but it also has a small collection of men's t-shirts.  Given that, one would think it would have done well at Ponce City Market, but the popular center has proven difficult for many retailers and there could be more closures to come.  

The Juicy Crab is opening a new location in the former Papi's (and before that Buffalo's) at Cofer Crossing in Tucker.   The growing Duluth-based restaurant franchise will open in the 4,200 square foot space in the coming months.  There are existing Atlanta area locations of The Juicy Crab in Duluth, Smyrna, Conyers, Douglasville, East Point, Kennesaw, Fayetteville, Augusta, McDonough and East Point, with another location coming soon to Snellville.

A new Planet Smoothie is coming soon to the Publix anchored Piedmont Commons shopping center at 1050 East Piedmont Road in Marietta.

Retailer Guess has closed its store at Perimeter Mall in Dunwoody. 

Sonny's BBQ on Highway 20 South in Conyers has closed.
Texas-based Tiff's Treats recently opened its newest Atlanta area location at Peachtree Corners Town Center in Peachtree Corners.  The new cookie shop is the growing chain's seventh in metro Atlanta joining existing locations in Alpharetta, Midtown, Perimeter, Cumberland, Decatur and Buckhead.  

Nancy's Pizza has opened their newest location at Perimeter Village in Dunwoody. The new Chicago style pizzeria opened in place of the former alfred angelo Briadal shop.  Other Atlanta area locations include those in Buckhead, Johns Creek, East Point, Midtown and coming soon to Conyers.

Ameris Bancorp, based in Moultrie, announced December 17 that it reached a definitive merger agreement with Fidelity Southern (dba Fidelity Bank) pursuant to which Fidelity will merge with and into Ameris.  Fidelity Bank, with headquarters in Atlanta, began in Atlanta in 1973 and has become what the merger announcement referred to as the "crown jewel of Atlanta."  The merger, which was unanimously approved by the boards of both banks, is expected to close in the second quarter of 2019.  "Based on September 30, 2018 results, and excluding purchase accounting adjustments, the combined company will have approximately $16.2 billion in assets and a branching network across four states.  Pro forma for the merger, 72 branches and $4.7 billion of deposits are located in the Atlanta MSA; 26 branches and approximately $1.8 billion of deposits are located in the Jacksonville MSA."  Weeks after announcing their purchase of Fidelity, Ameris also announced they were replacing Verizon as the title sponsor of Alpharetta's amphitheater.  Ameris Bank Amphitheatre will be the new name what was known as the Verizon Amphitheatre (originally Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre) since its inception in 2008.   The bank signed a multi-year agreement with Live Nation, the concert promoter that operates the venue. 

Growing Atlanta based quick-serve restaurant Gusto will open their fourth overall restaurant Tuesday, January 15 at the corner of Northside Drive and 17th Street in West Midtown Center.  The new location joins existing locations in south Buckhead, Ponce de Leon Avenue near Freedom Parkway and their newest, on North Decatur Road in the new North Decatur Square shopping center.  A fifth location is in the works along Peachtree Boulevard in Chamblee.

King Barbecue has closed at Avalon in Alpharetta.  The restaurant's last day in business was Christmas Eve after opening for the first time on June 5.  The restaurant replaced Bantam & Biddy, which closed in March, and was owned by the same team of Lance Gummere and Shaun Doty.  The restaurant posted notices both on their doors and on their Facebook page hinting at a reboot in 2019 in a different location, saying "we are currently working on reopening in a new home in early 2019."  It was recently revealed that King Barbecue will resurface in Savi Provisons on Pharr Road in Buckhead.  

Struggling apparel retailer Gap, which in November announced plans to close hundreds of stores "quickly and aggressively" has started liquidation sales at three Georgia stores.  Gap will close its full-line store at Augusta Mall in Augusta and at The Shoppes at River Crossing in Macon in addition to a Gap Outlet at Epps Bridge Centre in Athens.  The Augusta store is likely one of the oldest in Georgia having originally debuted in 1978.

Lenny's Subs at 11600 Medlock Bridge Road in Johns Creek has closed.

NY Pizza Exchange at 2810 Paces Ferry Road in Vinings has closed. 

Stax Burger Bar at 690 Holcomb Bridge Road in Roswell has closed.

A new restaurant called Bar.Bacoa has opened in the former Taco Cowboy,  previously Tom Tom and before that Noche, in Virginia Highland.   Taco Cowboy General Manager Scott Switzer and Bar Manager James Rangel will be the owners and operators of Bar.Bacoa which will sport a similar but not identical menu to its recent predecessor.  Former owner Tom Catherall is taking a "Seaside Sabbatical" to write his cookbook and is "retiring" from the restaurant.  
Olive Oil and vinegar specialty shop Strippaggio has closed at Emory Point.  The independent shop occupied suite C-135, a 937 square foot space in the mixed-use development that has been plagued by closures, big (Earth Fare) and small (BurgerFi, Paradise Biryani, Sweet Monkey, etc.) and while small, this is definitely not a good sign for the project.

Longhorn Steakhouse is planning to open a new restaurant at 2700 Old Winder Highway in Braselton.  The new steakhouse is the second new concept from Orlando-based Darden to have upcoming restaurants in the Buford area, as last summer, ToNeTo Atlanta exclusively reported that Season's 52 is also opening a new restaurant along Buford Drive just outside the Mall of Georgia.

Lazy Dog Restaurant and Bar could open a second location in metro Atlanta as part of a proposed two building development in an outparcel of Perimeter Mall in Dunwoody.  The restaurant has reportedly signed an LOI (letter of intent) onto the proposed development at the corner of Ashford-Dunwoody Road and Perimeter Center West, according to planning documents filed with the city of Dunwoody.  Representatives from Brookfield Property REIT Inc., owners of Perimeter Mall, are seeking a variance to reduce the street setback to build two new commercial buildings where currently there are excess parking spaces and where the mall has at times hosted carnivals and other traveling events.  The project is set to go before Dunwoody’s Zoning Board of Appeals on January 10.  California-based Lazy Dog is a casual dining concept that features its own pet-friendly menu and dog patio. Existing locations are located in California, Colorado, Illinois, Texas and Nevada.  California is its biggest market, where it operates 21 of its 30 restaurants.  The chain's first Atlanta area location is expected to open later this summer at Fuqua Development's Peachtree Corners Town Center along Peachtree Parkway in Peachtree Corners.

PLAYlive Nation, an indoor video game business, is opening a new franchise at North Point Mall in Alpharetta. Planning documents indicate that PLAYlive will open in a 2,129 square foot space on the first floor of the mall, adjacent to the JC Penney wing, close to where Sears recently closed.  PLAYlive describes itself as a "Social gaming lounge featuring high-end gaming stations, the newest and hottest video games."  Its opening will mark the return of an arcade-type business to the mall following the closure of Challenges over a decade ago.  

Sotolero, a Mexican eatery, has closed at Emory Walk on Clairmont Road, just off North Decatur Road near Decatur. 

The eatery opened in early 2017 in place of what was most recently known as T'Kilas.  There is no word yet as to what, if anything, will open in the seemingly cursed restaurant space.
Fúdo, a new restaurant named for the bustling Japanese city by the same name, opened January 7 at Chamblee's Parkview on Peachtree along Peachtree Bouelvard.  The restaurant was opened by restaurateurs John and Grace Lee, best known for their popular steak and sushi concept, Ichiban, with locations in Alpharetta and Cumming. Fúdo opened in an endcap space opposite Chronic Tacos, and joins Poke Bar, Bad Daddy's Burger Bar and The Alden, as restaurants in the development. 

Home improvement retailer Floor & Decor just opened its newest store on Memorial Drive in Kirkwood.  The new outpost is the eighth in Georgia for the Atlanta-based and now publicly traded company that started on the access road off I-85 in 2000.

After nearly 25 years, Atlanta Rocks, Atlanta's original indoor climbing gym, closed for good on December 31.  The facility, located along Collier Road and visible from I-75, was undoubtedly hurt by the rise of other new, larger gyms, notably Stone Summit, now with three locations.

Vespucci's Pizza & Pasta at 1389 Peachtree Street in Midtown has closed.  Signage at the restaurant indicates that it's closed for remodeling but with its building now under new ownership, the closure is likely permanent.  Parkside Partners purchased 1389 Peachtree as well as two neighboring buildings and has rechrisentend the collective development "Boundary."  "Boundary is a visionary three-building campus located at the prominent intersection of Peachtree at 17th in Midtown ATL. Recently acquired by Parkside Partners with plans for dramatic redevelopment and unification through design and architecture, Boundary offers the ability for companies seeking dynamic space with an unmatched Peachtree Street address and visibility. United through a 1/4-acre linear park, Boundary is destined to turn heads and ignite excitement for ‘what’s next’."

Kale Me Crazy plans to open their 14th overall Atlanta area location this Thursday January 17 at Toco Hills shopping center.  The 1,500 square foot smoothie and juice shop will open adjacent to Spiller Park Coffee, and beside what is expected to open "soon" as Pao Pao Ramen & Ice Cream.  Both Kale Me Crazy and Pao Pao were first announced to be opening last spring.   To celebrate the opening, Kale Me Crazy will offer free smoothies to all patrons between 4 pm and 8 pm on Thursday.  A 15th Atlanta area location is expected to open soon at Modera Vinings, a new apartment complex on Cumberland Boulevard in Vinings. 

The owners of Buckhead's Lavash Mediterranean Grill have apparently purchased Mulavi, another Mediterranean restaurant in Midtown, and plan to reopen it as "Lavash Restaurant & Lounge" in the coming weeks.  The current Lavash, located beside the Chevron at the corner of Grandview Avenue & Pharr Road, is a quick-serve eatery featuring Mediterranean classics.  The new location appears to be primed to offer a similar menu but in a more upscale setting.  Mulavi opened in mid 2017 at what was then known as ALTA Midtown apartments and following a sale, is now known at Nine15.  

Charlotte based Firebirds Wood Fired Grill will open its second overall Atlanta area location Monday, January 14 at the new Peachtree Corners Town Center in Peachtree Corners.  The first Atlanta area Firebirds opened in Alpharetta, on Old Milton Parkway, across from Avalon in 2016.  The full service restaurant is a cross between a Seasons 52 and a Houston's and features a largely static menu of upscale American fare.  There are plans for up to four other Firebirds in metro Atlanta in the coming years.  The recently closed Cowfish restaurant at Perimeter Mall has been suggested as a good location third location for Firebirds.
  
Apparel retailer Penguin has closed their store at Lenox Square in Buckhead.  The store, which previously relocated from the lower level of the mall near Urban Outfitters to the upper level of the Luxury Wing always seemed to be "on sale" and its closure comes as little to surprise.  Existing Luxury Wing tenant True Religion has relocated to the former Penguin space.  

Outdoor retailer Rock/Creek has finally opened their new store at The Battery Atlanta.  The Chattanooga based retailer opened in a large space previously announced to be the home of  Sweet Pete's and Farrell's.  Sweet Pete's, Farrell's and Rock/Creek are all businesses owned by entrepreneur Marcus Lemonis, star of the CNBC reality series, "The Profit."  

Santorini Taverna has opened in the former Cheeky at Gateway on Roswell Road in Sandy Springs.  

Children’s apparel retailer Gymboree Group Inc. is expected to seek bankruptcy protection this week, with plans to close all of their 900+ stores, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.  The expected bankruptcy comes less than two years after the retailer’s first stint in bankruptcy court, when it closed more than 300 stores and saw its lenders take control of the business.  The company operates stores under the banners Gymboree, Janie and Jack and Crazy 8. In December, Gymboree announced it began a strategic review of the three brands after which it decided it would shutter all Crazy 8 stores.   In metro Atlanta, the company operates Janie and Jack stores at Phipps Plaza in Buckhead and at Avalon in Alpharetta.  Gymboree operates stores at Lenox Square, Perimeter Mall, The Forum on Peachtree Parkway, Avalon and Arbor Place, among its fourteen stores in metro Atlanta.  Crazy 8 has stores at Cumberland Mall, Town Center at Cobb, Arbor Place, Mall of Georgia and The Collection at Forsyth, among its eight stores in metro Atlanta.
Inside a standard room at the new Canopy by Hilton in Midtown 
Atlanta's first Canopy by Hilton hotel has opened on West Peachtree Street in Midtown.  The new lifestyle hotel is part of Hilton Hotels and the Midtown property is the sixth in the U.S. and only the ninth worldwide for the new brand.  The Midtown property features 176 rooms and a full service restaurant, Xhibit Kitchen & Bar.  

Atlanta based Tin Drum Asian Kitchen will open its newest location in Decatur on Saturday, February 9. The restaurant is located in the new Whole Foods 365 anchored North Decatur Square shopping center at 1565 Church Street.     “Decatur guests can look forward to exciting new ‘not-in-a-bowl’ menu items, a curated retail shop and a return to the company’s sidewalk café roots” said Steven Chan, the chain's founder who recently rejoined the company after bring on hiatus.    The Decatur location marks the chain's 11th restaurant in the greater metro Atlanta area.     

[CLOSURE ALERT] Genuine Pizza Pulls Out of Phipps Plaza After One Year

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Genuine Pizza, the Neapolitan style pizza restaurant from chef Michael Schwartz, has closed at Phipps Plaza after just over a year in business.  The restaurant reportedly closed Sunday, January 13 after opening January 5, 2018. ToNeTo Atlanta visited the restaurant midday Monday and found no signage indicating the closure, but at least two employees were inside the locked restaurant packing up equipment.  The Phipps Plaza outpost has already been removed from the Genuine website.  
Sources close to the mall and those in the Buckhead restaurant community indicate that Genuine has struggled almost since day one.  The restaurant's general manager was released a few months back, and the restaurant had been operating with a skeleton staff according to sources familiar with the operation. 

Genuine is the second upscale pizzeria to fold at a popular Atlanta mall after only a short time in business.  Varasano's Pizzeria, from popular local pizza maker Jeff Varasano, closed at Perimeter Mall in Dunwoody in June 2016, less than eight months after opening.   

The Buckhead Genuine Pizza was their first foray outside of the restaurant's home state of Florida, where chef Schwartz, who was named best chef in the South by the James Beard Foundation in 2010, opened the first Harry's in 2011 in Miami's Design District.  The Buckhead location was the second outpost to sport the Genuine Pizza banner, essentially an update to the Harry's concept, and one meant to prepare the brand for growth beyond the Sunshine State.  

Three Harry's Pizzeria and one Genuine Pizza restaurant remain open in South Florida with two more under the updated Genuine branding expected to debut at Meridian Center and Metropica in the Miami area later this year.  A previously announced location of Genuine Pizza planned for The Van Aken District in Cleveland, Ohio's Shaker Heights neighborhood was announced this past November to be opening instead as Michael's Genuine Food & Drink.  

The approximately 2,500 square foot restaurant at Phipps Plaza opened in a space that has played host to a number of restaurants over the years, most recently, Yebo, a South African bar and eatery from restaurateur Justin Anthony. 

Both Genuine and the restaurant formerly known as Public Kitchen & Bar (now Agency Socialthèque) have each seemingly been haunted by ghosts of restaurants past.  In the case of Genuine, Yebo,and in the case of Public, Twist.  Both of the earlier establishments were geared towards more more of a late night lounge crowd with small plates and menus that relied heavily on the sale of alcohol.

Agency, which debuted January 4, is meant to better capture  those seeking an after dinner drink or a light bite.  According to Managing Director Jamie Durrence, the move is already paying off with an increase in covers and positive guest feedback.    

Grand Lux Cafe, which debuted this past August, and Ecco, from Atlanta's Fifth Group, which debuted this past November, have both found success in their spaces at Phipps Plaza.  Grand Lux, which occupies space most recently home to Frontgate, is located on the second floor but has proved popular with locals and tourists alike, due in large part, no doubt, to its connection to parent company The Cheesecake Factory.  Ecco, which opened in a newly constructed building near the corner of Wieuca and Peachtree Roads, has also found a near immediate audience in Buckhead for its trendy European eatery.  

ToNeTo Atlanta inquired with representatives from both Phipps Plaza and Genuine Hospitality Group but as of 3:00 PM Monday had not received comment from either.


It's likely that Phipps Plaza owner Simon Property Group has already had discussions about replacing the pizza shop, and that in light of current developments at the center (Nobu Hotel & restaurant, Life Time Athletic etc.), finding a quality replacement is surely a top priority.  

Are you surprised that Genuine Pizza closed at Phipps Plaza?  What is your favorite place for Neapolitan pizza in metro Atlanta?  What would you like to see open in place of Genuine Pizza at Phipps Plaza?

Please share your thoughts below  

[UPDATE] Whole Foods to End 365 Format, Existing Stores to Remain Open...For Now

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Whole Foods Market plans to end future development of its two and half year old 365 concept.  Despite previous plans to grow the new banner in a effort to better compete with Trader Joe's, Sprouts Farmers Market, and others, Whole Foods CEO John Mackey told employees recently the company will not open new Whole Foods 365 stores anymore, according to an internal email reviewed by and reported by Yahoo Finance. The existing 12 stores, the newest of which just opened in Buckhead and Decatur December 12, will remain open for the time being.
With two stores, Georgia was tied with Texas for second most 365 stores.  California, originally slated to receive at least ten 365 stores, currently has five open and operating.

Mackey said the main reason behind the strategy shift is prices. “As we have been consistently lowering prices in our core Whole Foods Market stores over the past year, the price distinction between the two brands has become less relevant,” Mackey wrote on January 9. “As the company continues to focus on lowering prices over time, we believe that the price gap will further diminish.”  “Learning and innovations from 365 have been incorporated into Whole Foods Market and the company will continue to innovate and experiment,” a Whole Foods spokesperson said in a statement.

Launched in 2016, 365 stores heavily feature Whole Foods' less expensive private-label "365 Everyday Value" products, designed in an effort to lure cost-conscious shoppers who have avoided the premium store, referred to by some as "Whole Paycheck."  365 products are definitely viewed by some as better than typical store brands, but they don't have the same cache as Kirkland Signature from Costco.  Kirkland Signature, the private label brand from the warehouse club, accounted for a whopping $39 billion in sales in 2018.

In May 2017, a year after the first 365 store opened and one month before Amazon announced its $13.7 billion acquisition of the chain, Mackey told investors Whole Foods had twenty-two 365 stores under development in the U.S. and they would be increasing that number.

One 365 store has already closed, this at Bellevue Square in Seattle, Washington.  The store, the third overall to open in the chain, debuted September 2016 and closed abruptly in October 2017.  The center's owners took Whole Foods to court seeking that they make good on at least the first 10 years of their 20 year lease. In December 2017 a judge then ordered the grocer to reopen the store within 14 days.  The case subsequently went back and forth in court, the most recent ruling occurring this past December when a state appeals court ruled that the grocer would not have to reopen their shuttered store.  According to The Seattle Times, "The court sent the case back to the trial court to decide on next actions."

At least one previously announced 365 store never opened and has since been assumed by another grocer.  Simon Property Group demolished a former Sears at College Mall in Bloomington, Indiana for what was supposed to be Whole Foods Market 365, but after months of rumors and stalled construction, Fresh Thyme Farmers Market, a small grocer based in Downers Grove, Illinois, opened this past August in the space originally leased to 365.

Elsewhere around the country, other communities and developers are likely waiting with bated breath to learn more about future plans for the previously announced 365 stores.

One such store is in Toledo, Ohio, where Fairburn, Georgia-based S.J. Collins, a prolific Whole Foods developer, leased its 30,000 square foot anchor space at Sector Square to Whole Foods for a 365 store.  Local reports indicate the store has been delayed for years, and that "coming soon" signage finally went up mere days ago, but that its future is unclear in light of recent events.  There are currently no 365 stores listed as "coming soon" on the Whole Foods website.

S.J. Collins, who previously developed (and has since sold) Peachtree Station in Chamblee, also developed North Decatur Square, where one of the two Atlanta  area 365 stores opened last month.  According to the firm's website, a 365 store was also to anchor the company's Delray Beach Plaza redevelopment in Delray Beach, Florida.  Although not officially confirmed, conflicting site-plans and marketing materials indicate the firm may already be planning for the store to open as a Whole Foods Market rather than the 365 banner. 

At least one 365 store has been officially abandoned.  The store, set to anchor a development being pitched as "Village 605" in Los Alamitos, California, was confirmed to have been cancelled shortly after Amazon's purchase of Whole Foods.  Another California 365 store planned for San Francisco, appears to be dead, too, years after a battle with city officials to get the store approved. 

The site of an unopened 365 store at Bijou Marketplace in South Lake Tahoe, California was being marketed for sale for $14M this past November, citing a 20 year lease the developer signed with Whole Foods.  It's unclear if this 28,000 square foot store will ever open as a Whole Foods Market or anything.

A number of other previously announced California 365 store remain unbuilt, and their future unclear.

Last May, at Butler Town Center in Gainesville, Florida, Whole Foods opened a namesake 40,000 square foot store instead of a 365 store, as was originally announced.

This past November, Whole Foods finally filed for permits for a store at Kenwood Collection in Cincinnati, Ohio , more than three years after it was originally announced. Its future is uncertain.

In Evergreen Park, Illinois, a long delayed 365 store at Evergreen Plaza is still delayed and potentially cancelled.
The discontinuation of the 365 stores comes at a time when Whole Foods is planning to strategically expand its flagship brand. Real estate sources indicate that Whole Foods is looking to open more stores in locations with more than 45,000 square feet and is eyeing sites that used to host retailers like Sears and Macy's.  In select cases, Whole Foods could open full-line stores in place of previously announced 365 stores, or even convert existing 365 stores to the Whole Foods Market banner.

ToNeTo Atlanta spoke last year with real estate professionals involved in both North Decatur Square and Paces Ferry Plaza, both of whom indicated that they were aware that Whole Foods would convert both of the Atlanta 365 stores to full line stores if the concept proved unsuccessful.

In the case of the Buckhead store, it's about three miles from the full-line Whole Foods Market at Buckhead Market Place, and with the full-line store in Buckhead already one of the chain's most productive in the region, there is reason to believe the community could support a second store.

As for Decatur, the new 365 store is about five miles away from the Whole Foods Market at Briarcliff & LaVista Roads, the chain's first and smallest store in Georgia.  ToNeTo Atlanta exclusively reported this past November that Whole Foods plans to close the Briarcliff store this coming April, a move that been reiterated and confirmed by store employees in recent days.  The imminent closure has been met with harsh criticism from neighbors, most of whom have pledged that they will no longer support the grocer if they close the Briarcliff store.

Have you been to either of the new Whole Foods Market 365 stores in Atlanta?  Do you think Whole Foods has genuinely gotten cheaper following its acquisition by Amazon?  Where do you do the majority of your grocery shopping?

Please share your thoughts below

[EXCLUSIVE] Tom Ford to Leave Shops Buckhead for New Store in Phipps Plaza

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Multiple well-placed retail and commercial real estate sources tell ToNeTo Atlanta that luxury boutique Tom Ford will in the coming months be closing its store at The Shops Buckhead Atlanta and opening in Phipps Plaza.  The move, which has been rumored for months, is reportedly expected to take place in the coming weeks, to coincide with the completion of Tom Ford's three year lease at the project. 
Tom Ford's relocation would indicate that the designer has faith in the Atlanta market, just not in The Shops Buckhead Atlanta, not exactly good news for the center and its owner OliverMcMillan, who has been shopping the development for sale. 

In fact, a three year lease is a rather short term and may suggest that the brand was not fully convinced things would work out.  Nevertheless, more than $1.5 million was spent to build out the store at The Shops Buckhead Atlanta, reportedly via heavy TIA (Tenant Improvement Allowance) incentives from OliverMcMillan.  

The Tom Ford at Phipps Plaza will also reportedly be larger than the existing store.  The current Tom Ford store at the corner of Peachtree Road and Buckhead Avenue measures about 5,000 square feet, whereas the new store at Phipps Plaza will reportedly be some 8,000 or so square feet.  

Sources indicate that at Phipps Plaza, Tom Ford will occupy the former Giorgio Armani (6,074 sq/ft.) and former Valentino (2,330 sq/ft.) stores.  Valentino relocated to a slightly smaller space next door earlier last year, while Giorgio Armani closed completely this past fall.  ToNeTo Atlanta was the only local publication to report on the closure in December, at which time we speculated that the space could be filled by a luxury retailer new to the market or one looking to relocate from The Shops Buckhead Atlanta.  

If the store opened as planned, the Phipps Plaza Tom Ford boutique would be on par size wise with the brand's outpost at The Shops at Crystals, another Simon center, in Las Vegas.  

The Tom Ford store, which opened at The Shops Buckhead Atlanta February 2016, has reportedly never "made plan," or in other words, it has never generated the sales that the company projected it would.  Between mid-2017 and mid-2018, the Tom Ford store generated sales of $2.9 million, or about $650 per square foot (psf), according to a source familiar with the project.

Christian Louboutin, by comparison, reportedly generated sales of $6 million in a space just shy of 1,800 square feet, for psf sales of $3,367, the best performance on a per square foot basis in the development. Hermes, the development's best performer by cumulative sales, sold nearly $12 million worth of Birkin bags, jewelry, apparel and other luxury goods  out of their roughly 4,000 square foot space.  


At Phipps Plaza, Tom Ford would open alongside Gucci which recently expanded its boutique, and sibling fashion house, Yves Saint Laurent, which is expected to open later this week in an adjacent space.


Tom Ford is of course quite familiar with both brands, having been named Creative Director of Gucci in 1994, and in 1999, Creative Director at Yves Saint Laurent as well. Ford left both in 2004 amidst disagreements over control of the Gucci brand with owner PPR (now known as Kering).  Ford launched his namesake brand in 2006.  

The departure of Tom Ford would be a huge loss to The Shops Buckhead Atlanta.  The project, plagued by closures and the perception that it's too high end, has struggled to find its footing in a market dominated by Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza, two properties ingrained in Atlantans' minds like Waffle House and Chick-fil-A. 

The Shops Buckhead Atlanta has also suffered through a number of high profile restaurant closures, including Dolce, American Food & Beverage, Thirteen Pies and Corso Coffee among them.  That said, Phipps has not been without its share of recent restaurant issues following the recent concept flip at Public Kitchen which early this year became Agency Socialthèque and Sunday's closure of Genuine Pizza after just one year in business.  

The conversion to Agency, a more bar/lounge-centric concept, has already shown positive results, according to managing partner Jamie Durrence who cited increased covers and positive guest feedback.  

The former Valentino and Giorgio Armani spaces at Phipps Plaza
Quickly filling the Genuine space, located essentially in front of the would-be Tom Ford along Peachtree, will no doubt be a top priority for Simon as they ride the momentum the mall has built up as they undergo an expansion that will see the addition of a Nobu hotel & restaurant, Life Time Athletic, a food hall, Class A office space and other amenities.  

The lack of a true anchor store at The Shops Buckhead has always been one the project's most nagging flaws.  Between Lenox and Phipps, there are five anchor stores, a 14 screen movie theater, Legoland Discovery Center and an Apple store, seen as by many as a junior anchor given its draw.  

The closest thing to an anchor at The Shops Buckhead Atlanta is Hermes, a store previously located at Lenox Square, and one whose joining the Buckhead project was seen then as a sign of trouble for Lenox.  Save for Jimmy Choo (from Phipps) and L'Occitane (from Lenox), there were really no other stores that elected to leave Simon's two Buckhead properties for the new Buckhead project.  Not only that, L'Occitane last year returned to Lenox Square with its store at The Shops now superfluous.  

A March 2016 article by Curbed Atlanta entitled "Has 'Shops Buckhead Atlanta' Got its Groove Back?" detailed a number of new and upcoming openings at the development planned for later that spring.  Of the eight businesses mentioned, three have already closed (Kit & Ace, Urbana Wellness Spa and Lindbergh) and the closure of Tom Ford would be the fourth.  

Tom Ford's planned relocation to Phipps Plaza is no doubt a coup for Simon Property Group, and while not a knockout punch to The Shops Buckhead Atlanta, definitely something that will be of much interest to their existing tenants, many of whom are unhappy with sales and foot traffic at the luxury center.  

Representatives from Tom Ford this week declined to comment on when they would open at Phipps Plaza.  Representatives of Phipps Plaza also had no comment on the reported lease signing.  
Tom Ford would display its name along Peachtree Road in place of Giorgio Armani 
If all goes well, and work starts nearly immediately on the new space, it's at least plausible that Tom Ford could be open in its new home by this year's holiday shopping season. 

Are you surprised to see Tom Ford leaving The Shops Buckhead Atlanta for Phipps Plaza?  Do you own anything from Tom Ford?  What would you like to see open in place of Tom Ford at The Shops Buckhead Atlanta?

Please share your thoughts below  

[EXCLUSIVE] Chamblee Plaza to Celebrate 60th Birthday With New Lease on Life

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Chamblee Plaza, the aging shopping center on Peachtree Boulevard, may soon see new tenants, including multiple new anchor stores. Vince Riggio, Founding Partner at Trinity Development Group, the firm that since 2012 has owned the center, spoke exclusively with ToNeTo Atlanta about his plans for the project.  

Originally opened in March 1960 , Chamblee Plaza was to have been largely demolished and rebuilt as "The Blee on Peachtree," according to plans announced in 2013.  A number of factors caused that plan to fall apart, among them the  Sardis Masonic Lodge on site and their reluctance to relocate.  The City of Chamblee was also not keen on the reconfiguration of the center.

Now, six years after the announcement of The Blee on Peachtree, and nearly 60 years after the center first opened, plans now call for keeping the center largely the same, but breathing new life into it.  ToNeTo Atlanta has tracked the progress at the center over the years and patiently waited for news to come.  

Riggio envisions recapturing some of the mid-century charm of the center, similar in some ways to the work done by Edens at nearby Toco Hills shopping center, and in Charlotte at their Park Road shopping center, both of which opened in 1956.   Riggio further adds that there will be a focus on the female customer in the current and upcoming tenant announcements.  
With nearly 800 parking spaces, Chamblee Plaza will be far better able to handle the number of anchors envisioned and the amount of traffic that it will attract than recent developments such as Peachtree Station and Parkview on Peachtree, where limited parking is a nagging issue.  

A restaurateur turned real estate developer, [his firm owned Plaza Fiesta (Buford Clairmont Mall) between 1999-2007], Riggio is a nearby resident and hopes to create an "amazon proof" center, home to popular retailers, but also to local restaurants and shops.  

The center will stay largely the same from a structural standpoint, but few current tenants will remain, while many others have already relocated or closed.  

A labelscar of the onetime Jacob's Drugs is revealed during 2017 renovations 
Among those that will remain are Elliott's Barber Shop, a Chamblee mainstay and the only tenant to have remained in business in the center (with a couple of ownership changes) since 1960.  Porter Paints will also remain in the center.  

Last Chance thrift store, which for many years occupied the onetime Woolworth's, closed in 2017 and has not reopened elsewhere.  Last Chance is no stranger to having to move in wake of center improvements.  The Last Chance in Decatur moved from an old Kroger to Suburban Plaza years ago. When Suburban Plaza went through their renovations in 2013, Last Chance was on the move again. The store is today located on North Decatur Road behind Kroger.  

Chamblee Plaza (originally Chamblee Shopping Center) was once a beacon of the neighborhood, home to many popular stores and assorted shops and services.  

Among the more notable former tenants were Woolworth's, Colonial Stores, Kroger, W.T. Grant, a Sears catalog store, Turtle's Records outlet, Jacob's Drugs, Singer Sewing Center, Hancock Fabrics, Athens Pizza and the Chamblee Library.  

Himalayas Indian Restaurant, a Chamblee Plaza mainstay for more than 25 years, closed December 31, 2017.  Last spring, the restaurant reopened at 5336 Peachtree Road in downtown Chamblee in the former Union Hill Kitchen, which closed in 2017 after about four years in business.  


TJ Maxx and HomeGoods, likely the two most exciting additions, will each occupy about 20,000 square feet, but will not share a single space, as has been the case for the two chains when opening in the same center.
TJ Maxx will occupy the former Last Chance (Woolworth's). The current space will be expanded by 6,000 square feet to accommodate the new retailer.  


HomeGoods will open in the former China Inn and former Aaron Rents spaces together combined into a single space.  
After a 3,000 square foot rear reconfiguration, retailer Five Below will occupy a roughly 8,500 square foot space between HomeGoods and TJ Maxx.  The Five Below will occupy the former Charleston House Antiques which previously occupied part of the Colonial grocery store and later a Turtle's Records outlet, among other things. 

Charleston House Antiques relocated to 3676 N. Peachtree Road last year and maintains a pretty cool history page of Chamblee Plaza on its website.  


Rack Room Shoes will open to the right of TJ in a 6,000 square foot space.  
Door pulls at the former Grant's space still present in 2016 
Crunch Fitness in a roughly 22,500 square foot space (former W.T. Grant, Hancock Fabrics etc.) and Ace Hardware in a a roughly 13,000 square foot space (former Eckerd, etc.) opened in the center in 2017 and 2018, respectively, and were early pieces of the re-imagined center. 

Existing restaurants Quiznos and Chinatown Buffet are both likely leaving the center.

Riggio was tight-lipped about naming or even indicating with whom he had had discussions for the large anchor space or the many smaller shops.  That said, he did say that the large anchor space to the north, the former Kroger/Winn-Dixie/SaveRite, is likely to be leased to a "a single large national retailer."  

Thus far there are two confirmed restaurants joining Chamblee Plaza.  Yumbii, an Asian + Mexican eatery will open their second overall brick & mortar restaurant in the center.  Yumbii began in 2010 as Atlanta’s first food truck and in 2017 opened their first Yumbii Taco Shop location at Brookwood Village in south Buckhead. 

The second restaurant is an as yet unnamed Korean eatery from a local operator with at least one existing restaurant.  


Another addition to the center will be a skincare business called Skintuitive.  

The slight expansions of the TJ Maxx and Five Below spaces, a combined 9,000 square feet on the rear of the center, did trigger the need for a Development of Community Impact application (DCI) with the City of Chamblee.  This makes the project slightly more challenging, as it needs a favorable recommendation from the city to be approved.  The City Council is due to vote on the DCI on February 19.  

For his part, Riggio points to the increase in tax base, nearly 2,000 direct and indirect jobs the center will create, and community improvement as reasons to support the project.  


Atlanta BeltLine founder Ryan Gravel, whose parents purchased their first home in Huntley Hills, speaks fondly of "The Plaza" in his 2016 book Where We Want to Live: Reclaiming Infrastructure for a New Generation of Cities.  "I don’t ever remember walking to buy groceries, but as a kid in the 1980s we made that half-mile journey almost daily to play video games at Razzle Dazzle or to get ice cream and Cokes at Sugar Bear."  

With luck, Riggio's vision for the project, "A neighborhood center that brings people and businesses together," will be realized and will once again become a place people visit almost daily.  

If all goes well, the "new" Chamblee Plaza should make its debut this coming fall.   


Are you excited for the changes coming to Chamblee Plaza?  What is your earliest memory of Chamblee Plaza?  What restaurants, retailers or service providers would you like to see open in the new Chamblee Plaza?

Please share your thoughts below  

[ALERT] The Red Eyed Mule Has Reopened in Marietta!

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Marietta's popular Red Eyed Mule eatery reopened earlier this morning after a brief hiatus. ToNeTo Atlanta was first to report on their new location last month and is pleased to confirm that after a few hiccups, they are officially open.  The new Red Eyed Mule is located in the old Huddle House restaurant at 430 South Marietta Parkway, not far from the Cobb County Civic Center.  
The original Red Eyed Mule at 1405 Church Street Extension closed at the end of 2018 and owner Sabra Wood had hoped to be open in the new location last week, but pushed the opening to this week instead.  ToNeTo Atlanta did not visit the restaurant today, but local sources indicate that it's just as good as before.  

The restaurant, more than three times bigger than the original, is still less than 2,000 square feet, so it does not feel huge by any means, but is not as cramped.  The new location features the same hours as before, Monday thru Friday 6 am to 2 pm, Saturday 7 am to 2 pm, and Sunday 9 am to 2 pm.  

Are you excited for the new The Red Eyed Mule?  What is your your favorite menu item at The Red Eyed Mule? Did you visit the Mule on day one?

Please share your thoughts below  

Bits & Bites [Commercial Real Estate News Atlanta]

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Da Vinci's Donuts is now open in a converted container in the parking lot of Lenox Square.  The eatery is located at the corner of Peachtree Road and Around Lenox Drive, close to the Westin Buckhead.  The new shop joins existing locations in Alpharetta, Sandy Springs, Dunwoody and Suwanee.  The Dunwoody location closed Tuesday and will remain closed through Thursday to complete a renovation. The eatery will celebrate its "grand reopening" this coming Friday the 25th with a free small coffee and donut from 6:30 am to 10:30 am. No purchase necessary but at the Dunwoody location only.
Clothing retailer J. Crew confirmed last week that their store on Broughton Street in Savannah will close for good Sunday January 27.  The retailer opened in September 2014.  The store was one of many to open on Broughton Street after developer Ben Carter began a $100 million project to revitalize the corridor.  The Savannah store is one of six the retailer plans to close as it tries to "right size" its store fleet.   Of the closures, two thirds are in the south, with J. Crew stores also closing at Haywood Mall in Greenville, South Carolina, West Town Mall in Knoxville, and Perkins Rowe in Baton Rouge.  


Pet Supplies Plus at Cheshire Square at the corner of LaVista and Cheshire Bridge Roads is closing.  The franchisee owned store is set to close sometime in February with liquidation sales now underway.  The 8,455 square foot space in the Publix and Tara Theater anchored shopping center is already being marketed for lease by center owner Halpern Properties.  The Atlanta Dance Academy(TADA) previously opened in the former independent grocer Return to Eden.  Two other Atlanta area franchises of Pet Supplies Plus will continue to operate, one on South Cobb Drive in Smyrna, the other on Shallowford Road in Marietta.  

Local Cajun eatery Louisiana Bistreaux plans to open its third location later this spring in Buckhead.  The roughly 5,600 square foot restaurant will open adjacent to the recently debuted Hampton Inn & Suites, at 3312 Piedmont Road.  The restaurant  features traditional Cajun fare like crawfish and shrimp etouffee, Cajun jambalaya, BBQ shrimp and seafood gumbo with andouille.  The original Louisiana Bistreaux, which opened in 2015, is located on Virginia Avenue in East Point near Hartsfield-Jackson airport.  A Decatur area location opened in Suburban Plaza alongside Tabi Sushi in 2017.


Popular caterer Beto's Tacos has found a permanent location for his popular street tacos.  A brick & mortar Beto's Tacos will open in a former Jersey Mike's Subs in Main Street Commons along Lawrenceville Suwanee Road in Suwanee.   

The giant new Shell gas station and convenience store has opened at the corner of Roswell and Powers Ferry Roads in north Buckhead.  The rebuilt gas station and convenience store has been in the works for years and also features an onsite Dunkin' Donuts.


Cafe Posh at Hanover Buckhead Village in Buckhead has quietly opened.  The restaurant, which will eventually offer dinner service, is currently on a "soft open," offering only breakfast and lunch service.  The restaurant relocated from Fountain Oaks shopping center in Sandy Springs.  At Hanover Buckhead Village, Cafe Posh joins the already open cookie shop Tiff's Treats and will be joined by a Buckhead outpost of Castellucci Hospitality Group's The Iberian Pig in March. 


Quick-serve salad joint Salata will open its seventh Atlanta area location this coming Friday Jnauary 25.  The new eatery is located in the new Peachtree Corners Town Center development off Peachtree Parkway in Peachtree Corners.  The eatery, which is essentially a scaled down version of Sweet Tomatoes, sports a new logo and tagline at the new location.  The previous tagline "The Next Generation Salad Bar" has been replaced with "Salad Kitchen." 

The Deer and The Dove is slated to take over the space formerly occupied by Cakes & Ale on the square in downtown Decatur later this spring.  Cakes & Ale closed last June after ten years in business.  Side Bar, a separate concept, will take over The Bakery at Cakes & Ale, serving coffee, wine, cocktails and sandwiches.  The dual projects are a joint effort between Wrecking Bar Chef Terry Koval and his wife Jenn Koval and George Frangos of Farm Burger.  

A new Mediterranean eatery called Shawarma Non-Stop has opened at Brookwood Village along Peachtree Road, across from Piedmont Hospital in south Buckhead.  The restaurant, situated in a tiny 600 square foot space, replaced Roots Juices, which closed last year after less than two years in business.  The original Atlanta area Roots Juices remains open at The Shops Around Lenox near Lenox Square.    Shawarma Non-Stop is a quick-serve eatery from the owners of the adjacent Fresh 4 U Mediterranean restaurant.  The new eatery offers build-your-own pockets (stuffable pitas), plates, and salads, with choice of chicken, steak, shrimp, baked fish, or veggies.  In Brookwood Village, Shawarna Non-Stop joins anchor CVS Pharmacy and existing restaurants like Gusto!, Yumbii, and Black Bear Tavern, among other tenants.

Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants has taken over management of the 214 room hotel previously known as Solís Two Porsche Drive at the Porsche Experience Center in Hapeville.  The upscale but rather unexciting hotel opened in 2017.  The property is now known as the Kimpton Overland Hotel.  For Kimpton, the property marks the brand's return to metro Atlanta following their 2011 departure from the Hotel Palomar in midtown.  The Hotel Palomar, a popular Kimpton flag, opened in 2009 but was replaced by a Reniassance by Marriott in 2011.  Kimpton, owned by InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), with North American headquarters in Dunwoody, has just one other hotel in Georgia: the Kimpton Brice Hotel in Savannah. 

[CLOSED] Dapper Doughnut Dunzo After Nine Months at Lenox Square

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The Dapper Doughnut, a new-to-market franchise, has closed its one and only Atlanta area location in Lenox Square.  Opened by franchisees Bob & Donna Huntley and Richard & Tracey Holcomb, Dapper Doughnut operated from a kiosk on the mall's market level within the "Fashion Cafe," aka the food court.  The Dapper Doughnut kiosk was at the front of the Fashion Cafe, along the wall between FIVE GUYS and The Farmer's Basket.  The kiosk opened April 26, celebrated its grand opening late last June, and closed quietly last week.

The closure comes on the heels of the recent opening of local operator Da Vinci's Doughnuts in a converted container in the parking lot at the front of the mall along Peachtree Road, near the Westin hotel.  Da Vinci's, unlike Dapper, offers normal size doughnuts and is located in an area away from many food options, a good location for an impulse "snack" purchase like a doughnut. 

The closure of Dapper Doughnut is made less surprising by the fact that all four of the franchisees involved - The Huntleys and the Holcombs - had nearly eighty years of combined work experience, but none of that experience was in food service.  "Although our family has had very different career paths we all agreed that we wanted our next venture to be unique and delicious" said the Holcombs of their doughnut venture.

Restaurants are a very difficult business and the couples were no doubt drawn to the lucrative business opportunity presented by franchisors of The Dapper Doughnut.  The company claims that it costs about $.03 to produce a mini doughnut and the average retail/food truck price of the mini doughnut is around $.60, representing an ROI (Return on Investment) of  a staggering 1,900%.  The company claims its overall average food cost is about 10%, way below the 25% average food costs at typical quick-serve restaurants. 

Despite its closure, the Lenox Square location, as well as closed shops in Haywood Mall in Greenville, South Carolina and in Natick Mall in Natick, Massachusetts are all still listed as open locations on The Dapper Doughnut website.  All three were open for rather short periods of time, too, with the Haywood Mall location having opened October 2017 and Natick, just this past June.    

In Lenox Square, The Dapper Doughnut joined an already robust variety of dessert/snack options including Sugarfina (candy), Great American Cookies, Sprinkles (cupcakes, cookies and ice cream), Godiva Chocolatier, Amorino (gelato), Bubbleology (bubble tea), Starbucks(2), Pinkberry (frozen yogurt), Häagen-Dazs (ice cream), Garrett Popcorn, Sweet Hut Bakery, Auntie Anne's (pretzels), Woops! Macarons, and La Fete Chocolat, among others.

In the months since Dapper's debut, Sprinkles, Bubbleology and Pinkberry all closed in the mall.  A portion of Sprinkles has reopened as Daily Dose by The Merchant, a pop-up coffee shop, but will eventually become part of an expanded and relocated Apple store.  Bubbleology, which operated from a kiosk in the middle of the mall, has not been replaced by anything, while Pinkberry was replaced with a new shop-in-shop Finish Line at Macy's.  

Did you ever try The Dapper Doughnut? Do you prefer mini or traditionally sized doughnuts?  Where is your favorite place to get doughnuts in metro Atlanta?

Please share your thoughts below  

[EXCLUSIVE] SoulCycle Rolling into Ponce City Market This Fall

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SoulCycle, the New York-based cycle studio that entered the Atlanta market with a studio at the Shops Around Lenox in Buckhead last May, has signed a lease for a second Atlanta location, according to sources familiar with the transaction.  The new SoulCycle will open along North Avenue at Ponce City Market in Old Fourth Ward.  The addition of SoulCycle further cements Ponce City Market's reputation as a "millennial playground."
According to sources familiar with the deal, the new SoulCycle will open in a portion of the current Binders space along North Avenue, between City Winery and eyewear retailer Karoo.  Binders, which sells art supplies and frames, will consolidate their operations in a smaller space, according to permits recently filed with the City of Atlanta.

The current 10,000 square foot space will be reduced by about half to allow for SoulCycle to open and create an additional, approximately 2,000 square foot space.  The Buckhead SoulCycle is about 3,100 square feet and the Ponce City Market outpost will be similarly sized. 

Building permits filed earlier this month with the City of Atlanta indicate that about $300,000 will be spent to create the new space(s).

Referred to as the original indoor cycle fitness studio, the first SoulCycle opened in New York in 2006.  The company was acquired by Equinox Fitness in 2011.  Rival cycle studio Flywheel was launched by SoulCycle co-founder Ruth Zuckerman in 2010.   

Flywheel entered the Atlanta market in 2011 with a location on West Paces Ferry Road. In the years since, the chain has grown locally to include locations in Midtown and Alpharetta.  The Buckhead studio, which insiders say was the second most profitable unit in the entire company, relocated in 2016 to The Shops Buckhead Atlanta.


There are currently about 90 SoulCycle studios nationwide.  

Securing a lease with SoulCycle is a coup for Ponce City Market owner Jamestown who had reportedly been in talks with Flywheel years ago but never finalized a deal.  

SoulCycle joins existing fitness offerings at Ponce City Market, The Forum Athletic Club and Core Power Yoga. 

Elsewhere in Atlanta, local studios like Torq Cycle (West Midtown) and TURN (Sandy Springs), as well as chain operators like CycleBar (multiple locations), have tried to emulate the sense of community and success enjoyed by SoulCycle and Flywheel.  

Like Flywheel and Barry's Bootcamp, SoulCycle has built its business on expensive classes paired with premium apparel and other goods often branded with the fitness company's name.  SoulCycle, for instance, currently offers a SoulCycle x lululemon exclusive apparel line in addition to their core offering, intense 45 minute classes for $30.  

As it nears 100 studios in North America (plans call for at least one studio in London this year), SoulCycle could revisit its IPO plans which it started in 2015 but officially shelved last year.  

An employee at the Buckhead SoulCycle location indicated that the plan as of now is to have the Ponce City Market location open before the end of the year.  

Are you excited for the addition of SoulCycle to Ponce City Market?  What is your favorite fitness studio in metro Atlanta?  If SoulCycle continues to expand in metro Atlanta, where would you like to see them open next?

Please share your thoughts below.  

[UPDATE] Loteria Grill Likely Muerto a la Llegada in Buckhead and Decatur

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The new Whole Foods Market 365 stores in Buckhead and Decatur opened simultaneously on December 12.  Ahead of their opening, it was announced that each store would feature food and beverage concepts from the "Friends of Whole Foods Market program." In the case of the Decatur store, the program brought the fourth location of Atlanta-based dtox juice with a menu of juices, smoothies, acai and fruit bowls, nut-based yogurt, salads, as well as detoxifying cleanses. Sublime Tree – another local Atlanta business – opened their second location in the Buckhead store with a focus on organic smoothies, cold-pressed juices and smoothie bowls.
The feature that was to be the same between the two stores was that each was to get an outpost of Los Angeles-based Loteria Grill.  The restaurant, which features authentic Mexican cuisine, offers a menu of appetizers, tacos, enchiladas and a rotating array of seasonal specials including vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options. The beverage menu was to feature a full coffee bar, as well as beer, wine and cocktails.


The eatery, from Chef Jimmy Shaw, has just one location, on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles.  Loteria Grill Restaurant Group's first location, in The Original Farmers Market on West 3rd Street adjacent to The Grove closed this past October after a 16 year run.  Shaw closed a separate location in Santa Monica in late 2016.  

The pair of Atlanta area Loteria Grill restaurants were announced prior to the closure of the Farmers Market restaurant and were originally, like the juice bars, meant to open at the same time as the grocery stores.  As of December 12 however, both restaurants were pushed to January 19.  


As of this week, little if any work has been done at either restaurant since early December, and Whole Foods employees at both locations indicate they have been told both restaurants are now slated to open "sometime in April."  Both restaurants today sit about 70% complete.  
The largely incomplete back out of house and prep area 

The notion that the LA-based chain will continue building out and eventually operate more locations in Georgia than they do in their home market was likely made less likely by the news earlier this month that Whole Foods was ending the 365 concept, and that the two Atlanta stores would be the final two to ever open.  

Loteria operating two locations in Georgia would be even more crazy than El Pollo Loco, another California-based restaurant, operating a handful of successful locations in Atlanta, given the marketing, personnel and support that the two restaurants would require.  As longtime ToNeTo Atlanta readers will recall, El Pollo Loco decided in 2011 it did not make sense to keep open only a handful of successful locations in a market so far from their headquarters, and left the Atlanta market entirely.  

If the two restaurants don't open, it's unlikely they will stay vacant long.  

Both would-be Loteria Grill spaces are tailor made for a quick-serve restaurant and could be appealing to regional restaurants looking to enter or expand in the Atlanta area.  

The Buckhead location, near the intersection of West Paces Ferry Road and Northside Parkway, could be an interesting space for Farm Burger to consider.  The Atlanta-based burger chain already has plans to open in the new flagship Whole Foods Market in Midtown, and their existing Buckhead location, on Piedmont Road at Tower Place, is far enough away for a second location to make sense.  

Another possibility is for one or both locations to open as grown, a healthy eatery launched in 2016 by Shannon Allen, wife of former NBA star Ray Allen.  The quick-serve restaurant, of which there are currently three, is "the first ever 100% USDA organic certified fast food restaurant on the East Coast."  There are currently three grown restaurants including one in an Orlando area Walmart.  

Ray & Shannon Allen at grown - photo courtesy of Candace West

Whole Foods could, of course, decide to open their own concept in one or both spaces, but given the continuous disappointing reviews of The Roast - the grocer's eatery at their Ponce location - that is not especially likely.  

Both Loteria Grill locations could still open, but given the current status of each, it's worthwhile to at least consider what could make sense in their spaces if they don't.

Do you think Loteria Grill will go through with their Atlanta area locations?  Have you ever eaten at Loteria Grill?  If Loteria Grill does not end up opening in Atlanta, what would you like to see open in their place?

Pleas share your thoughts below  

[ALERT] Adidas Opening Larger Location at Lenox Square in Buckhead

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Apparel and footwear retailer Adidas plans to relocate their existing second floor store at Lenox Square to a larger space on the mall's first level near its Peachtree Road entrance.  The new store, which will be approximately 5,000 square feet, is slated to open in May, according to signage on the space.  The current Adidas store is about 3,400 square feet.   This marks the third relocation in the popular Buckhead mall for the company in the past ten years.

The new Adidas store will put it within close proximity of rival Nike which operates a two level "flagship" store at the front of the mall.  The large Nike store opened in late 2013 and was itself a relocation from within the mall, not far from the current Adidas store. 

Experiential cosmetics pop-up retailer Winky Lux most recently occupied the space where Adidas is set to open.

Sources close to Adidas indicate that the new store will offer a greater variety of classic Adidas products and could include collaboration and partnership collections such as the adidas by Stella McCartney collection and Adidas Porsche Design.  


Adidas opened what is primarily a "performance" store on the second level of Lenox Square in 2011, replacing their "Originals" store near Urban Outfitters on the rear portion of the mall.  In 2008, Atlanta's Y-3 boutique, a collaboration between Adidas and designer Yohji Yamamoto, closed its location at the Shops Around Lenox.

The move by Adidas at Lenox Square comes on the heels of similar moves made by other restaurants and retailers which, despite the narrative that "malls are dying," have chosen to relocate or expand their presence in the mall.  

The Cheesecake Factory relocated from a freestanding building along Peachtree Road in Buckhead to the front of Lenox Square in 2014.  


Popular outdoor apparel retailer The North Face last year relocated from a Whole Foods Market anchored center on West Paces Ferry Road to the second floor of Lenox Square.  

Also last year, French cosmetics retailer L'Occitane returned to Lenox Square with a store on the first level.  The store, which opened this past fall, is expected to eventually replace the L'Occitane boutique at The Shops Buckhead Atlanta.  

ToNeTo Atlanta exclusively reported this past September, and later followed up this past December on news that Apple plans to relocate and expand its existing Lenox Square store to a two level store at the front of the mall, opposite Nike. 

Despite shifts in consumer behavior and various retailers that have struggled to adapt, stronger malls and centers like Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza (which recently lured Tom Ford from The Shops Buckhead Atlanta), continue to perform well and attract (and retain) retailers. 

Are you pleased to see Adidas expanding at Lenox Square?  What is your favorite apparel retailer?  What is your favorite shopping destination in metro Atlanta?

Please share your thoughts below  

[OPENING ALERT] Hobby Lobby to Open First ITP Location

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After months of rumors, ToNeTo Atlanta has now confirmed that a new Hobby Lobby store is coming to Akers Mill Square in Cobb County, not far from Cumberland Mall.  The new store will open in place of the former Toys R Us/Babies R Us store which previously helped anchor the center until their 2017 closure in the wake of the retailer's chapter 11 bankruptcy and eventual liquidation.

The new, approximately 60,000 square foot Hobby Lobby store will mark the arts & crafts retailer's first foray inside the perimeter (ITP).  The Oklahoma City-based retailer operates about a dozen stores in the greater metro Atlanta area, but most are in the outer suburbs including locations in Austell, Duluth, Lawrenceville (2), Stone Mountain, Dunwoody, Roswell, Kennesaw and Conyers, among others.  Overall, the chain operates more than 800 stores nationwide. 

One of the chain's newest stores in metro Atlanta opened in May 2017 at the new Tucker Meridian shopping center along LaVista Road in Tucker, just outside the perimeter (OTP).

Hobby Lobby is known to be a fan of taking over former Walmart stores, as in the case of their store on the East-West Connector in Austell, and was the case on Buford Drive in Buford, before they relocated last year to a former American Signature Furniture store on Woodward Crossing Boulevard across from the Mall of Georgia.

ToNeTo Atlanta spoke with a number of Atlanta area real estate professionals who seemed surprised that Akers Mill Square owner Olshan Properties would lease to Hobby Lobby, given the retailer's traditionally inexpensive leases.  Olshan's decision to lease to Hobby Lobby is an indication of the difficulty some landlords are having re-leasing larger spaces left vacant by recent retail bankruptcies such as Toys R Us.  

Hobby Lobby is the second anchor replacement at Akers Mill Square in recent months.  Total Wine & More opened this past November in a portion of the former Sports Authority on the opposite end of the center. 

ToNeTo Atlanta reported this past August that Nordstrom Rack was expected to open in the current OfficeMax space with the office supply store expected to relocate to the former Golfsmith space.  The deal to bring Nordstrom Rack to the center is reportedly "on hold," and OfficeMax has reportedly inked a deal to remain in their space for at least another year.  

Sources say that the new Hobby Lobby is slated to open April 15.  

Are you excited for the addition of Hobby Lobby to Akers Mill Square?  What restaurant would you like to see open in place of the former Pollo Tropical at Akers Mill Square?  If Nordstrom Rack does not open at Akers Mill Square, what would you like to see open in the former Golfsmith? 

Please share your thoughts below

[BOMBS AWAY!] Jon Smith Subs Secures Space For First Atlanta Area Sub Shop

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West Palm Beach, Florida-based Jon Smith Subs has at least two new locations in the works in metro Atlanta.  The franchise sandwich shop lists new locations coming to Johns Creek and Lawrenceville on its website. A specific location is listed for the Johns Creek outpost, while the Lawrenceville location is unspecified.
In Johns Creek, Jon Smith will make the questionable decision of opening in place of another sandwich shop.  Located at 11600 Medlock Bridge Road, Jon Smith Johns Creek will open in place of Lenny's Grill & Subs, a Memphis-based sub franchise that closed last year.

ToNeTo Atlanta reported in January that New Jersey-based Primo Hoagies was opening their first Atlanta area location in Sandy Springs.  At the same time, we detailed the crowded sandwich market locally, where there have been plenty of new entrants but few home run concepts.

In a market dominated by mega chains like Subway, Firehouse Subs, Which Wich, Jimmy John's and  Jersey Mike's Subs, among others, lesser known regional chains have stumbled in their Atlanta expansions.

In 2015, a local franchise group signed a 10-unit agreement with Cincinnati-based Penn Station East Coast Subs for restaurants in metro Atlanta, but nearly four years later has only opened two, one in Druid Hills and the other in Suwanee.  The 2015 release announcing the Atlanta agreement stated that "Penn Station has more than 290 locations in 15 states with a better-than 99.9 percent success rate and only two store closings in 30 years."  Online research indicates that there have been at least five closures in the past few years, which likely had a negative impact on their success rate. 

W.G. Grinders had a least one metro location on Windward Parkway in Alpharetta which has since closed.  Recent market entrants Capriotti's, Charley's and the aforementioned Lenny's Grill & Subs have each closed at least one restaurant locally, and once dominant Blimpie has closed numerous locations in metro Atlanta as sandwich shop competition has grown intense.   

Erbert and Gerbert's, Larry's Giant Subs and Slack's Hoagie Shack have also stumbled locally with each having opened and closed locations in metro Atlanta not long after their debuts. 

Adding to the challenges and competition facing new and emerging brands are known businesses like Publix, QuikTrip and RaceTrac elevating their sandwich game to attract customers. 

Jon Smith, like Charley's and Lenny's, specializes in grilled subs.  In Jon Smith's case, they are known for their grilled sirloin steak & chicken and especially their "Steak Bomb" sandwich.  

Have you ever tried Jon Smith Subs?  What is your favorite sandwich chain locally or regionally?  What sandwich shop would you like most to see open in metro Atlanta?

Please share your thoughts below  

[CLOSURE ALERT] Cinnabon Closed at Perimeter Mall in Dunwoody

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Cinnabon has closed its location at Perimeter Mall in Dunwoody.  The eatery shuttered last week and while some had speculated the closure was due to a planned renovation, a representative from the Atlanta-based chain confirmed to ToNeTo Atlanta Monday that the closure is permanent.  The eatery opened at the suburban mall in late 2013.  Cinnabon previously closed location(s) in Lenox Square in Buckhead.  

Cinnabon, a division of Sandy Springs-based FOCUS Brands, debuted both a redesigned logo and look in 2015 at Alpharetta's North Point Mall.  North Point, like Cumberland Mall in Smyrna and Perimeter Mall, is owned by Brookfield Properties Retail, but unlike Cumberland and North Point which saw renovation of their Cinnabons, Perimeter will not.  The company representative who responded to our inquiry did not provide a reason for the closure and our subsequent attempt to learn the reason was unsuccessful. 

Cinnabon is the second food court closure in the mall in the past few months.  Panera Bread closed their location in the mall this past December after about four years in business.  

Despite the closures, the mall remains quite popular and more food options are being added to the mall and surrounding areas.  

Breakers Korean Barbecue is expected to open later this spring in the former The Pub at the front of the mall.  

Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar is being planned for a new outparcel along Ashford Dunwoody Road with a lease for a second new restaurant in a separate adjacent outparcel reportedly close. Another lease is reportedly in the works to fill The Cowfish which closed in early January at the front of the mall.  

Are you surprised by the closure of Cinnabon at Perimeter Mall?  When was the last time you had a Cinnabon?   What would you like to see open in place of Cinnabon at Perimeter Mall?

Please share your thoughts below.  

[OPENING ALERT] Urban Wu to Replace Chow Bing in Buckhead

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A new Chinese restaurant called Urban Wu is to open in Buckhead Friday.  The new restaurant, replacing Chow Bing in the Disco Kroger shopping center, will specialize in Szechuan and Cantonese cuisine.  

Urban Wu will be helmed by Chef Wu, a native of northern China who previously worked with Peter Chang at his popular Tasty China restaurant.  The new restaurant also has a new management team and ownership. Gary Lin, owner of Chow Bing, is not involved in the new restaurant.

Unlike its predecessor, Urban Wu will be a full service restaurant with a full bar menu as well.  

Among Chef Wu's specialties are Peking Duck, a classic Chinese dish that can be hard to find intown, and sweet & sour Mandarin fish.  

Plans call for Urban Wu to be open until 10 pm during the week and until 11 pm on weekends.  The restaurant will offer free delivery within three miles of the restaurant and will partner with third party companies for deliveries beyond the local radius.  

Are you pleased to hear an authentic Chinese eatery is coming to Buckhead?  Will you miss Chow Bing?  What is your favorite Chinese meal?


Please share your thoughts below.  

[CLOSURE ALERT] Wright's Gourmet Suddenly Shutters in Dunwoody

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Wright's Gourmet Sandwich Shoppe abruptly closed today after nearly 35 years in business.  The family owned restaurant and catering business located in the Shops of Dunwoody at 5482 Chamblee Dunwoody Road announced their closure earlier today in a post on their official Facebook page.  No reason was provided for the closure but sources familiar with the situation indicate that declining sales and increasing competition were factors contributing to the decision to close.   


"Since 1984 it has been our family's honor and joy to share our food with so many great customers at The Wright Gourmet Shoppe. There are simply no words to describe what it has meant to us and how much we will always cherish the friendships that were born in this place. My favorite friendship that was born here at Wright's was my friendship with a beautiful blonde that came here looking for a job and got more than she bargained for, she said yes and four sons later I'm the luckiest guy in the world. Thank you, Allison. We can't thank the incredible people that we worked with through the years enough, fantastic memories! For me, the chance to work with my Mom and Dad was one of the greatest gifts of my life. The most valuable lessons I've ever learned were from them at home and in Wright's. I will miss this place, but the memories I'll take with me will be about the people....it's always the people! The relationships with customers, vendors, employees, family....we were and are truly blessed. So many of you "customers" are family and always will be. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all of these great years, we love and appreciate you all. God bless you and yours." The message was posted by Matt (Wright).

Matt Wright’s father, John Wright, opened the restaurant in 1984 on Jett Ferry Road before relocating it to the Shops of Dunwoody in 1988. For more than three decades, the restaurant was an institution in Dunwoody, offering classic sandwiches in an unpretentious and "family-like" atmosphere.  Sadly though, Wright's is not the only, and likely not the last, longtime restaurant to close amidst rising costs and competition.  

Old Hickory House, another Atlanta area mainstay, closed its Dunwoody outpost in 2014, like Wright's, after decades  serving the community.  The last remaining location of Old Hickory House is located on Northlake Parkway in Tucker.  The Dunwoody Old Hickory House property is now home to a SunTrust Bank.  

Brand Properties, the landlord at Shops of Dunwoody, is not yet marketing the Wright's space (and was apparently not advised in advance of the closure) but is likely to see interest in filling the approximately 3,400 square foot vacancy given the center's good location and high occupancy.  

Porter BBQ & Brewery, a sibling eatery to the recently opened Porter Pizza & Brewery on Powers Ferry Road in Sandy Springs, is expected to open open in the former D'vine wine bar in the coming weeks and joins existing dining options such as Vintage Pizzeria, J. Christopher's and Dunwoody Tavern.

Tikka Factory, an Indian eatery opened in January in place of Simha, a multi-ethnic restaurant which itself replaced longstanding eatery Co'm Dunwoody.  Strangely though, Tikka is already "closed for renovations," with plans to "reopen soon" according to signage on the restaurant's windows.   

Will you miss Wright's Gourmet in Dunwoody?  What is your favorite Dunwoody area restaurant?  What would you like to see open in place of Wright's?

Please share your thoughts below  

[ALERT] 5 Seasons Brewing Company To Shutter Westside Location

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Less than two months after closing their Sandy Springs location, 5 Seasons Brewing announced earlier this evening they will close their last remaining location, 5 Seasons Westside, at The Brickworks on Marietta Street, Thursday, February 28.  The restaurant opened in April 2009 and the owners indicated they were "not able to renew our lease."  

"We are sad to announce that after a decade we are unfortunately not able to renew our lease. 5 Seasons Westside is a special place and we have truly loved serving our guests over the past ten years. We have loved working side by side with so many creative and wonderful people that have shared our passion for great food, great beer and friendly hospitality. And it has been an honor to be a small part of so many people's lives - from weddings, birthdays, and other fun celebrations of life, to just meeting up with friends and loved ones at the end of the day for a good meal and a good beer.  


This place was a dream come true where we put no limits on our inspiration to to constantly create new dishes and new beers. When we signed the lease over twelve years ago there wasn't much around here. Just one cool, independent coffee shop across the street tucked in amongst lots of empty buildings. It has been fun to be a small part in helping to build a neighborhood community. 


We will miss this place and the people that filled it.  We will have normal operating hours until Sunday, Feb 17th. WE WILL HAVE 1/2 PRICED BEERS (draft, bottles, cans, kegs, high gravity, etc) starting tomorrow. Saturday the 23rd we will have a fun celebration upstairs in our SkyBar. And then the 28th we our Final Farewell party and try to drain these taps! Please come by."  

Cheers,  Dave & Crawford


Business partners chef David Larkworthy and brewmaster Crawford Moran closed their Alpharetta outpost on Old Miltown Parkway in 2017Loyal Q & Brew, a barbecue eatery, later opened in its place.  The former Sandy Springs location remains vacant...for now.  


On the Westside, 5 Seasons was an early opening in an area that exploded both in price and popularity in recent years. A rental listing for the 5 Seasons space indicates its just under 15,000 square feet and was being marketed for $13.50 per square foot.  



Are you surprised that 5 Seasons has decided to close its final location?  What is your favorite local brewery?  What would you like to see open in place of 5 Seasons Westside?

Please share your thoughts below.  

[Expansion Alert] Aviva by Kameel to Join CODA Tech Square in Midtown

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Downtown's popular Mediterranean restaurant Aviva by Kameel has been added to the eatery lineup at the new CODA Tech Square development in Midtown.  The new outpost will be far smaller than its downtown sibling and will feature only the restaurant's food, not its juice and smoothie offerings.  In Midtown, Aviva will occupy an approximately 700 square foot stall, whereas their location at Peachtree Center is nearly 4,000 square feet with a walk-in area and exclusive seating.
Nas with his father Kameel at CODA Tech Square 

Kameel Srouji opened the original Aviva by Kameel, named for his sister Aviva, in the Mall at Peachtree Center October 8, 2012.  In the years since, the eatery has become a popular destination for downtown office workers and foodies alike.  The restaurant operates almost exclusively Monday through Friday from 11 AM until 4 PM, with select extended hours for certain weekend and evening events.

The Midtown location, to be helmed by Kameel's son Nas, will operate seven days a week for both lunch and dinner.  Nas, currently the General Manager at the Peachtree Center location, is sure to bring the same charisma and hospitality to Midtown that has made the downtown restaurant so popular.

"Building the #1 Rated Atlanta Lunch Restaurant in under 5 years is no small feat. We accomplished this by focusing on providing foods that are fresh and wholesome, cooking from the heart, and always treating our customers like family. Great food is bound to come when we keep these three things at the center."


Aviva's expansion in some way mirrors the expansion of fellow Mediterranean eatery Cafe Agora.  Owner Al Ozelci opened the original (Al's) Cafe Agora on East Paces Ferry Road in Buckhead in 2005.   In 2011, he expanded to Midtown with a satellite location on Peachtree Place.  The Midtown outpost was up until last year primarily run by his son Memo.  The relocated and expanded Cafe Agora a few doors down on East Paces Ferry opened in 2014 and Memo now holds court once again in Buckhead with his father enjoying partial retirement in Atlanta and his native Turkey.


Al and Memo, like Kameel and Nas, are the public faces of their respective restaurants but behind the scenes, women play a large role in both, as well.  Sibel, Memo's mother, prepares much of the food at the Buckhead restaurant, and like her son, is in the restaurant at least five days a week.  Aviva, the namesake of the restaurant, is also often preparing food for her family's restaurant and is an integral part of the overall experience.  


Given their exceptional food and pleasant hospitality, both Aviva by Kameel and Cafe Agora are favorites of ToNeTo Atlanta and we are so pleased to see both thriving and now Aviva expanding.  


Aviva by Kameel will in Coda join three previously announced eateriesEl Burro Pollo Burrito Kitchen, Poke Burri and Wildleaf.  


Sources indicate that the leasing team at SRS Real Estate Partners is also close to signing new coffee and ice cream purveyors for CODA.  The first eateries in CODA are expected to open later this summer.   


Have you ever been to Aviva by Kameel in Peachtree Center?  Are you excited for the addition of a second Aviva by Kameel in Atlanta?  What other concepts would you like to see open in CODA?


Please share your thoughts below 

[EXCLUSIVE] Capital One Café Coming to Buckhead

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Capital One has for months been running commercials locally featuring their Cafés , but has not had a presence in the market.  Well-placed sources, however, tell ToNeTo Atlanta that Capital One plans to bring its new Capital One Café concept to Atlanta later this year.  
While other locations are possible, the first local "branch" will be at Lenox Square in Buckhead.  The new branch will open in place of Panera Bread, which closed December 17 after more than fifteen years in business.

Capital One Café  confirmed their planned opening at Lenox Square in a tweet response to our inquiry saying in part:

"Our hard hats are securely fastened in Atlanta & we're on target to cut the ribbon on our Lenox Square location in late 2019."  

That said, permits have yet to be filed for the space with the City of Atlanta, and signage on the boarded up wall at the former Panera still displays generic Simon graphics.  

Capital One Café  is essentially to banking what Buckhead Church is to traditional places of worship: a millennial-oriented alternative to typical banking institutions.

Said simply, in truly millennial lingo, Capital One Café  is the financial version of Regina George's mother in the hit 2004 film, Mean Girls, who famously said, "I'm not like a regular mom, I'm a cool mom!" ---- They are not a regular bank, they are a cool bank!

Capital One uses slightly different lingo in their marketing materials, saying of the concept: "This isn't a typical bank. This is banking re-imagined."

One of the bank's signature offerings is savings and checking accounts with no fees or minimums.  

Unlike other banks whose employees may be referred to as tellers, Capital One Café's  employees are referred to as "Ambassadors."   "They’re here to answer your questions about Capital One accounts, Café events, or last night’s big game. No appointment necessary."   It may be slightly hard to identify the ambassadors, as most appear to be dressed in typical millennial "business casual" attire of jeans and a t-shirt.  

"Money Coaches" are also available for free 1-on-1 coaching appointments and are certified and trained to "help you connect your finances to your goals and dreams."   

One of the many non-traditional elements of the bank is the "Community Space" where customers and non-customers alike can avail themselves of free WiFi and power outlets.  Peet's Coffee & locally baked treats are also available in the cafe where Capital One cardholders get 50% off Peet's handcrafted beverages.  Peet's Coffee, like Panera, is owned by JAB, a Luxembourg-based holding company.  

Use of a community room is also free for registered nonprofit, alumni, and student group meetings and events. 

The Café  also host a variety of special events such as "Travel Tuesday," where next Tuesday, February 19, the topic at the Richmond branch is Australia.  Customers and non-customers are invited to  "Stop in and learn about the culture, currency and cuisine of Australia while enjoying free treats from one of our favorite local vendors while they last!"  

Capital One Café  were launched in 2017 and have slowly expanded to a number of large markets around the country.  Today, the company operates a dozen or so branches in Denver and Boulder, Colorado, Philadelphia, Chicago, Austin, Boston, Delray Beach and Miami, Florida, Seattle, Glendale and San Francisco, California, among others.  

One might think the Cafe makes more sense at Ponce City Market aka Millennial Paradise, but there are reportedly not yet expansion plans in the market beyond the Lenox Square branch, but a second branch is likely to follow at some point.

The Capital One Café  would mark the most recent return of a banking institution to the mall.  When Lenox Square opened in 1959, it was home to a branch of Trust Company of Georgia and has reportedly had at least one other bank in the mall over the years.

Real estate website Bisnow reported in December that Capital One was reportedly scouting the Midtown Atlanta office market for between 75K and 100K square feet. Sources told the publication that Capital One planned to use the office space for IT and other technology functions.  

Have you ever been to a Capital One Café ?  Would you enjoy discussing your retirement over a cup of joe and a croissant in the middle of Lenox Square?  Would the experience described at Capital One Café  appeal to you, or do you prefer traditional banks?   

Please share your thoughts below  
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