New restaurant to open later this year.
The former Houston's restaurant at the corner of Powers Ferry and Windy Hill Roads near the Wildwood office park will reopen as Sage Woodfire Tavern. The owners of the Orient Express Chinese restaurant in Vinings purchased the property this past fall with the intention of opening a Chinese eatery in its place. Later the owners changed their plans, opting instead as landlords of the space to lease the restaurant to James D. Liakakos of Infinite Dining Group.
The restaurant, located at 3050 Windy Hill Road, is 7,780 square feet and sits on an approximately two acre parcel.
One of the main reasons that reportedly led to Houston's decision to close the restaurant was that daytime business is great, but evening business was nearly non-existent. Will a local operator and the opening of SunTrust Park now make make this location a home run for Sage?
Infinite Dining Group consists of a number of restaurants around Atlanta, all of which have replaced other restaurants.
Last year, Sage Social Kitchen & Bar opened in the Target anchored Merchants Festival shopping center in East Cobb. Sage opened in place of Chequers Seafood + Steak which had itself replaced sibling brand Houlihan's. Later this year, Sage Social Kitchen & Bar is expected to open in the former Morton's The Steakhouse on Peachtree Road in Buckhead.
Infinite also currently operates Sage Woodfire Tavern locations in Alpharetta and Dunwoody as well as Spice Brick Oven Kitchen - Tapas Bar in Alpharetta. The Sage in Dunwoody at Park Place across from Perimeter Mall occupies a former Houlihan's. The Sage in Alpharetta occupies what I believe was built as Canyon Cafe, and later renovated into Stockyard Prime. The Spice Brick Oven Kitchen - Tapas Bar in Alpharetta occupies a former Joe's Crab Shack.
Sources indicate that plans call for the Windy Hill restaurant to open "in about three months" and for the Peachtree Road restaurant to open some time after that.
As I reported earlier this month, well placed industry sources indicate that Infinite was having"financing issues"related to their Peachtree Road restaurant that may have caused it to be delayed and or abandoned.
Do you think Sage Woodfire Tavern will do well in the former Houston's and Morton's spaces? What is your favorite local casual restaurant? Are you, like me, wondering how all the restaurants opening in and around The Battery Atlanta will find the employees to staff their establishments?
Please share your thoughts below