Two closures hit East Cobb
ToNeTo Atlanta tipsters confirm that two East Cobb restaurants, Uncle Maddio's Pizza and Sage Social Kitchen & Bar, have both closed. Although I was unable to confirm exact closure dates, it's believed that both closed within the past few days.
Uncle Maddio's Pizza was located in a freestanding outparcel of the Providence Square shopping center on Roswell Road and according to its Facebook page, has "temporarily closed." Temporary closures have been a popular tactic by the struggling Atlanta based pizza franchise to save face in wake of a number of recent closures. Despite claiming the closure is only temporary, the restaurant's 3,000 square foot space is actively being marketed for lease by the center's leasing company, The Shopping Center Group.
The restaurant opened during the summer of 2013 and was one of many the company opened between 2012 and 2014.
It's been a rough few months for the East Cobb franchise. The location failed their health inspection in March with a score of 61/U, telling the AJC at the time that one of their infractions (a dent in back door that could let pests in) was the result of a recent break-in that has since been replaced.
By my count, the chain has closed 21 restaurants with 38 still in operation. Most recently, franchised locations in Omaha and Birmingham closed with the latter claiming it too was closed only "temporarily."
Sage Social Kitchen and Bar has closed as well with restaurant representatives reportedly telling would-be customers that they are "moving" to a new location in Marietta. Amazingly, Sage has not even been open six months. The restaurant opened this past November in a restaurant space previously home to Chequers and Houlihan's before that in the Merchants Festival shopping center near Johnson Ferry and Roswell Roads.
The location Sage is "moving" to is the previously announced new location at the former Houston's on Windy Hill and Powers Ferry Roads in Marietta, not far from SunTrust Park. Infinite Dining Group, the parent company of both Sage locations as well as a few other restaurants sprinkled around Dunwoody and Alpharetta, also previously announced plans to open a new location in the former Morton's Steakhouse in Buckhead.
As I reported last month, the owners of Infinite Dining Group are said to be having "financing issues" which could explain both their short stint in East Cobb and delayed opening in Buckhead.
A restaurant source indicated to me this week that the Marietta location is expected to open in "no more than a month" whereas the Buckhead location is still "months out."
Are you surprised by the two recent closures? What would you like to see open in the respective vacant restaurant spaces? What is your favorite restaurant in East Cobb?
Please share your thoughts below.