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| The new Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken in Chamblee |
Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken on Peachtree Road at Broad Street in Chamblee is now open. The restaurant quietly opened late last month, and is the third franchised unit in metro Atlanta from the Memphis-based chain. Previous locations have opened in Peachtree Center downtown and on Roswell Road in Sandy Springs. A fourth metro location that I previously reported was planned for Belvedere Plaza in Decatur has apparently been "shelved" indefinitely. The local franchise group continues to search for additional metro locations.
Healthy eatery upbeet announced via Instagram that they finally plan to open on Howell Mill Road on the westside this coming Saturday June 10th. The restaurant is being opened by the team behind neighboring YEAH! Burger. Upbeet, which has been in the works since at least 2014, was supposed to have opened last year, but was plagued by seemingly endless delays. In addition to upbeet, Erik Maier, co-founder and CEO of Better Brands, the parent of both concepts, has signed leases on at least three new YEAH! locations in Buckhead, Chamblee and Nashville. It's unclear when or if those restaurants will open.
Healthy eatery upbeet announced via Instagram that they finally plan to open on Howell Mill Road on the westside this coming Saturday June 10th. The restaurant is being opened by the team behind neighboring YEAH! Burger. Upbeet, which has been in the works since at least 2014, was supposed to have opened last year, but was plagued by seemingly endless delays. In addition to upbeet, Erik Maier, co-founder and CEO of Better Brands, the parent of both concepts, has signed leases on at least three new YEAH! locations in Buckhead, Chamblee and Nashville. It's unclear when or if those restaurants will open.
Wagaya, a restaurant specializing in Japanese fare and sushi, has opened their newest location in Emory Village. The restaurant, which opened in place of the former Bad Dog Taqueria/Dankbaar Taco, quietly opened last week. The original Wagaya is on 14th Street in midtown near Georgia Tech.
A new Woodspring Suites hotel is planned for Mount Zion Road & Highway 138 in Stockbridge. The extended stay hotel would be about 48,000 square feet on four stories with 123 guest rooms. There are currently Woodspring Properties in both Chamblee and Alpharetta, among other cities. The Wichita, Kansas-based hotel chain first launched in 2003 as Value Place before changing its name to Woodspring Hotels in April 2015.
A new Captain D's is planned for Baker Road in Acworth. The new approximately 2,500 square foot freestanding restaurant will be built between a relatively new Fairfield Inn & Suites and a freestanding Family Dollar store. The Nashville based chain has had many changes in ownership since its 1969 founding, today owned by Centre Partners, a New York private equity firm. The chain has seen renewed development interest after delivering improved results over the past few years. Last year, a new location opened in Kingsland Georgia near the Georgia/Florida line.
MOD Pizza opened its first Atlanta area location at Kennesaw Marketplace in Kennesaw this past Monday. The local franchise group has other metro Atlanta MODs planned for Decatur and Sandy Springs, while the group has its eye on a handful of other communities for additional development.
New to market European retailer JUNK de LUXE plans to open in September on the upper level of Lenox Square in Buckhead. The store will open next to ivivva in a 4,993 square foot space previously home to Wet Seal. JUNK de LUXE features menswear from such lines as Levi’s and Saville Row. "The store finds inspiration in art, people and fashion to create a relaxed attitude with a sharp, vintage edge."
Despite rumors of (and perhaps hopes of) a Cracker Barrel coming to the former Steak & Ale in Tucker, city sources confirm that a 90 unit senior living community has been approved for the site.
Charleston, South Carolina-based Asian fusion restaurant, CO has opened at the 675 North Highland development. CO offers a "uniquely inspired" Pan-Asian menu, serving banh mi, pho, ramen and dumplings, as well as sushi and signature cocktails. CO will be open seven days a week for lunch and dinner. The 2,965 square foot restaurant is located in the end space at the northern end of the complex opposite Rize Artisan Pizza.
Sears Holdings quietly announced another round of stores closures yesterday. The metro Atlanta was spared, but Kmart stores in Calhoun and Fort Oglethorpe, and a Sears store in Dalton were announced to be closing. The closures are expected to be completed no later than this coming September.
Sources say that the owners of upcoming micro-food hall The Canteen now expect to be open next weekend, fingers crossed. The concept, which replaces what was most recently The Spence restaurant in midtown's Tech Square, will feature Yalla, Fred's Meat & Bread, TGM Bagel and Square Bar, all concepts from the owners of The General Muir and West Egg Cafe.
Millard "Mickey" Drexler announced Monday he was stepping down as CEO of retailer J.Crew. Drexler, formerly CEO of The Gap, was hired as CEO of J. Crew in 2003, and is credited with successfully re-positioning J.Crew into a more upscale, aspirational brand. Drexler's creative counterpart, Jenna Lyons, who too was instrumental in J.Crew's rise in popularity over the last decade or so, departed the company in April, as did men's designer Frank Muytjens. It's no secret that retail is in trouble, and among the most impacted companies are teen and young adult apparel retailers such as J.Crew, Abercrombie & Fitch and Aeropostale. Drexler will reportedly step down as CEO at the end of the month, but will stay on as chairman. Drexler will be succeeded by West Elm president Jim Brett, who will assume the role in July.
For a cool play-by-play of how everything went right, and then wrong, at J.Crew, check out this article.
According to the Tropical Smoothie Cafe website, the growing chain has at least five more metro Atlanta locations in development. New Tropical Smoothie Cafe eateries are "coming soon" to University House on Spring Street in Midtown, near Zoës Kitchen in Presidential Commons on Scenic Highway in Snellville, behind Zoës Kitchen at The Plaza at City Springs on Roswell Road in Sandy Springs, near Zoës Kitchen in Decatur Crossing on the Scott Boulevard side of the project in Decatur, and Canton Exchange on Cumming Highway in Canton. In the past few months, the Atlanta-based chain has added new locations in Kennesaw, Brookhaven and Johns Creek, among others.
The Wells Fargo bank branch at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is closing. The bank branch, which opened shortly after the CONRAC (consolidated rental car center) opened in 2010, is located near space in the airport previously occupied by rental agencies. A counter at the branch, which previously displayed a sign stating they were "now hiring," now states the branch will close at 12PM on August 17th, 2017.
Lidl, the European grocer with big plans for the U.S. market, announced an interesting partnership Monday. The German discount grocer has enlisted fashion designer and supermodel Heidi Klum to design an exclusive fashion collection. The line, which is expected to be available at both European and U.S. stores "later this year," is seen by analysts as the grocer's attempt to appeal to more affluent shoppers. Lidl has plans for well over a dozen locations in Georgia and as I announced last month, plans to construct a new 756,000, nearly $86 million distribution facility in Cartersville. The first U.S. store openings are expected to begin June 15th. Nine stores are expected to open in the coming weeks including five in North Carolina, two in South Carolina and two in Virginia. The company indicated that 90% of the products will be private label and prices will be about 50% lower than at other grocers.
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