Tucker area restaurant Fork in the Road plans to close in its current location at the front of Northlake Mall and relocate later this fall to the former Wendy's at 3892 LaVista Road near Popeyes and the upcoming Ace Hardware. Locally owned Fork in the Road opened at Northlake Mall in late 2012 at a time when the mall was still owned and managed by mall juggernaut Simon Property Group. As of early 2016, the mall is owned by a Texas-based real estate firm called ATR Corinth Partners, who, as ToNeTo Atlanta has reported previously, sees "tremendous potential" in the mall and is reportedly close to finalizing their redevelopment/renovation plans for the site.
In Northlake Mall, Fork in the Road occupied a space that was for many years home to a Ruby Tuesday restaurant, after which it became a satellite location of Decatur's once popular Crescent Moon restaurant. The new Fork in the Road location operated for decades as a Wendy's, but has been vacant since early 2016, when the burger joint abruptly closed.
Fork in the Road's departure from the mall is reportedly tied to the imminent redevelopment which sources say could begin by the end of the year. Many are residents are eager to learn of the plans for the 1970s era mall, but ATR founder & partner Tony Ruggeri has been tight-lipped about his firm's plans for the property.
The former Wendy's into which the restaurant plans to relocate was previously marketed as a redevelopment opportunity, and it's unclear whether those plans have changed or if the owners of Fork in the Road signed a long-term lease.
When Fork in the Road does reopen, it may be with a downsized menu. Although it's unconfirmed at this point, the restaurant will likely have to condense its menu as the new restaurant will be about half the size of the current eatery, according to real estate documents. Fork in the Road's current menu includes an astounding variety including twelve starters, eight salads, twenty-three sides, sixty entrees and seven dessert choices, among other options, according to its online menu.
What are your thoughts on Fork in the Road's upcoming relocation? What types of restaurants would you like to see open in/around Northlake Mall? What type of business would you most like see part of the redevelopment of the mall?
Please share your thoughts below.