Staff at Little 5 Points bar and restaurant Tijuana Garage got a rude awakening earlier this week when they were reportedly informed at the restaurant's Christmas party that they were all out of a job. The restaurant, located on Moreland Avenue, closed effective December 22, after fifteen years in business. Sibling concept Front Page News remains open.
Many former staff and fellow restaurant employees took to social media over the weekend to voice their frustration and anger with the abrupt closure so close to Christmas. Rumors circulated throughout the weekend about what owner Josh Sagarin may have planned for the shuttered restaurant, with some indicating that a complete redevelopment of the site is planned, while others claim that a number of concepts have looked into opening in the space.
The restaurant posted the following message to their official Facebook page Saturday afternoon:
"All good things must come to an end. Sadly, after 15 years serving the Inman Park, Candler Park and Little 5 Points communities, we have decided to close Tijuana garage after 12/21/2018. Please watch our location for a new restaurant opening spring-summer 2019!"
Surprisingly, the restaurant, together with Front Page News, is hosting the 7th Annual "New Beer's Eve" on Monday, December 31. The event is put on by Atlanta Beer Festivals, and was apparently planned well in advance, which begs the question why ownership would so abruptly close.
Tijuana Garage, like Front Page News next door, were once together one of Atlanta's earliest Ford dealerships.
Local restaurant sources tell ToNeTo Atlanta that Tijuana Garage has never performed "well," and that in recent years its performance worsened to the point where closure was seemingly the only move.
Real estate sources indicate that while Sagarin has shown the space to assorted brokers and restaurateurs, no deal for a replacement tenant or redevelopment is in place yet.
Sagarin closed his Midtown outpost of Front Page News on Crescent Avenue in October 2017. Publico, a Columbia, South Carolina-based Latin-Asian eatery opened in the former space this past May.
Are you surprised that Tijuana Garage closed? Are you a former Tijuana Garage employee with more information on the reason for the closure? What do you think should open in place of Tijuana Garage? Do you work at a restaurant that is currently hiring and could provide employment to the many displaced former Tijuana Garage employees?
Please share your thoughts below
