Wright's Gourmet Sandwich Shoppe abruptly closed today after nearly 35 years in business. The family owned restaurant and catering business located in the Shops of Dunwoody at 5482 Chamblee Dunwoody Road announced their closure earlier today in a post on their official Facebook page. No reason was provided for the closure but sources familiar with the situation indicate that declining sales and increasing competition were factors contributing to the decision to close.
"Since 1984 it has been our family's honor and joy to share our food with so many great customers at The Wright Gourmet Shoppe. There are simply no words to describe what it has meant to us and how much we will always cherish the friendships that were born in this place. My favorite friendship that was born here at Wright's was my friendship with a beautiful blonde that came here looking for a job and got more than she bargained for, she said yes and four sons later I'm the luckiest guy in the world. Thank you, Allison. We can't thank the incredible people that we worked with through the years enough, fantastic memories! For me, the chance to work with my Mom and Dad was one of the greatest gifts of my life. The most valuable lessons I've ever learned were from them at home and in Wright's. I will miss this place, but the memories I'll take with me will be about the people....it's always the people! The relationships with customers, vendors, employees, family....we were and are truly blessed. So many of you "customers" are family and always will be. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all of these great years, we love and appreciate you all. God bless you and yours." The message was posted by Matt (Wright).
Matt Wright’s father, John Wright, opened the restaurant in 1984 on Jett Ferry Road before relocating it to the Shops of Dunwoody in 1988. For more than three decades, the restaurant was an institution in Dunwoody, offering classic sandwiches in an unpretentious and "family-like" atmosphere. Sadly though, Wright's is not the only, and likely not the last, longtime restaurant to close amidst rising costs and competition.
Old Hickory House, another Atlanta area mainstay, closed its Dunwoody outpost in 2014, like Wright's, after decades serving the community. The last remaining location of Old Hickory House is located on Northlake Parkway in Tucker. The Dunwoody Old Hickory House property is now home to a SunTrust Bank.
Brand Properties, the landlord at Shops of Dunwoody, is not yet marketing the Wright's space (and was apparently not advised in advance of the closure) but is likely to see interest in filling the approximately 3,400 square foot vacancy given the center's good location and high occupancy.
Porter BBQ & Brewery, a sibling eatery to the recently opened Porter Pizza & Brewery on Powers Ferry Road in Sandy Springs, is expected to open open in the former D'vine wine bar in the coming weeks and joins existing dining options such as Vintage Pizzeria, J. Christopher's and Dunwoody Tavern.
Tikka Factory, an Indian eatery opened in January in place of Simha, a multi-ethnic restaurant which itself replaced longstanding eatery Co'm Dunwoody. Strangely though, Tikka is already "closed for renovations," with plans to "reopen soon" according to signage on the restaurant's windows.
Will you miss Wright's Gourmet in Dunwoody? What is your favorite Dunwoody area restaurant? What would you like to see open in place of Wright's?
Please share your thoughts below