The Burger King at 11570 Alpharetta Highway in Roswell has closed. The restaurant, located near the corner of Hembree Road and Alpharetta Highway, first opened in 1988, according to Fulton County records. Over its more than three decades in business, the restaurant had only received minimal renovations, with its exterior still very "80s." The Roswell restaurant was a franchise owned by Alpharetta-based Southern Restaurant Hospitality Group, LLC.
The closure of the Roswell Burger King restaurant is at least the third closure of the Miami-based chain in metro Atlanta in just the past few years. In early 2018, a Burger King closed on Chamblee Dunwoody Road in Dunwoody. Later, in early 2019, another Burger King shuttered in Norcross at the corner of Holcomb Bridge Road and Spalding Drive. A few months after the Norcross closure, another Burger King closed in East Cobb on Sandy Plains Road. ToNeTo Atlanta reported this past January that Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers plans to open in place of the former East Cobb Burger King. The Dunwoody and Norcross locations remain available for lease.
California-based Equitas Properties LLC purchased the nearly one acre Roswell Burger King property for $875,000 on January 14, according to Fulton County tax records. Before then, the property last sold in 1997 for $985,000 and before that in 1988 for $400,000. The former Burger King restaurant is about 2,700 square feet with a nearly 800 square foot patio.
About three miles south of the now former Burger King, lies another former Burger King at 10350 Alpharetta Street. Here, Burger King opened in 1985 and operated successfully for many years, but has now been closed for several years.
Burger King, like its quick-serve rivals McDonald's and Wendy's, has closed several units in metro Atlanta over the years, but also, in select cases, has invested in upgrading and renovating restaurants. Burger King restaurants on Memorial Drive in Decatur and Pleasant Hill Road in Duluth are among those in metro Atlanta that the company & franchisees have updated. Another Burger King on DeKalb Industrial Way in front of the Kroger-anchored North Decatur Square is currently closed for renovations.
It's always interesting to see what former fast food restaurants become later in life. A former Burger King in Toco Hills was torn down and later rebuilt as a Steak 'n Shake, while another former Burger King along Peachtree Road in south Buckhead was demolished more than a year ago for what is expected to be a large-scale residential highrise redevelopment. A former Burger King along Piedmont Avenue was later renovated to become a Dunkin' [Donuts], while another along Stone Mountain Highway in Lilburn today operates as a J Buffalo Wings.
In Duluth a 2000s era Burger King was later retrofitted to become a Bojangles' but the biscuit eatery has also since closed. In Suwanee, a 90s era Burger King was a few years ago turned into a Denny's but subsequently closed again. This past fall a local Korean eatery called Cafe Mixx opened in the restaurant building along Lawrenceville Suwanee Road.
What is your favorite fast food burger joint? What would you like to see open in place of the former Roswell Burger King? What restaurant are you most looking forward to patronizing once social distancing ends and things get back to normal?
Please share your thoughts below.