Nearly 30 months after its Alpharetta debut, Chuy's, a Tex-Mex eatery, has closed its location in Liberty Village near Avalon. The 7,000 square foot restaurant opened December 19, 2017 and closed in April. There was reportedly no advance warning to customers of the closure. All exterior signage remains up at the restaurant and a sign posted to the restaurant's front door reads: "We have temporarily closed this restaurant. We apologize for any inconvenience. Thank you." That said, the Alpharetta location has been removed from the Chuy's website and an employee at another location confirmed that the closure is permanent.
The first Atlanta area outpost of Austin, Texas-based Chuy's opened on Perimeter Center West near Perimeter Mall in Dunwoody in 2011. A second location was added on Ernest Barrett Parkway in Kennesaw in 2014. A third location opened at Akers Mill Square near Cumberland Mall in February 2017, but it was closed by March 2019. A fifth location was to open as part of Fuqua Development's Peachtree Corners Town Center development, but plans for that location were abandoned before construction started. Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar opened this past year on the site in Peachtree Corners previously planned for Chuy's.
Sources close to Chuy's indicate that the Alpharetta restaurant, like the Akers Mill location, never performed to the company's expectations. Publicly traded Chuy's, NASDAQ: CHUY, like Darden, NYSE:DRI did with their recent closure of Seasons 52 in Buckhead, likely took advantage of the COVID-19 situation as a rationale to shutter under-performing restaurants.
The remaining Atlanta area Chuy's in Dunwoody and Kennesaw are both open for delivery, takeout and limited inside dining.
Are you surprised that Chuy's closed in Alpharetta? What would you like to see open in place of Chuy's at Liberty Village? What is your favorite Avalon area restaurant?
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