We were recently in East Cobb and couldn't help but notice that the longtime Chevron at the corner of Roswell and Johnson Ferry Roads had been demolished and cleared. This corner, which some might consider "main & main," is home to Pinestraw Place, PNC Bank and a BP Fuel center and convenience store. Cobb County property records indicate that the Chevron, officially Merchants Walk Chevron, first opened in 1972.
The Chevron had reportedly been closed for several months, and its owner was not keen on making the needed upgrades/updates to the aging building and fuel center. That said, online research indicates that "Merchants Walk Chevron" did in April 2020 receive a nearly $20,000 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loan. Documents suggest that the business reported five employees at the time of the filing and that all funds were to be used for payroll.
In our quest to discover what was planned for the site we stumbled upon a post from popular East Cobb Facebook page "East Cobber." The March 2 post wondered what was planned for the former Chevron site. With 90 comments, the post was easily the most commented on the site thus far in 2021 and received tremendous interest from longtime residents who shared fond memories of the Chevron from decades ago. Comments for potential replacements ranged from realistic to downright comical.
Among the suggested replacements were:
McAlister's Deli
Tokyo Valentino "super store"
Johnny Rockets
"another gas station"
car wash
Steak & Shake
Sonic
apartment complex
We at ToNeTo Atlanta hoped that this location might be the location for Whataburger's planned Atlanta entry. We were wrong.
We also considered this as a potential location for a Cadence Bank branch, which is looking to grow locally, but which does have a branch incredibly close by. We were wrong.
A Shake Shack with Drive-Thru? No.
Get ready, lucky residents of East Cobb....
You are getting a new Valvoline auto care center!