The owners of Eden plan to bring their popular juice, smoothie and smoothie bowl business to Atlanta. Husband and wife Chris and Stephanie Beck opened Eden on Chambers Street in downtown Woodstock in June 2021 and have signed on to backfill the former Jamba at Madison Yards in Reynoldstown. Jamba, a franchise of Atlanta-based Focus Brands, opened in the Publix-anchored center in June 2020 and closed quietly earlier this summer. Jamba has struggled in metro Atlanta having previously closed locations in Buckhead, Decatur, East Cobb and Midtown, among others. Eden, which serves a similar menu to Jamba's has a 4.9 rating on Google with nearly 200 reviews and will hope to find better success in the intown space.
A new outpost of KPot Korean BBQ and Hot Pot is coming to Kennesaw. According to Cobb County records, the new restaurant is opening in Town Center Market (2821 Chastain Meadows Parkway), suite 110, a space currently occupied by Credence Church. Planning documents indicate that the space is 5,973 square feet and that the company plans to spend at least $250,000 converting the space to suit their needs. The Rockville, Md-based franchise has existing Atlanta area locations open on Howell Mill Road in West Midtown and Lawrenceville Suwanee Road in Lawrenceville. Earlier this summer KPot opened a new location in Northlake Festival in Tucker. Additional Atlanta area locations are planned for Akers Mill Square near Cumberland Mall in addition to others in Augusta, Newnan, Columbus and Savannah.
A new Clipper convenience store and gas station is planned for 2779 Windy Hill Road in Marietta. The new Clipper would replace a long vacant BP on Windy Hill Road just off I-75, not far from Truist Park in Cobb County. Cobb County planning documents indicate that the Flowery Branch-based company plans to spend $950,000 constructing the 5,400 square foot convenience store. Property records indicate that the parcel is .76 acres. According to its website, Clipper Petroleum currently operates 25 Clipper stores, 4 Subways, and 2 Bojangles restaurants as well as a fuel distribution business that distributes fuel to nearly 300 stations across seven states.
A new Starbucks is being proposed in Buford. The new coffee shop is planned for 3829 Buford Drive, in front of an existing Walmart, just of I-985 in Gwinnett County. Capitalist Ventures, Inc. applied to the City of Buford for a special use permit to allow for a drive-thru restaurant on the property. The parcel is currently occupied by a former Waffle House restaurant which would be razed for the construction of the new Starbucks. The special use permit was unanimously approved with several conditions.
Chick-fil-A is also looking to open a new restaurant in Buford at 1605 Buford Highway (Buford Square shopping center). The restaurant would be built in place of excess parking in the center currently home to At Home and AutoZone, among other tenants. The new Chick-fil-A would be built opposite the upcoming Firehouse Subs (formerly a Krystal) at the center's primary entrance. According to their submission to the City of Buford, the drive-thru / walk up only Chick-fil-A would be built on a 1.25 acre outparcel. There would be no inside dining, but the restaurant would have an outside patio for those wishing to dine at the restaurant. To make room for the Chick-fil-A, the total number of parking spaces for the entire shopping center will be reduced from 346 spaces to 204 spaces. The application was unanimously approved with conditions.
Both of the aforementioned Buford stories were first reported by The Real Inside Buford. Please check them out for further details and for more reporting in Buford.
Snooze an A.M. Eatery opened their newest Atlanta area location Wednesday September 13 at The Exchange at Gwinnett in Buford. The new restaurant is the 63rd overall for the Denver-based chain. The new restaurant is the third the company has opened in metro Atlanta this year following earlier openings in Akers Mill near Cumberland Mall and off North Point Parkway near North Point Mall in Alpharetta. The breakfast and lunch eatery entered the Atlanta market in early 2021 with a restaurant in Chastain Park and later opened additional restaurants along Howell Mill Road in West Midtown and along Monroe Drive near Piedmont Park. A new outpost planned for Dunwoody has been pushed from a planned late 2023 to a tentatively planned early 2024 opening. The Dunwoody restaurant is backfilling a former Corner Bakery Cafe at 4585 Ashford Dunwoody Road (Sterling Pointe) across from Perimeter Mall.
Brown & Company Jewelers opened its new Buckhead showroom August 22 at Buckhead Village. The new store replaces the former Buckhead showroom (3225 Peachtree Road) which closed over the summer. "With a legacy spanning almost 50 years, the iconic Atlanta brand has garnered a reputation for exclusivity, elegance and impeccable jewelry artistry." The new 5,500 square foot showroom features a curated collection of designer jewelry, high-end timepieces and one the largest selections of diamond engagement rings in Atlanta. In addition to its in-house custom design and service departments, the Buckhead Village location also features exclusive Rolex and Cartier Boutiques as well as the Brown & Company Bridal Salon, complete with three VIP rooms.
Party in the Kitchen returns to The Stave Room (199 Armour Drive) for the 20th annual event benefiting Open Hand Atlanta on Thursday, Sept. 28 from 7 p.m.until 10 p.m. "Chef Chairs Kevin Rathbun and Peter Kaiser, along with Co-Chairs Marlene Alexander and Butch Whitfield will welcome generous benefactors to enjoy an evening of music, cocktails, and exquisite cuisine prepared by the talented chefs from some of Atlanta’s finest restaurants with silent and live auctions to benefit Open Hand Atlanta." Participating restaurants include Local Three (Chris Hall), Taqueria Del Sol (Eddie Hernandez), Arnette's Chop Shop (Stephen Herman), Il Giallo (Jamie Adams), Seed Kitchen & Bar (Doug Turbush), and KR Steakbar (Jessica Gamble), among others. "This year’s 80’s theme takes guests back in time as they pay tribute to 1988, Open Hand’s founding year. Party in the Kitchen raises much-needed funds to support Open Hand’s programs which provide access to home-delivered, health-promoting meals as well as nutrition education to those living with or disabled by chronic disease, homebound seniors and at-risk youth and families." Single tickets for the event are available here.