McDonald's has closed one of its Atlanta area restaurants after more than three decades in business. The restaurant, located at 2210 North Druid Hills Road at Tullie Circle, just off I-85, first opened in 1991 and closed in recent days, according to sources in the area. The restaurant was long rumored to be in danger given its proximity (and likely inclusion) in the new Children's campus, but a 2018 renovation seemed to suggest it was safe.
Property records also indicate that the Druid Hills franchisee spent approximately a million dollars renovating the building in 2011 and 2018. The more recent renovation brought, among other things, new self-ordering kiosks that upon our visit this week were still inside the largely vacant restaurant.
McDonald's closure leaves one less quick serve restaurant in the area but a new option is coming soon. Burger King and Chick-fil-A are both nearby, with a new Zaxby's slated to open late this fall where it will replace the former Boston Market at the intersection of North Druid Hills and Briarcliff Roads.
Another McDonald's, located on the other side of I-85 at 2071 North Druid Hills Road where the Druid Hills bridge reopened this week after being closed for 90 days, remains open. This McDonald's is smaller and newer having opened in 2013.
Piccadilly Cafeteria, previously located beside the shuttered McDonald's at 2226 North Druid Hills Road, closed on January 3, 2016 and was subsequently demolished. Its former property has today become a new primary arrival road into the Children's campus. (The Tullie Circle access beside the former McDonald's is now permanently closed.)
Children's has already incorporated the former Guitar Center, Performance Bicycle and the corporate offices of The Cook's Warehouse, among other properties, into its campus development. In total, the new Children's campus spans more than 70 acres, with the large tower behind the shuttered McDonald's - the Arthur M. Blank Hospital - scheduled to open September 29.
We asked a Children's representative if they had acquired the McDonald's property and were told:
“Children’s has not acquired the property and was not made aware of the closure in advance. Any questions regarding this property should be directed to McDonalds.”
A representative for McDonald's excess property department told us Friday that the North Druid Hills property has not been sold nor has been it yet marketed for sale.
Interestingly, also located on the campus at 2580 Briarcliff Road is a new location of the Ronald McDonald House, a place of respite for those with family receiving care at Children's. (Ronald McDonald House Charities was started by and seemingly forever tied to McDonald's.) Work is well underway on the $65 million, 98,000-square-foot house which will include 60 guest rooms and 10 transplant suites in Phase One, with 42 more rooms to come.
As for McDonald's, the Oakbrook, Illinois-based burger chain has in recent years also closed locations on Buford Highway in Doraville, on LaVista Road near Northlake Mall in Tucker, on Jett Ferry Road in Dunwoody and on Powers Ferry Road between Terrell Mill and Delk Roads. The Buford Highway restaurant was demolished and rebuilt as a new Popeyes, the LaVista and Jett Ferry restaurants remain vacant, while the Powers Ferry restaurant was demolished and rebuilt as a Take 5 Oil Change.
A McDonald's on Northside Drive near Georgia Tech was damaged earlier this March in a fire and while remediation work started months ago, progress on the building has stalled and its unclear what the next steps for the property are.
Are you surprised that McDonald's closed its North Druid Hills restaurant? Do you think Children's will acquire the property? What is your favorite restaurant in the area?
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