The owners of The General Muir took to Facebook Wednesday to announce the closure of their restaurant at City Springs in Sandy Springs. The restaurant, sibling of the original at The Point near Emory University, opened in January 2021 and never quite reached the business level needed to sustain the operation.
The restaurant's last day of service will be Sunday, September 29.
"We are sad to announce that the City Springs location of The General Muir will be closing. Our last service will be Sunday, September 29th. Many factors starting with and stemming from the pandemic have posed ongoing challenges to independent restaurants. While we had many fans and loyal customers, ultimately we simply did not get to the level of business we needed to overcome those challenges. We are passing our space along to a concept and operator that we hope will have broader appeal to this market."
The Sandy Springs restaurant, on which ToNeTo Atlantafirst reported in August 2019, was a bit smaller than the flagship location near Emory, which opened in 2013, but still featured the same menu. Interestingly, the Sandy Springs restaurant was located in a part of Atlanta known to have a significant Jewish population so its closure and the owners' inability to attract a significant enough following is more than a bit puzzling.
ToNeTo Atlanta first got wind of the pending closure more than a year ago, but a request at that time for comment from Jennifer Johnson, co-owner of General Muir parent Rye Restaurants, went unanswered. Several real estate sources have told ToNeTo Atlanta in recent months that the space has been quietly marketed "within the Atlanta restaurant community for awhile".
"We are forever grateful to the many customers, friends, and neighbors who supported The General Muir at City Springs and to the many current and former team members who helped bring it to life. We are working to absorb into our other restaurants all staff members who wish to do so."
The original General Muir and TGM Bread at The Point remain open as do Fred's Meat & Bread and Yalla at Krog Street Market, Wood's Chapel BBQ in Summerhill and West Egg Cafe at Westside Provisions District in West Midtown.
Are you surprised that The General Muir did not succeed in Sandy Springs? What is your favorite place for brunch in metro Atlanta? What kind of restaurant would you most like to see open in place of The General Muir in Sandy Springs.
Please share your thoughts below.