The Starbucks Coffee Company is returning to Lenox Square more than sixteen months after it closed its popular shop at the once posh Buckhead mall under mysterious circumstances. The Lenox Square closure in January 2024 followed the closure of the Starbucks in neighboring Phipps Plaza in September 2023.
A separate licensed Starbucks shop within the Macy's at Lenox Square has remained in business during the closures at Lenox and Phipps but it is not anywhere near as trafficked of a location. Capital One Cafe also has a location in Lenox Square serving Verve Coffee.
Representatives of Simon have never commented on the closure of Starbucks in Lenox but Vicki Hanor, senior executive vice president and managing director of luxury leasing for Simon, claimed at the time of the Phipps Plaza closure that it shuttered to avoid cluttering one of the mall’s wings, which Hanor said would “enhance the common area.”
It seems unlikely that Simon would want Starbucks back in Phipps Plaza given that they are trying to encourage patronage of Cultivate, a coffee shop that joined Citizens Market in early 2024. Citizens Market has struggled basically since day one, with the bar seeming to be the one busy-ish component of the project.
Are you surprised to see Starbucks reopening in Lenox Square? When was the last time you visited Lenox Square? Do you think Simon should pull the plug on Citizens Market?
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