Irving, Texas-based M Crowd Restaurant Group has reportedly (temporarily?) pulled the plug on its planned Taco Diner restaurant at 77 12th Street in midtown. The restaurant is the sibling of existing M Crowd concept Mi Cocina, which opened at the nearby 1010 Midtown property in November 2012.
Billed as a Mexico City-style taqueria, Taco Diner was originally announced in the fall of 2012 with a projected summer 2013 opening. The opening was subsequently pushed to "Fall 2013," and later "Spring 2014."
The restaurant group has reportedly spent a few hundred thousand dollars already, but has seemingly had a change of heart, having all but stopped construction. The last building permit for "HVAC Commercial" was filed with the City of Atlanta December 18th, with an unspecified amount of work having been completed.
I reached out to M Crowd's corporate office in Irving, Texas, but despite my numerous calls and a voicemail, I never got any response as to the status of the Atlanta location. Instead, I called multiple Taco Diner locations inquiring about the opening timetable of the Atlanta location. Although some employees reached were more or less unhelpful, two did confirm (after consulting a manager) that the Atlanta location "may never open."
There have been a couple of recent restaurant openings at 77 12th, and there is another slated for May.
Casual Indian eatery Tabla, originally announced to be called Chutney, opened in the project this past December. BurgerFi, a fast-casual "better burger" eatery based in North Palm Beach, Florida, opened at the 77 12th project this past weekend, marking the chain's fourth metro area location. Max's Wine Dive, a Houston, Texas-based casual dining establishment, is reportedly on track to open May 15th.
Fig Jam Kitchen & Cocktails, which "moved" from their now closed south Buckhead location, is also supposedly still opening but it's unclear when exactly that will happen.
Does this move indicate M Crowd's decreased confidence in the midtown market and perhaps that it's unhappy with the results of Mi Cocina? If Taco Diner does in fact abandon its space, what would you like to see open? Of the recent midtown openings, what has been your favorite?
Please share your thoughts below.