The Fresh Market is poised to take former Loehmann's retail space.
Well placed sources indicate that Greensboro, North Carolina-based The Fresh Market is very close to signing a lease agreement that will put one of their markets in place of the recently shuttered Loehmann's retail store at Loehmann's (soon to be The Fresh Market?) Plaza. The healthy grocery store is without a location in the area and has for a while been interested in entering the market.
The Fresh Market started in Greensboro in 1982, and today is a publicly traded company (TFM: NASDAQ) operating over 125 locations, largely in the southeast. Florida is their largest market with 36 locations, while their home state of North Carolina has 17 locations. Georgia currently has a dozen The Fresh Market stores while Iowa, Massachusetts, Mississippi and New Hampshire each have single locations.
Last month, the chain closed three locations in the Sacramento, California area and one in Houston Texas. Two of the now closed locations in the Sacramento area had only been open five months. Craig Carlock, the company's president and CEO, said the closures were meant to improve “profitability and future growth prospects.” Carlock went on to say “we are refining our real estate plan to focus on increasing penetration in existing markets while slowing the pace of our expansion in new markets."
The Fresh Market's proposed entry into the Emory / Druid Hills market would seem to be in line with their plans to further penetrate existing markets. Although Toco Hills is home to both a large Kroger and a large Publix, and Whole Foods Market has a boutique location at the corner of Briarcliff & LaVista Roads, I think The Fresh Market could do well.
Other sources indicate that property owner Regency Centers is also in negotiations with a number of users interested in space at Loehmann's Plaza. The former OfficeMax and the current Lettuce Souprise You space are reportedly receiving the most interest. At least one growing burger joint has expressed an interest in the Lettuce Souprise You space, but that deal is reportedly "far from done" and there are "multiple interested parties."
A number of parking enhancements and the recent addition of Plano, Texas-based Zoës Kitchen have both likely increased the appeal of the shopping center.
A number of parking enhancements and the recent addition of Plano, Texas-based Zoës Kitchen have both likely increased the appeal of the shopping center.
Asheville, North Carolina-based EarthFare is also coming to the area and will reportedly occupy a street level space in Phase 2 of Emory Point on Clifton Road. Phase 2 of the project replaces the old Emory Inn which was demolished for the new development.
Phoenix, Arizona-based Sprouts Farmers Market has a number of new locations in the works in the Atlanta market but nothing confirmed for the Emory area. Monrovia, California-based Trader Joe's, on the other hand, has reportedly been overall displeased with their Atlanta area stores aside from their midtown and Buckhead locations.