The first of six planned locations will open in Sandy Springs, north Buckhead and Decatur. The Sandy Springs location, at the Publix-anchored Abernathy Square, will return the smoothie and juice eatery to the area for the first time in about 15 years. When Whole Foods Market opened in Sandy Springs on Roswell Road in 2000, it opened with a Jamba Juice inside it. The location remained open for a couple of years before closing and being replaced with Whole Foods branded options.
The new 1200 square foot location replaces Divine Drapery in suite 12 of the center.
In north Buckhead Jamba Juice will open in a roughly 1000 square foot space in the Publix-anchored Chastain Square center.
The new location will reportedly open in place of jujubees, an Italian frozen yogurt purveyor that closed late last year.
In Decatur, Jamba Juice will again replace a failed frozen yogurt shop, but rather than a local one, it will replace national franchise Red Mango. Red Mango shuttered its location at North Decatur Center during the summer of 2013. The space has remained empty with Red Mango signage still up, in the two years since the closure.
Jamba Juice, like Atlanta-based Planet Smoothie, has attempted to diversify their offerings beyond sugary smoothies to more healthy lower calorie offerings.
The Buckhead and Decatur Jamba Juice locations are currently expected to open in November. The Sandy Springs location should follow in early January.
The Sandy Springs Jamba Juice will have little direct or indirect competition and will be located within close proximity of an LA Fitness.
The Sandy Springs Jamba Juice will have little direct or indirect competition and will be located within close proximity of an LA Fitness.
In Buckhead, Jamba Juice will open north of established offerings from the likes of dtox, who will soon relocate to Buckhead Court, and Arden's Garden, located adjacent to Johnny's Hideaway.
In Decatur, Jamba Juice will open across the street from Emory Walk where Arden's Garden opened last year. The FedEx Office-anchored center in which Jamba Juice is opening is notorious for terrible parking which will likely prove to be a significant challenge for the business.
Aimee Peterson, the wife of retired NFL linebacker Julian Peterson, reportedly signed a six unit development agreement with Jamba Juice. The four other locations are reportedly planned for the "greater metro Atlanta area."
Currently Jamba Juice is represented in Georgia by licensed locations at Spelman College and at T Concourse at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
Are you you excited for the return of Jamba Juice to metro Atlanta? Do you think the smoothie franchise will find success in their return to the area? Where else should Peterson open Jamba Juice locations?
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