Friday, September 30, 2011

BirthWatch Progress Report Q3 2011

Rendering of the upcoming Ponce City Market in the Old Fourth Ward

As 2011 winds down, here's a look at what's upcoming later this year and beyond. There has been some promising news and the list that follows is my now quarterly segment on ToNeTo Atlanta: BirthWatch, meant to catch you up on the progress of new developments...

Eateries


Alma Cocina (Downtown - 191 Building) Fifth Group may be looking to resurrect its Sala concept from VaHi with this new concept. Sala was located where The Original El Taco is now, and offered food similar to what is being described for the new space. Ai3 is assisting in design and the group is hoping to be open the first week in December.

Baci Restaurant & Bar by Cafe at Pharr (TOWN Brookhaven) Originally set to be a Cafe at Pharr, ownership has opted to go higher end with a new concept. According to a restaurant representative, Baci will be open for both lunch and dinner and feature a larger menu and be more family friendly. The tentative opening was "late summer" but little work has been done and it's unclear when exactly the restaurant will open.

Barcelona Wine Bar & Restaurant (Inman Park)-Taking the space of Zaya Mediterranean Restaurant on N. Highland Avenue, Connecticut-based Barcelona Restaurant & Wine Bar planned to open by the end of 2010, but decided that the existing build-out did not fit their needs. After revamping the entire space, the ownership group hopes to open mid to late October.

Bell Street Burritos (Intown) Having opened their original location in the Sweet Auburn Curb Market last year, a second location will be added later this year in EAV. This "bricks & mortar" location is to occupy an old Wachovia bank and be aimed at families in the area. A company representative reached for comment on the location and opening acted like I was asking for his Social Security number and his first-born, along with the KFC and Coca-Cola secret recipes. He was of little help. Given all that has to be done, it's likely you won't see them open much before early August. Bell Street Burritos owner Matt Hinton contacted me to inform me that Bell Street Burritos will NOT open in the old Wachovia bank in EAV. He hopes to have a new location open in the coming months but a site has not been finalized.

Burger Tap (Morningside ) Yet another addition to the ITP burger options. This joint will take over the former Caramba Cafa which closed there last year and relocated to the Pencil Factory shops downtown. No official word on opening but it may very well take place before year end.

Cafe 980 (Midtown) Maureen Kalmanson, who operates Downtown’s Peasant Bistro, is opening Cafe 980 in Midtown on Piedmont Avenue. Cafe 980 will open in the seemingly cursed space that has previously been home to Nona Mia, Sweet Devil Moon, Fishmonger Restaurant, Balance Restaurant and Big Red Tomato. Kalmanson has plans for an extensive renovation of the space so it may not open until after the new year.

Cafe Agora ( Midtown) The popular Buckhead eatery will expand its empire to include a second location in midtown early next year. After that, a long since delayed expansion of the Buckhead location will take place, more than doubling its size.

Cafe Intermezzo (Midtown) A longtime favorite for late-night revelers in Buckhead and Dunwoody, Intermezzo has added locations in Hartsfield-Jackson and in the new downtown Courtyard by Marriott hotel in recent years. Now they will open their fifth location, in 1010 Midtown on Peachtree Street. No official word on an exact opening date, but sources say it may be after the new year.

Chipotle Mexican Grill (Emory Village and Northlake) Chipotle will open their 15th and 16th Atlanta area locations by the end of the year. One will open near Northlake Mall in an outparcel of Briarcliff Village, most recently home to a Pizza Hut. With demolition complete, construction is now underway. In Emory Village, Chipotle will take a portion of the former Emory bookstore on Oxford Road. Here the building will remain intact but it will undergo an extensive renovation to go from old bookstore to gourmet burrito shop. Chipotle corporate tells me they hope to have both open by late December, but I think that may be optimistic.

Chuy's (Dunwoody) Texas-based Chuy's will open their first Atlanta area location later this fall in the former Fire of Brazil, adjacent to Perimeter Mall. The Tex-Mex eatery is similar to nearby Uncle Julio's, which itself opened in the Dunwoody area in late 2009, with another location in south Buckhead. Chuy's has its eyes on West Midtown for a second location, but has yet to find the ideal spot.

Cucina Asellina (12th & Midtown) New York based The One Group will finally open their long awaited STK and STK OUT at 12th & Midtown on Peactree Street in late November. After they are open, Cucina Asellina will soon follow and will feature pizzas, pastas and flatbreads. The restaurant will be a smaller, more casual version of the group's New York Ristorante Asellina. Piola, a strikingly similar concept located across the street in 1010, must be just a bit miffed at this, as both 1010, where they are located, and 12th & Midtown, where Cucina Asellina will be, were put together by Selig Enterprises and Daniel Corp.

F&B (Buckhead/Ritz-Carlton Residences) FAB's sister restaurant, F&B will open along with TOMO within the new Ritz-Carlton residences in Buckhead. A bit of a Buckhead homecoming for the management group after closing Brasserie Le Coze in Lenox Square in 2006. An early release about the restaurant said it “will modernize French & Mediterranean cuisine by infusing the flavors with a farm-to-table approach.” This sounds like it could be really good. Look out La Fourchette!

Ford Fry Fish concept(s) (West Midtown) Fresh off the opening of No, 246 in Decatur, Ford Fry announced he will open two seafood concepts in West Midtown. The first will be a “large seafood focused restaurant” offering “simple, wood-fired fish and shellfish in a casual yet clean setting” and the second restaurant (attached to the other) would be a casual “fish camp” with a raw bar and craft beers. Both sound pretty darn good to me and look to be great additions to the foodie haven that is the West side. No official opening timetable has been announced but I think it's safe to say both will open by the second half of 2012.

Genghis Grill (Camp Creek/Alpharetta) -Dallas, Texas based Genghis Grill, "The Mongolian Stir Fry," is starting to heat up the Atlanta market. Genghis Grill has plans to open a total of 10 locations in Atlanta over the next 18 months. Currently the chain has locations in Buford at the Mall of Georgia, in Dunwoody near Perimeter Mall, and in South Buckhead near Piedmont Hospital. The chain is preparing to open in Alpharetta and Camp Creek in the coming months and is scouting additional sites in Athens, Marietta and Kennesaw, among others. In Alpharetta, Genghis Grill will open on Windward Parkway, across the street from Costco.

Grant's Bar and Grill (Smyrna) Former Georgia Bulldog and Atlanta resident Charles Grant plans to open his upscale sports bar on Cumberland Boulevard. Grant was drafted by the Saints in 2002 and played with them until 2009. Now a free agent with free time, I guess he figured he'd open a restaurant. Originally scheduled to open in September, it now looks like it won't open until mid to late October.

Harbour Bar (Decatur) The folks behind Napoleon's Grill in Oak Grove will now open in Decatur While I understand executive chef Ryan Aiken will no longer be involved in either restaurant , they still hope to be open in the coming weeks.

Jack's New Yorker Deli (Buckhead/Terminus 200) With locations already open in Smyrna, Marietta and John's Creek, Jack's will now open ITP in the heart of Buckhead. The restaurant was said to be opening in July but that didn't happen. New talk is that they will be open in mid to late October.

La Parrilla (Toco Hills) La Parrilla will open their 15th Atlanta area location later this spring in a portion of the former Edo restaurant in Toco Hills. I was told back in February that they would be open in May. Later, I was told they would open in August . Most recently I was told they would be open "in November."

Latitude (Buckhead/Phipps Plaza) Micah Willix, most recently of Ecco, will re-unite with Kenny Pearlman, formerly of Season's 52, to open Latitude in the soon to close Grape at Phipps Plaza. Apparently the ownership of The Grape, for which Pearlman was most recently working, liked the idea of changing things up, and will still be involved in the restaurant, although not in an operational capacity. Pearlman, who opened the Seasons 52 in Dunwoody, previously worked with Willix at Seasons 52 in Ft. Lauderdale and the two seemed destined to work together, Latitude being where their paths will next cross. Sourcing being very important for the partners, Latitude will use “sustainable fish, natural meats and all-natural produce and dairy products.”

Lime Fresh Mexican Grill (Buckhead) Maryville,Tennessee-based Ruby Tuesday bought the licensing rights to open up to 200 Lime Fresh Mexican Grills in late 2010. At that point, the chain had a handful of locations in their home state of Florida, but has since added a location in Huntsville Alabama. In Buckhead, Lime Fresh will take over the landmark Johnny Rockets near the intersection of West Paces Ferry and Peachtree Roads. Atlanta-based Moe's Southwest Grill is not far away, with its first location on Peachtree Road across from the Peach Shopping Center. Although the Johnny Rockets has not yet closed, they recently came to terms with Simon and will open in Phipps Plaza early next year in a mini food court. If all goes according to plan, Lime Fresh may open as soon as January.

Lure (Midtown) Fifth Group will open Lure, a seafood concept, in the former Vickery's space. Fifth Group opened their first restaurant, South City Kitchen, a few blocks away on Crescent Avenue 18 years ago, and with Ecco not far away, Midtown is an area in which Fifth Group has thrived. Lure is currently scheduled to open in early 2012, shortly thereafter, their other new concept, Alma Cocina, will open at the 191 building downtown.

Mirko Pasta (Toco Hills) Athens-based Mirko Pasta will open their long delayed restaurant at Toco Hills in the coming weeks, hopefully by mid October. Having recently added locations in East Cobb and north Buckhead, the chain also signed franchising deals that will take them to Alabama, Tennessee and Virginia.

Modern Restaurant & Bar (Buckhead) With the closing of Copeland's of New Orleans last month, Modern was quickly announced as its replacement. Connecticut-based restaurateur Kane Xu will open a restaurant in the space along with what he is calling a "tasting room and market." He anticipates a February opening.

Newk's Express Café (TOWN Brookhaven) Don Newcomb, Debra Bryson and Chris Newcomb founded McAlister’s Deli in 1989 and sold it to Atlanta-based Focus Brands in 2001. After taking three years off, they launched their next concept, Newk's Express Café, in 2004. Now with locations in ten states including Georgia, they are building another fast casual empire. With a menu consisting of pizzas, soups, toasted sandwiches and salads, Newks delivers some appealing yet healthy options. With one location already open in Lawrenceville and another planned for Newnan, Brookhaven will be location number three when it opens in mid November.

New York Butcher Shoppe ( Midtown) Opening adjacent to the the recently opened Yoforia on Monroe Drive in Midtown, both sites are portions of the former Fit gym. I dropped by last week and there is plenty of work to be done on the space leading me to believe construction is delayed and a previously announced November opening may be out of the question.

Ocean Prime (Buckhead) Columbus Ohio-based Cameron Mitchell plans to open the ninth Ocean Prime restaurant in Buckhead later this fall. With interior and exterior work now in full swing, I'm told the restaurant plans to open October 25th.

Olive Bistro (TOWN Brookhaven) TOWN Brookhaven will be the third location for locally owned Olive Bistro. Currently the Mediterranean eatery has locations in Midtown and Vinings. I'm told they hope to have the new location open today!

Panera Bread (North Buckhead) I mentioned this upcoming location last October, and now, this October it seems work will finally commence. Panera will open in an outparcel of Powers Ferry Square on Roswell Road, across the street from The IVY. If all goes well, the restaurant could be open by early January.

Pano's (St. Regis?) Buckhead Life Restaurant Group was supposedly reopening Pano's and Paul's as simply Pano's at the St. Regis Hotel in Buckhead. Now, this seems more a nightmare than a reality. Buckhead Life as a whole is struggling amidst an overall poor economy, especially at high end eateries such as theirs. Pano's not re-opening would be sad, worse still the possibility that some of his existing eateries close or are sold. Bluepointe, NAVA and Corner Cafe are the most likely sale or closure candidates for a variety of reasons. Chops Lobster Bar, Atlanta Fish Market, Buckhead Diner and Bistro Niko are the most secure and account for much of BLRG's income as of late.

Pinkberry (Atlantic Station) In what may be the worst addition to Atlantic Stations in months, Pinkberry will open their 5th location in Atlanta at Atlantic Station later this year. Pinkberry is already struggling in Atlanta and this opening makes about as much sense as Drew Lewis, another struggling retailer opening in the center as well, which to say, none.

Red Mango (Howell Mill)-The third area location for this import FroYo, they reported they'd open before May, then June, then July. At this point, I doubt it opens.

Red Pepper Taqueria ( LaVista & Briarcliff) With Artuzzi's finally closed, Red Pepper will turn things from Italian to Spanish in opening Red Pepper Taqueria. Honestly, this may be just the thing to make the space successful. With Emory so close, this concept has the potential to do very well. Currently, they hope to open by year end.

Seed Kitchen & Bar (East Cobb-Merchant's Walk) - In January Doug Turbush left Buckhead Life's Bluepointe restaurant where he was Executive Chef and will soon open a new Farm-to-Table restaurant at Merchants Walk in East Cobb. Originally to be called Heirloom Kitchen & Bar, Turbush opted for a name change to avoid confusion with Heirloom Market BBQ, a new restaurant not far from Cumberland Mall. Now called Seed Kitchen & Bar, the restaurant will open adjacent to the new Whole Foods, and is currently on track for a mid to late October opening.

Smashburger (Sandy Springs) While original word of Smashburger's intentions for Atlanta came nearly two years ago, their first location opened in July in the former Fatburger in the Buckhead Crossing Shopping Center. Additional locations soon followed in Johns Creek and Alpharetta. Now, a fourth location is underway on Roswell Road in Sandy Springs. I'm told the restaurant hopes to be open before the end of the year.

STK / STK OUT (Midtown) -New York-based "The One Group" is slated to open two concepts at 1075 Peachtree late this fall. STK, its signature upscale steakhouse on the Peachtree Street side, and "STK OUT," a new, more casual concept on the corner of 12th and Peachtree. The two concepts will be in a single subdivided space, encompassing a total of 12,000 s/f on two levels. While both were to open by December of last year, work only recently began. Disputes about over-budget costs led T.O.G., the developers Daniel Corp and Selig to delay work. Both restaurants are supposedly on track for a late November opening, to be followed by their Italian concept, Cucina Asellina shortly thereafter.

Swirlin' Twirlin' ( Decatur) Yet another addition to the yogurt options of Decatur, this self serve fro-yo option is opening on West Ponce not far from Farm Burger. Based on progress at the site and intel from the hood, they should be open within the next few weeks.

Tartufo ( Buckhead) The owners of La Fourchette hope to open their second concept, Tartufo in the coming weeks. The restaurant will feature a variety of pizzas and is located next to La Fourchette on Piedmont Road in Buckhead.

The Flying Biscuit Cafe (TOWN Brookhaven) A watered down and cookie cutter version of an old favorite, its TOWN Brookhaven location has been partially built out but seemingly abandoned as of late. If work picks back up soon, they could be open within 30-45 days.

The Lawrence (Midtown) Darren Carr and Patrick La Bouff of Top Flr and The Sound Table will open their latest concept, The Lawrence, at 905 Juniper in the space that formerly housed Riccardo Ullio's Cuerno and later, Lupe. At one point, the duo hoped to take over the former Nona Mia space on Piedmont, but opted for this space instead. The hope is to have the restaurant open by mid October.

The Spence (Midtown) Bob Amick, Todd Rushing and Richard Blais have teamed up (again) to open The Spence at Technology Square on 5th Street in Midtown. (Pre Top Chef, Blais was EC at ONE. midtown kitchen, a Concentrics concept) Home for years to The Glove and later WaterHaven, the space's worst quality is its limited parking. Blais and Co. hope that won't matter with their food being so damn good. Hope the hype matches the product. According to Bob Amick, they hope to be up and running by early 2012.

There (TOWN Brookhaven) A local restaurant opening in TOWN Brookhaven amidst a sea of chains, There was delayed over 90 days, a result I'm told of petty citations issued as a result of complaints from nearby Slack's. With luck and a lot of labor hours, management hopes to be open by mid to late November.

TOMO (Buckhead/Ritz-Carlton Residences) Chef Tomohiro Naito closed his Vinings restaurant earlier this summer, unable to maintain it while getting his new venture up and running. TOMO Buckhead will be located within the Ritz-Carlton Residences near Phipps Plaza and should open in late October, or early November.

tre'za (TOWN Brookhaven) Entrepreneurs Jarrod Brooks and Daniel Rothfeld both have experience in fast casual restaurants and launched tre'za this year. The TOWN Brookhaven location is scheduled to open November 10th. Another location is slated for the ever popular Summit lifestyle center in Birmimgham, already home to FLIP Burger Boutique, Maki Fresh and others.

Watershed (South Buckhead) A longtime Decatur favorite, the restaurant closed earlier this summer, saying they would reopen elsewhere by soon. Last month I uncovered their plans to open at The Brookwood in south Buckhead. Without an official announcement, it's a little difficult to say when exactly they will open, but I do feel confident in saying it will be at the Brookwood.

White Oak Kitchen & Cocktails (Downtown) Alan LeBlanc of Max Lager's Wood-Fired Grill & Brewery will open White Oak Kitchen & Cocktails in the former All Star Cafe on Peachtree Street. The restaurant will feature contemporary southern cuisine, prepared with locally sourced ingredients in a casually upscale atmosphere and could be open by December, but that the opening will more likely occur after the first of the year.

Yard House (Atlantic Station) Irvine, California-based Yard House will open their first Atlanta area location in the worst possible location, Atlantic Station. I say that, but it may actually do well, despite Atlantic Station being a colossal disaster overall. Yard House will open in the space vacated by Dolce, another California-based eatery which itself closed earlier this summer. With a menu with something for everyone, including, Gardein™, a beef and chicken substitute, Yard House has been mentioned as a possible acquisition target of Orlando-based Darden Restaurants. No matter who owns them after the new year, the hope is that the Atlantic Station location will be open in April.

Yogurtland (Forum Norcross) With their first location in Paces Ferry Plaza Shopping Center now open, Yogurtland's local franchisee Rick Evans will soon begin work on his second location. Located within the Forum in Norcross, this will be Evan's 2nd of six planned locations in the metro area. With a proprietary product and a .33 per ounce price point, Yogurtland seems well positioned for growth and success against area competitors. After a number of delays, the plan is to have the Forum location open by late October.

Yogli Mogli (Multiple locations) -Yogli Mogli, a local purveyor of the ever popular Fro-Yo, will be opening multiple additional locations in Georgia in the coming months. Yogli Mogli opened its first location at 6595 Roswell Road in Abernathy Square near the intersection of Abernathy and Roswell Roads in 2008. Soon they will add locations in Buckhead, on Lenox Road , Georgia Tech at Tech Square and others in Douglasville, Kennesaw and Woodstock.

Yum Bunz (Westside) Mike Blum, founder of the original,The Real Chow Baby left the baby and the bowls behind to launch this new concept. Similar to Lettuce Entertain You's "WOW BAO" from Chicago, Yum Bunz will feature "Bao", a favorite food in Asia. The "Bao" are puffed bread filled with vegetables, meats and in some cases sweets. Blum is "very close" to securing a west midtown location for his new eatery. If the location is finalized in the next week or so, Blum plans to be open before year end with the restaurant being designed by ai3.

Southern Art (Buckhead) In April I broke news that Au Pied de Cochon at the InterContinental would make way for a then unnamed eatery to be helmed by Art Smith. Now known as Southern Art and Bourbon Bar, the concepts were both scheduled to open September 26th but have been pushed to October 12th.

Unnamed eatery from Brian Lewis of Bocado ( Buckhead) Brian Lewis will open his next venture sometime during the first half of 2012. The restaurant will be located on the site of the former Sears automotive lot, adjacent to the St. Regis hotel, on West Paces Ferry. I'm told his restaurant will feature an Italian theme with pizza and pasta making up much of the menu.


Retail

Arhaus (Buckhead - Phipps Plaza) -Arhaus Furniture, a Ohio based environmentally conscious company, will open their 15th location and first in Georgia at Phipps Plaza later this fall. Arhaus will be 17,000 s/f and be located on the Lenox Road side, near the new Davio's. The store will be two levels with its own elevator. The store will occupy a number of spaces including Bijou, Atlanta Dental Spa, Monarch Watches & Estate Jewelry, and the shuttered American Cafe space on the upper level. Currently, the store hopes to be open October 7th.

Crate & Barrel (Buckhead - Shops Around Lenox) After first breaking news of Crate & Barrel's planned relocation to The Shops Around Lenox last October, work began on their new space a few weeks ago but the build out will be very time consuming. While originally planned to be complete for holiday 2011, the Lenox space will remain open until at least January, with the planned completion of the new store in February.

Forever 21 (Buckhead /Lenox Square) Originally announced to be the flagship store from cheap chic retailer Forever 21, XXI, the company has changed its plans and will open the store as Forever 21. A significant portion of what will be their space was formerly public area, although they will also occupy the former Restoration Hardware, Steve Madden, DASS Salon and Ann Taylor spaces and two smaller spaces. According to Lenox Square representatives, the store will open in mid October.

Gregory's (Buckhead/Lenox Square) Texas-based Gregory's will soon open in the Luxury Wing at Lenox Square. From what I can tell, the store sells overpriced clothing, shoes and accessories from largely unheard of designers. I doubt this place will last long and am almost sad to see it open at all. As of now, they hope to open October 12.

Henri Bendel (Buckhead /Lenox Square) Limited Brands has opted to replace a portion of what was their largest Victoria's Secret in the region with Atlanta's first Henri Bendel. Bendel's dates back to 1895 and was sold to Limited Brands in 1986. In 2009 the chain stopped carrying clothing to focus purely on accessories, for what it had been best known for. Similar to the cache of Bloomingdale's, many would say a trip to New York is not complete without a trip to the chains flagship Fifth Avenue flagship. Earlier in the year, sales representatives at the store claimed the store would be open in late July, but instead it is scheduled to open today!

Jos A. Bank ( Downtown) Even as Brooks Brothers, Payless Shoe Source and Macy's vacated the downtown area, Jos A. Bank is opening. Steps from where Brooks Brothers shuttered their location last year, Bank will soon open a new store to serve the downtown market. The store will likely open within 60 days.

Madewell (Dunwoody/Perimeter Mall) It's no longer listed as "coming soon" on the Perimeter Mall site but no one seems to know anything, either way. The store opening may be in question now despite the fact that there remains space at the mall.

Pier 1 Imports (Buckhead) Pier 1 Imports will open a large format store in the former Kitchen Aid culinary store, next to Marshall's, near the intersection of Peachtree and Piedmont Roads in the heart of Buckhead. Pier 1 closed their location near Peachtree Battle over a year ago and its probable they will close their existing Lenox Road location once this new store opens October 10th.

Prada (Buckhead /Lenox Square) -The new Prada store was once rumored to be opening as part of the Midtown Mile, but it seems they came to their senses and opted for Lenox Square instead. The new boutique will open where Godiva Chocolatier recently relocated from: the cusp of the Luxury Wing. Work began over the summer, them slowed and only recently have things been progressing. Multiple calls were placed to Prada corporate in New York, but no callback ever received. Given this, I can't say with any certainty, but hopefully they will open by the end of October.

Swatch (Dunwoody/Perimeter Mall) Swiss conglomerate Swatch Group will open their first retail outlet in metro Atlanta later this fall. Taking space on the second level a few doors down from the Apple store, Swatch sells a variety of colorful watches, as well as more casual timepieces. Many will remember their collective and limited edition watches from the 1996 Olympics here in Atlanta. I'm told the store should be open by early to mid November.

Von Maur (Alpharetta /North Point Mall) Davenport Iowa-based family owned department store Von Maur plans to open a new store at North Point Mall this fall. Taking space in the mall that was originally a Lord & Taylor and most recently, an ill-fated Belk, a store representative tells me they hope to be open by late October or early November.


Hotels & Projects

Holiday Inn Express (Downtown) The abandoned Centennial Inn on Cone Street is being renovated and remodeled and will reopen as a Holiday Inn Express. Over the summer the hotel's reservation system was accepting reservations for arrivals after October 20th, that date has now been pushed to January 8th.

Buckhead Atlanta (Buckhead) Delayed yet again this week developer OliverMcMillan reveled construction would not begin til the end of the first quarter of 2012, rather than the end of 2011 as previously announced. The project was started by local developer Ben Carter in 2006, with a ground breaking in 2007. Since that time, the only constant has been French luxury goods retailer Hermes, an early sign-on to the project. They are have been waiting patiently in a temporary location next to Fado Irish Pub on Buckhead Avenue since 2008, I believe. Bottega Veneta, originally announced as part of the Streets of Buckhead, opened instead in Phipps Plaza earlier this year. Art Smith, who was listed on the Streets of Buckhead website as opening an eatery in the project, will open Southern Art and Bourbon Bar within the InterContinental Hotel next month. I hope for the the completion of the project as much as anyone, but it seems like all we hear lately is bad news. Here's to hoping OM gets their act together soon, gets the cranes moving, and stores open.

Ponce City Market (Old Fourth Ward) Jamestown, a large real estate firm with North American headquarters in Atlanta, will open Ponce City Market on the site of the former Sears Roebuck & Co. and more recently City Hall East, by early 2014. The largest brick building in the southeastern United States, Ponce City Market encompasses 2.1 million square-feet that will be converted into office, retail, restaurant and residential space. Anne Quatrano of Abbatoir, Bacchanalia and Floataway Cafe, among others, has announced she will open a po-boy shop in the project. Here's to hoping that Dean & Deluca finally decides to give Atlanta a try and perhaps opens in PCM.

*A kickoff party, "Party at Ponce" will take place tomorrow from 7p til 11p on the grounds of the development. Featuring musical acts Shawn Mullins, the Indigo Girls and Francine Reed as well as countless local chefs, the event benefits the Atlanta Beltline Partnership and Georgia Organics. Limited tickets are still available here.


Newborns

Eateries

Chicken and the Egg ( Marietta)
CinéBistro (TOWN Brookhaven)
Cloud 9 Cupcakes ( Lenox Square)
Frank Ski's ( South Buckhead)
HD1 (Poncey-Highlands)
Local 7 (Tucker)
Mirko Pasta ( North Buckhead)
Pollo Tropical ( Lawrenceville)
Ringside (North Buckhead)
Smallcakes ( Buckhead)
Smashburger ( Alpharetta)
The Barrelhouse ( Midtown / Technology Square)
The Porch at Collier ( Collier Road)
Twisted Taco ( Johns Creek)

Retail
Free People ( Lenox Square)
Original Penguin (Lenox Square)
ROAD Runner Sports (North Buckhead / Chastain Park)


As always, I'm human and perhaps I missed something, maybe you're opening something, either way, leave me a comment and give me your thoughts.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

STK Out is not happening...Cucina Asellina is replacing it. STK and Cucina Asellina will be the two One Group restaurants.

Anonymous said...

Savi Market opened in Brookhaven (on Dresden Drive in the shuddered Mom & Pops - across from Kaleidoscope & Library Coffee). I was in there last night and the proprietor told me he'd just opened the doors on Wednesday for a soft opening.

Anonymous said...

Whats your issue with Atlantic Station? The new owners are turning a corner, and making this eyesore into a viable center...maybe you should go check it out instead of trashing the place.

Lee at rootsinalpharetta.com said...

That's quite a list!

Smashburger has identified location #5. It'll be in Kennesaw somewhere, or so I was told at the Alpharetta opening event on Tuesday. Kennesaw is outside my coverage area (maybe yours too), so I don't know exactly where it'll be. Location #6 may be Cumming.

And I still think Genghis Grill in Alpharetta is indefinitely stalled. I'm not putting them on my "coming soon" restaurant list in Alpharetta.

Anonymous said...

Lenox mall Mgmt says that Prada will open the beginning of dec. The fixtures etc are being built in Italy and need to be shipped.

Anonymous said...

Atlantic Station is just awful right now. The only reason I have to go there is for the BBQ festival or an ice cream at Kilwins. And now they have decided to blast big band music on their loudspeakers, I'm assuming to keep the gangs and people of color away. That was an affront to my eardrums this weekend. And the security is such overkill that it's way too much of an intimidation factor for me to ever want to spend much time there.

Anonymous said...

In Virgina-Highland, Bella Cucina opened their Porta Via concept. Just next door, Cacao opened another retail location and a boutique called Rollick opened last month or so.

Debbie D said...

Think it is fair to say that Atlanta has enough burger and yogurt places now. Geeze!

Atlantan99 said...

@Anon 1, I continue to think Atlantic Station is awful, because it is! Mark Toro and friends have done nothing to change my mind. The fact that they would even think of charging anyone to go there who may or may not make a purchase was laughable and thankfully (for them) not implemented. While I think its safe to say Yard House is paying somewhere near normal rent, I doubt the same can be said for Pinkberry and Drew Lewis, neither of which are doing well OUTSIDE of Atlantic Station. I've said time and time again, The Grove in LA did everything right ( tenant mix, amenities, parking, etc) that Atlantic Station did and had continued to DO wrong. That is all.

Atlantan99 said...

@ Lee,

Thanks for the kind words on the list, was certainly a time consuming post!

Cool to hear Smashburger has additional locations in mind, I just worry about them over-saturating the market, as I recall them having plans for 30 in the metro.

You may be right as Genghis Grill, as they have nothing listed on their website, I was just told it was still a go, but trust your OTP intel more than mine in this case.

Thanks again for reading and for the tips!

Atlantan99 said...

@Anon RE Atlantic Station,


At least you have a single reason to go there, they have nothing I want! Here's to hoping for a successful Buckhead Atlanta, Emory Point and Ponce City Market!

Tom Haney said...

The Centennial Inn on Cone Street was never "abandoned", they are just renovating. I work across the street and look forward to this improvement.

Anonymous said...

I just realized "Buckhead Atlanta" (formerly Streets of Buckhead) would be a PERFECT location for Restoration Hardware. If they want to stay in the Buckhead area, seems like this would be the best spot.

I can see H&M filling the Crate & Barrel spot... and here is hoping Top Shop opens at Buckhead Atlanta now that they are targeting stores for all income levels! Would be a great spot for one in Atlanta...

Anonymous said...

any idea what the construction activity in front of the Buckhead Place shopping center on the piedmont side is? (where the old bridgetown restaurant used to be)

thanks

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