Friday, December 21, 2012

Here & There


Yoforia "temporarily closed in Sandy Springs?"
Please find below a few short tidbits of news from the retail, restaurant and hotel industries. 

Swirll has now closed all Atlanta area locations.  First to go was Buckhead, then Perimeter, and now Brookhaven.  DeathWatch'd for a reason.  Swirll was one of the worst FroYo chains, and its complete failure in Atlanta comes as little surprise. 

BurgerFi has apparently abandoned its plans to open in Brookhaven.

La Tagliatella opened their first Atlanta location in the former Silk restaurant at Metropolis this week.  Their second location is slated to open in Emory Point by years end.

Pura Vida will close at the end of the year following a 12-year run.

After a number of delays, Bhojanic at Shops Around Lenox is on schedule to open in late February.

Brooks Brothers is hedging their bet and relocating to space adjacent to the the new Von Maur on the first level of Perimeter Mall.

Woodstock's The Outlet Shops at Atlanta appears to be almost 100% leased.  Though not identified on the site plan, sources tell me that the center will host Atlanta's first Bloomingdale's Outlet.

Cole Haan will downsize and renovate their Phipps Plaza location after the holiday season.  The brand was recently sold by Nike to Apax Partners, a private equity group, for $570M.  The Phipps Plaza location had become too large for the brand, and its interior was in dire need of a makeover.

Sheik Burritos n Kabobs is scheduled to close this weekend following a three year run on Piedmont Avenue.  The restaurant's Rock Springs shopping center is slated for demolition to make way for new Archstone apartments.  Owner Jahan Ostad tells me he hopes to have a new (larger) location "not far away" secured soon.

Kennesaw-based Cheeseburger Bobby's recently opened a new location at Peachtree Square North near Peachtree Corners.  The local burger joint now has six locations open.  Other restaurant additions to the shopping center include a previously mentioned Corner Bakery as well as a Three Dollar Cafe.

Clearly as a result of disappointing sales, the Neiman Marcus / Target collection is being offered at 50% off this week both online at Target.com and in stores.

Following the November news that Seattle-based Starbucks would acquire Atlanta-based Teavana for $620M, Minnesota-based Caribou Coffee has agreed to be acquired for $340M by German conglomerate Joh. A. Benckiser.  Among the firm's other holdings are Jimmy Choo, designer of designer women's shoes and Coty, a cosmetics brand. 

Starwood Hotels Group Le Meridien hotel has pushed their planned  Dunwoody opening to February 21st 2013.

Yogurt Mountain and American Family Care are both now open at The Prado in Sandy Springs.  Previously announced tenants Barberitos and Bruegger's Bagels both claim to still be opening but have yet to do much of anything at their respective spaces.

AMC Phipps Plaza has completed their massive renovation which wisely included relocating their second floor box office to the third floor.  Among the enhancements to the theater are beer and wine, expanded food options in their "Marketplace" and plush leather seats that recline nearly 180 degrees.

QuikTrip has finally opened their Clairmont/Briarcliff location and has started clearing land for their planned Chamblee-Tucker location.

Barca Tapas & Bar has opened in place of La Fourchette on Piedmont Road in Buckhead.

Yoforia at the Exchange at Hammond in Sandy Springs has "Temporaily closed to celebrate the Christmas season"  Oddly, this message was posted on letterhead from a Charlotte Yoforia.  Attempts to reach the shop by phone led me to a disconnected number leading this writer to believe the shop is closed permanently. 

Both locations of Cowlicks Yogurt & Floats are currently listed for sale and will likely close if a buyer is not found. 

*****

This is short list of briefs and tidbits of industry news.  There will be plenty more in depth coverage of new openings (and closings) in the new year.  Stay tuned for exciting restaurant openings, new retail and DeathWatch.

Thanks for your readership and Happy Holidays.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I believe the owner of the Yoforia store in Sandy Springs recently passed away. His death may be the reason for the temporary closing.

Anonymous said...

What is going on at the Prado? Brooklyn Joe's pizza open and closed within a year, as have several other places. Clearly, the design and location of the shopping center keep people away. Another stellar job by Sembler Corp.

Lee at rootsinalpharetta.com said...

A few comments...

BurgerFI's Alpharetta/Windward location still appears to be on-track. But the location they have picked it terrible.

I personally think Cheeseburger Bobby's is one of the better fast-casual burger concepts going. The Johns Creek/south Forsyth location is terrific and managed well.

Anonymous said...

Atlantan99,

Speaking of BurgerFi, it doesn't look like they've done any work on their Emory Point location. Do you know if they have abandoned that location too?

Thanks!

Atlantan99 said...

Hello Anon RE : BurgerFi,

I stopepd by Emory Point earlier this afternoon and did some recon on the space. I'm told that contractors were insider drilling today so apparently they still do intend to open. The Emory Point website suggests a "January 2013" opening which IMHO is out of thr question given the restaurant's current state. I'd think they open closer to March.

Thanks for your interest and for reading the blog.

Jenna S. said...

Great update on lots of juicy tidbits as always. Thanks! I am excited for a Bloomingdales Outlet (even if it is in Woodstock). Where do other ones exist?? Is the Le Meridien the old W Perimeter?

Atlantan99 said...

Hey Jenna,

Currently there are twelve Bloomingdale's "The Outlet Stores". I've personally been to their locations at Patomac Mills, The Outlet Shops at Bergan Town Center and Sawgrass Mills and been impressed by none of them. Yes, the Le Meridien will open in place of the former W Perimeter.

Thanks for reading and Happy New Year!

Anonymous said...

Sadly, I learned that Spoon on the Westside closed on Dec 30th. So sad! That was by far the best Thai in the area.

Anonymous said...

Yoforia has asked the property manager (DDR) to find a new tenant for their space and get out of their lease.

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