Bits & Bites

Sprinkles Cupcakes is seeking a general manger for their upcoming store at Lenox Square.  The position offers "competitive salary and benefits like health insurance, 401(k) plan with an employer match, paid time off, annual bonuses, a referral incentive program, employee discount, and a FREE CUPCAKE EVERY DAY!"

Earlier this week, Trina Turk opened their long awaited boutique at Phipps Plaza in Buckhead.  The store features only the men's collection (for now) and is located on the mall's main level, across from Tory Burch.

Stanton Home Furnishings will replace Bella Cucina in Virginia-Highland.  In a strange turn of events, Stanton's relocation will mean it has now occupied both former Bella spaces in the Highlands.  Bella Cucina moved from 1050 N. Highland (the current Stanton space) to 1044, a few doors down, in 2011.  Bella Cucina abruptly closed their Virginia-Highland shop last month amidst  financial troubles stemming from a January bankruptcy filing.  

Monday, Canada-based retail conglomerate Hudson's Bay Company purchased New York-based Sak's Inc. The deal is expected to close by year end and  is worth just shy of $3 billion, $2.4 billion in cash, $500 million in assumed debt.  The deal creates a North American retail powerhouse with 320 locations across the United States and Canada.  Insiders suspect Hudson's Bay's other U.S. department store chain, Lord & Taylor   (which exited the Atlanta market in 2003) will benefit from Sak's vendor relationships, among other things. 

Today there are 67 OFF 5TH stores (the newest opened earlier this month at The Outlet Shoppes at Atlanta in Woodstock) and an ever shrinking number of Sak's Fifth Avenue stores: 41, as of today.  In recent years, Sak's has ramped up OFF 5TH expansion while closing flagship stores in San Diego, California, Austin, Texas and Portland, Oregon, among others.  HBC plans to brings at least Sak's and likely its OFF Fifth stores as well to Canada in the future. 

Chris' Pizza at Toco Hill is FINALLY renovating.  The family owned Greek eatery and pizza restaurant opened in the  center in 1983 and for the past three decades, has gone largely unchanged.  In the weeks and months to come, the restaurant will continue to update their interior with new booths, floor, paint and other upgrades.  

Cosmopolitan Restaurant & Bar opened last week on Delk Road in Marietta.  I first announced that Cosmopolitan would open in place of the shuttered Spaghetti Warehouse in January and was then told they would be open in March, clearly there were a few delays. My post on Cosmopolitan's plans became one of the most viewed, and commented posts on ToNeTo Atlanta this year.  

Yogurtland has once again raised their per ounce prices in metro Atlanta, now 41 cents per ounce.  The chain entered the Atlanta market in late 2010 with a highly competitive price of 33 cents per ounce.  With their nearest West Paces competitor Menchies closed and other chains struggling, Yogurtland's prices, and others, have risen, at some shops approaching 50 cents an ounce!  Amazingly, Yogurtland at the Beverly Connection, in Beverly Hills, California, among other west coast locales, has implemented only one price increase, and currently offers its FroYo at just 35 cents per ounce!  Yogurtland West Paces was followed by locations at The Forum in Norcross in 2011 and a location in Peachtree City in 2012.  Citing disappointing sales, Yogurtland's Atlanta franchisee closed the Peachtree City location this past January.  

A couple of weeks ago, Atlanta-based Noble Investment Group opened their new property,  Hyatt Atlanta Midtown.  The hotel is located in the heart of Midtown at the corner of 10th and Juniper Streets; The hotel dates from 1986 but received a $20 million facelift that helped it become a modern, chic new Hyatt branded hotel.  Noble also owns Midtown's W Atlanta Midtown and there's speculation the group will sell one of the properties sooner rather than later.  

What's going on in your neck of the woods?  Are you curious about any new opening?  What announced opening are you most looking forward to?  Please share your thoughts below.