Friday, September 6, 2013

Sandy Springs & Dunwoody Restaurant Closures May Soon Welcome New Concepts + More!

A number of restaurant closures in Sandy Springs and Dunwoody have left open second generation restaurant space, appealing to new and growing concepts.


Evos at the Prado in Sandy Springs has closed.

Tampa, Florida-based Evos first opened in Atlanta in 2009 and has struggled basically since it entered the market.  Labeled "healthy" fast food, the fast casual chain features healthier versions of typical fast food fare such as "airbaked" poultry and "airfries," each cooked in an oven rather than a deep fryer, thus cutting out fatty oils and grease.

The chain opened a second location in midtown on Peachtree Street and had another in the works for Roswell.  The midtown location closed in October, 2010, reopened in March of 2011, and closed for a second and final time in February, 2012.  

Rumor has it the healthy eatery had not been paying rent at The Prado for months.  After hosting a "grand re-opening" in January, 2011, the restaurant continued to struggle and closed about a week ago.

A new tenant has reportedly already been found and is said to be an "Indian concept restaurant."

After months of delays, Bruegger's Bagels will never open its previously announced location in The Prado. The bakery cafe, which also took their sweet ole time in opening their first new Atlanta area store at Powers Ferry Landing last year, was to have been located next to Yogurt Mountain in a recently added Roswell Road portion of The Prado.

Sources say that the franchisee failed come up with the necessary financing to open the cafe, and "fled to India" as a result. Sembler, The Prado's developer,  reportedly already has at least one replacement tenant interested but its identity is unknown to me.    

Waffle House, currently located at 230 Mount Vernon Highway, just off Roswell Road in Sandy Springs, will be closing January 1st, 2014.

The restaurant is reopening though, at an as yet undisclosed nearby location.  The Waffle House location opened in 1983 and has been a favorite breakfast spot for neighbors ever since.  The restaurant is being sold to the City of Sandy Springs to allow for a revitalization effort of the area, including the former Target store.

One thought that comes to me for a possible relocation is the former Arby's on Roswell Road, just south of Abernathy.  (Another thought. How the heck has Flavor Cafe Bakery Restaurant & Bar managed to stay open?)

Over in Dunwoody at Ashford Place,  Romano's Macaroni Grill closed early last month and follows the June closure of fellow Ashford Place eatery Firkin & Gryphon.  Chili's is the last remaining restaurant in the center and despite claims otherwise, has no plans to close according to Matt Hagan, leasing representative with Regency Centers, who leases Ashford Place.  Hagan says of Ashford Place, "We are working with a number of different restaurant users who are interested in our vacant restaurant buildings (Macaroni Grill and Firkin & Gryphon).

On a trivia note, Romano's Macaroni Grill was founded in 1988 by Philip J. Romano.  Romano also created a number of other dining concepts, among them Fuddruckers and EatZi's, both of which also previously had Dunwoody locations, all of which have now closed.  

What you most like to see open in Dunwoody or Sandy Springs?  
Do you think the former Arby's makes sense for the Waffle House relocation?  
Where should Waffle House move?  
Please share your thoughts below.

7 comments:

Billy said...

Word on the street in Sandy Springs is that it will indeed be the former Arby's but nothing is finalized. As a neighbor, you are right...Neighbors love this location.

I can't believe Evos lasted that long and Bruegger's was smart. That space by Yogurt Mountain is completely hidden...terrible space.

That Chili's is PACKED at lunch. Not sure about dinner but would be surprised if it closed.

Brandon said...

This has nothing to do with this post, but you might want to do a story on Sprouts Farmers Market coming to Atlanta. There's been a handful of reports in the ATL Business Chronicle over the last couple of years about their pending entrance, but I think I have stumbled upon their first lease in the market...it's a former Ethan Allen store at the Shoppes at Webb Gin (formerly the Avenue Webb Gin) in the Snellville/Lawrenceville area. The Shoppes is built on both sides of Webb Gin House Road - one side of the center is in Snellville and the other side, which includes Sprouts, is in Lawrenceville. Check out the Store Directory at this link: http://www.theshoppesatwebbgin.com/pdfs/directorymap.pdf

Sprouts is shown as Suite 1700.

Tim said...

is it just me, or is the dunwoody logo very walmartesqe? similar font, similar color, and TWO of the little stars. well done, guys.

Atlantan99 said...

@Tim,

No, it's not just you.

Thanks for the comment and readership.

Anonymous said...

Disappointed that Brueggers isn't opening. Love all the information in your blog.

Anonymous said...

Apparently people in Sandy Springs and Dunwoody do not enjoy dining out very often.

Anonymous said...

The for lease signs are down at the Macaroni Grill and renovations are under way. Any idea what is going in there? Also the renovations are very slow going at the new BBQ place in the same plaza.

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