Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Bits & Bites

Actor and Musician Clifford "T.I." Harris unveiled his latest endeavor, Scales 925 Fine Food & Spirits, at a ribbon cutting last week. The full service "upscale southern" restaurant is located downtown at 30 Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard in the former FAB (French American Brasserie). Attending the opening event last week, Mayor Reed said of  T.I.’s Scales 925, it will be “One of the best restaurants in the city.” Chef Ashley of Chef Ashley Inc. is the restaurant's "head chef."  Scales 925 will reportedly open to the public April 14th.

New York-based Exhale is bringing a new studio to Inman Quarter.  Exhale opened its first location in Atlanta at the Loews Midtown in 2010. A second location opened this past fall at Avalon in Alpharetta. The new roughly 2,300 square foot studio at Inman Quarter is slated to open later this fall and will be joined by such restaurants as MF Sushi and Bartaco.  Inman Quarter is located at 280 Elizabeth Street in Inman Park  and will also have hundreds of one and two bedroom apartments.  

The Guess store at Lenox Square will soon relocate, providing more space for the casual retailer.  Guess is currently located in a 4,433 square foot space on the main mall level, sandwiched between BCBG Maxazria and Gap. The new Guess store will be 5,762 square feet and will replace the former C.Wonder, adjacent to the new Topshop, and near Bloomingdale's, also on the mall's main level.  

Champs Sports is now open in their new and enlarged space on the lower level of Lenox Square, just outside Bloomingdale's.

Jimmy Johns has opened its new location on Howell Mill Road on the westside.  The new sandwich shop is situated in a newly built, freestanding building across from Chattahoochee Avenue. 

Charlotte, North Carolina's Old Hickory House on North Tryon Street is slated to permanently close Saturday, April 4th.  Following last year's closure of Old Hickory House in Dunwoody, the Tucker unit is the location I'm aware that still exists of the once many unit chain.   

The long awaited new eatery from chef Guy Wong, Le Fat, opened Tuesday at the 935 apartments on Marietta Street.  The full service Vietnamese restaurant replaces the short-lived Yum Bunz eatery.  

Another Walmart Neighborhood Market is quietly coming to Savannah. Like the upcoming location in Athens, the new Savannah location is being planned simply as "Grocery Store" but is in fact a Walmart Neighborhood Market.  The approximately 42,000 square foot grocery store and accompanying fuel center are planned for Abercorn Street near Wilshire Boulevard.  Chattanooga, Tennessee-based Polestar Development, the developer of the Athens "Grocery Store," is also developing the Savannah site.  

The owners of Doraville's Shoya Izakaya plan to a open sister concept, Jinya Izakaya, later this summer in Berkley Heights.  The approximately 2600 square foot Japanese restaurant replaces Cardamom Hill, Chef Asha Gomez's Indian eatery which closed this past summer.  Little Azio and Rising Roll are neighboring restaurants in the small complex on Northside Drive, just of I-75. 


The new TUMI store on the upper level of  Perimeter Mall in Dunwoody is slated to open tomorrow, Thursday April 2nd.  TUMI opened a store on the second level of Lenox Square 2013 and also has a store at Phipps Plaza in partnership with Mori Luggage & Gifts. 


Atlanta's first, and likely only, Alice + Olivia boutique is also on track to open Thursday April 2nd at Buckhead Atlanta.  

HB 535, the "Brunch Bill," is reportedly in danger of not making it to a vote on the senate floor.  The bill would allow the sale of alcohol in restaurants on Sundays at 10:30AM rather than the current 12:30PM.  With about 4,000 restaurants in Georgia, this bill, if passed, could equate to $100 million in extra revenue.  If you're in favor of the earlier serving time, make your voice heard and click this link to send an email to your local senator asking for their support of HB 535.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Since when does Mayor Reed attend restaurant openings? What a horrible name for a restaurant. Why would I eat at anything that makes me think of fish skins? I'm sure the Real Housewives are thrilled they'll have another hood place masquerading as a nice restaurant to gather and argue at.

Anonymous said...

I can think of so many stereotypical quip's about the Scales 925 opening and menu but I'm afraid of the thought police coming down on me.

But damn that's alot of chicken on that menu!!

Anonymous said...

Is it too early to put Scales 925 on the deathwatch list?

How about a list of Atlanta music personalities that have opened restaurants that have soon closed:

Justin's - Sean "Diddy" Combs

Straits - Chris "Ludaris" Bridges (did he ever open a restaurant at Hartsfield?)

Frank Ski's - Frank Ski

Gladys Knight's Chicken & Waffles seems to be the only celebrity restaurant with staying power.

Anonymous said...

Gladys Knights is great, I consider it an Atlanta staple.

Anonymous said...

Justin's actually had a good run.

Sammy said...

Downtown needs a grocery store. Ever since the mini Kroger near City Hall closed, everyone has had to go elsewhere for shopping. So, here's my proposal: a Walmart Neighborhood Market. Why not put it right on top of Underground? Surely there's a critical mass by now of residents, workers, and tourists that could support this type of store. Before the haters hate, keep in mind that we need solid investment and support downtown. Walmart would definitely bring street cred, so to speak. Why hasn't this type of development happened yet?

Anonymous said...

Scales will have the same problem FAB and any restaurant would have in that spot. It's still too far off the beaten path to generate the kind of foot traffic, especially at lunch, that keeps most of the downtown restaurants afloat. The Ivan Allen corridor still hasn't generated much growth beyond Southern Company and the Peachtree Summit Federal Building.

ImAndy said...

Add Fuego in Duluth that closed a few weeks ago that was owned by Keith Sweat. Not sure if he owns the one in Buford that is still open or not though.

Anonymous said...

Is this phenomenon from some perception that "the black rapper has to prove he can succeed in business other than rapping"? I don't get it. Running a restaurant is not some hobby you should do on the side when it's not your expertise.

Anonymous said...

I love Shoya Izakaya, but I don't venture to Doraville that often. I do live close to Berkley Heights and can't wait for Jinya Izakaya to open. Thanks for this news!

Anonymous said...

About the name of T.I.'s restaurant. His birthday is 9/25. He's a Libra (scales).

Anonymous said...

Finally someone with some common sense on this blog...yes his birthday. And for you others, at least eat there without seeing your racist asses wondering who the fuck I am because my watch cost more than you house. FUCK YOU!!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...