Friday, April 28, 2017

Two Restaurants Just Closed in East Cobb, One After Less Than Six Months in Business

Two closures hit East Cobb 

ToNeTo Atlanta tipsters confirm that two East Cobb restaurants, Uncle Maddio's Pizza and Sage Social Kitchen & Bar, have both closed.  Although I was unable to confirm exact closure dates, it's believed that both closed within the past few days.  

Uncle Maddio's Pizza was located in a freestanding outparcel of the Providence Square shopping center on Roswell Road and according to its Facebook page, has "temporarily closed."  Temporary closures have been a popular tactic by the struggling Atlanta based pizza franchise to save face in wake of a number of recent closures.  Despite claiming the closure is only temporary, the restaurant's 3,000 square foot space is actively being marketed for lease by the center's leasing company, The Shopping Center Group.  

The restaurant opened during the summer of 2013 and was one of many the company opened between 2012 and 2014. 

It's been a rough few months for the East Cobb franchise. The location failed their health inspection in March with a score of 61/U, telling the AJC at the time that one of their infractions (a dent in back door that could let pests in) was the result of a recent break-in that has since been replaced.  

By my count, the chain has closed 21 restaurants with 38 still in operation.  Most recently, franchised locations in Omaha and Birmingham closed with the latter claiming it too was closed only "temporarily."  

Sage Social Kitchen and Bar has closed as well with restaurant representatives reportedly telling would-be customers that they are "moving" to a new location in Marietta.   Amazingly, Sage has not even been open six months. The restaurant opened this past November in a restaurant space previously home to Chequers and Houlihan's before that in the Merchants Festival shopping center near Johnson Ferry and Roswell Roads.  

The location Sage is "moving" to is the previously announced new location at the former Houston's on Windy Hill and Powers Ferry Roads in Marietta, not far from SunTrust Park.  Infinite Dining Group, the parent company of both Sage locations as well as a few other restaurants sprinkled around Dunwoody and Alpharetta, also previously announced plans to open a new location in the former Morton's Steakhouse in Buckhead.  

As I reported last month, the owners of Infinite Dining Group are said to be having "financing issues" which could explain both their short stint in East Cobb and delayed opening in Buckhead.  

A restaurant source indicated to me this week that the Marietta location is expected to open in "no more than a month" whereas the Buckhead location is still "months out." 

Are you surprised by the two recent closures?  What would you like to see open in the respective vacant restaurant spaces?  What is your favorite restaurant in East Cobb?

Please share your thoughts below.  

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

Not surprised at Uncle Maddios Pizza. The whole fast casual pizza thing is a bust. And I've lost count of how many restaurants have been in the Sage space. Take a hint. If the previous restaurants didn't last, yours won't either.

Ryan Duckworth said...

Give me a Taco Mac where sage was, please.

Carl said...

Shocking!

Unknown said...

You can bring back Houlihan's

Irish Koi said...

Loved Houlihans. Miss it a lot.

Unknown said...

How about a Red Robin in the old Chuck E Cheese location?

jeff a. taylor said...

Taco Mac isn't the greatest, but it would CRUSH at that site. I just don't think it is big enough for their concept. Houlihan's was about the right speed. I swear you could put another Marlow's there and not dent the biz across the street in Merchant's Walk. It would just become the pre-movie site.

Anonymous said...

I would love to see something like Fazolis come back into town. Back in TN, Fazolis and olive garbage share the same parking lot and Fazolis kills it. Red Robin is a good but something with a drive Thur is more convenient ... Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers or Culver’s? The Kolache Factory would be a great for East Cobb <~ makes my mouth water! Yum!

Anonymous said...

FYI - the new QT is now open in East Cobb. Its missing some charm. The way the building is turned, if your getting gas, you enter from the side now. Weird. Glad its open now.

Unknown said...

I would love a Red Robin in East Cobb!

Anonymous said...

East Cobb has a lot of options for new business - sage, Chuck E Cheese, caribou, pollo tropical all gone ... How about a Burger king or Martin's? What we don't need - another dental office, more retirement homes, multiple urgent care stores or mattress stores. Fazolis sounds good - drive thru.

Anonymous said...

The comments suggest an LA Fitness would better serve this community.

Anonymous said...

I guess anonymous 9:08am doesn't live in East Cobb because we already have one as well as orange theory, X3 Sports, Kettle Corps, Iron Tribe Fitness. Anytime Fitness. CrossFit Marietta and a new cycle type bar near publix. We need food to burn! Now take me to the new ice cream bar that just opened!

ImAndy said...

I had to check if this said 1997 or 2017 when I kept reading about Fazolis and Red Robin

Anonymous said...

The people have spoken, we want what we want. Something GOOD/missing/different in this area is a big welcome. Variety is needed.

Anonymous said...

LOL Anonymous 9:08 spoke the big fat TRUTH for 7:53 and 9:12 to so upset. No more fat food in East Cobb.

Anonymous said...

I'd be happy with a Zoës Kitchen in every neighborhood (just as Waffle House) Zoës is Clean food. Healthy food. Reasonable comparative to other choices. They should shut down half the Waffle House grease traps and open Zoës in their place. The unhealthy have their options and I'll take a salmon kabob over scattered smothered any day!

Coolio said...

What about putting a Tom + Chee or a Mattress Firm there? :)

Anonymous said...

Anon at 12:40 you said it!! Really it should just be "no more food" in East Cobb. They have way too many fatsos there already. If someone is an alcoholic, they have to stop drinking all together to get cured. If they are fat, they have to stop eating. So "no more food at all" in East Cobb is really for their own good. More LA Fitness and Weight Watchers would be great! So surprised no one has fallen all the way through the ground to China yet there, so many porkers!!

Anonymous said...

Anon @ 11:30 PM ... Is that you former FLOTUS Obama ?

Anonymous said...

"surprised no one has fallen all the way through the ground to China yet"

Much like when Guam was going to tip over?

snowmedic said...

Waffle House is a necessary and much appreciated eatery in East Cobb. They have the best breakfast; and where else can one eat at 2:00 AM?
We were disappointment in the changes that Chicago's made. It used to have a bit of elegance; but now they have thinned their menu and jacked up the price for a decent glass of wine. We used to dine there a lot; but do not go there any more. Have y'all tried Amalfi's on Hwy 9 in Roswell? They are only open for dinner; but what a great restaurant. Go early, and the dining rooms fill up quickly, even on week nights.

snowmedic said...

Try Amalfi's for a fantastic dinner. It is on Hwy 9 less than a mile south of the Roswell square. Hands off our Waffle House. They serve a great breakfast, no matter the time of day. Chicago's used to be great before they thinned their menu and jacked up the price for a decent glass of wine. On our last visits, the food was salty and unappealing, so we do not eat there anymore.

rd said...

It really says something about how poor the location choice was for Sage (and Chequers before it) that the suggested replacements are Red Robin and Fazzolis.

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