Thursday, June 29, 2017

SoulCycle and Flower Child Looking to Join The Shops Around Lenox

The Shops Around Lenox has reportedly inked deals with three new tenants including two first-to-market businesses.  
In the coming months, women's apparel retailer South Moon Under will open in the center along with SoulCycle, an indoor cycle fitness facility and Flower Child, a new concept from the creator of True Food Kitchen.

Based in Annapolis, Maryland, South Moon Under started as a small surf shack in Ocean City, Maryland in the summer of 1968.  In the years since, the company has evolved into an upscale casual chain with 25 east coast locations (and counting) plus an online boutique. The chain's first Atlanta area store opened this past April at Ponce City Market.  The South Moon Under at The Shops Around Lenox will occupy a portion of the former Roche Bobois furniture store and is expected to open in early September.  CorePower Yoga occupies about 5,300 square feet of the the 10,800 former Roche Bobois space, with South Moon Under expected to take another 3,300 square feet.  The remaining roughly 2,200 square foot space could be ideal for a coffee shop, something business owners in the center and patrons alike have both said is sorely needed. 

SoulCycle, the New York based cycle studio, plans to enter the Atlanta market with a facility at The Shops Around Lenox.  SoulCycle is expected to occupy a portion of the former American Apparel space in the center of the complex. I have heard talk of SoulCycle coming to Buckhead for months, if not years, but talk has heated up in recent weeks.  "SoulCycle Buckhead Atlanta LLC" was registered with the Georgia Secretary of State's office in late April.  Referred to as the original indoor cycle fitness studio, the first SoulCycle opened in New York in 2006.  The company was acquired by Equinox Fitness in 2011.  Rival cycle studio Flywheel was launched by SoulCycle co-founder Ruth Zuckerman in 2010. 
Flywheel entered the Atlanta market in 2011 with a location on West Paces Ferry Road. In the years since, the chain has grown locally to include locations in midtown and Alpharetta.  The Buckhead studio, which insiders say was the second most profitable unit in the entire company, relocated last May to The Shops Buckhead Atlanta. 
SoulCycle seemingly tested the waters in new markets last year with their "SoulCycle x Target" roadshow that made a stop at 200 Peachtree downtown.  While clearly the company has the "street cred" and brand recognition to compete,  the Buckhead market has been the epicenter of cycle studio openings.   Atmasphere on Piedmont Road near Kyma, and CycleBar at Terminus have both opened over the past year or so.  CYC which was located inside The Forum Athletic Club at Lenox Square, closed this April and has been replaced by in-house cycle classes.  
Inside a typical SoulCycle
Flower Child, a quick-service healthy eatery from Sam Fox, creator of True Food Kitchen, is expected to open in a portion of the former American Apparel retail space.  Flower Child made its debut in Phoenix, Arizona in 2014.  In the years since, the concept has been expanded in Arizona and also to new markets in California and Texas. The menu features assorted salads, vegetable and grain plates and house-made wraps. Flower Child also features assorted teas and  lemonades which have natural sweeteners such as cane sugar and honey. Dairy and gluten-free desserts include cookies, olive oil cake, raw bars, brown rice crispy treats and granola bars.  Ingredients are organic, sustainable and GMO-free.    Upbeet, which YEAH! Burger's co-founder Erik Maier opened earlier this month on the Westside, is in some ways similar to Flower Child.  I visited Flower Child in Phoenix last year and was impressed with the concept and see it doing well here. 

Given that both SoulCycle and Flower Child usually occupy about 3,200 to 4,200 square foot spaces and the former American Apparel space is only about 6,400 square feet, they may open smaller than normal locations, or be located elsewhere in the center.  
The vacant American Apparel space
Tisha Maley, who spent 24 years with Simon Property Group and handled leasing for Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza, is responsible for leasing The Shops Around Lenox. Following her departure from Simon in 2013, Maley started The Maley Company, a retail real estate advisory, and assisted Jamestown in leasing Ponce City Market.  Maley later moved back to Buckhead to lead the leasing efforts at The Shops Around Lenox.  Maley was responsible for the lease that brought True Food Kitchen to Lenox Square and was surely able to leverage that relationship when leasing at The Shops Around Lenox.  Interestingly, True Food Kitchen had actually considered opening at The Shops Around Lenox before signing on to open at Lenox Square.  

Michelle Lawrence of MVO Marketing who handles media & marketing for The Shops Around Lenox told me by phone earlier this week that South Moon Under is expected to open this fall.  Lawrence said that she could not confirm that Flower Child or SoulCycle had signed on to open in the center.  Calls to Tisha Maley were unreturned. 

Given that work has not not even started on either SoulCycle or Flower Child, I'd say it's fair to assume neither opens until early next year.   

Are you excited for the planned additions to The Shops Around Lenox?  If you go to cycle studios, which is your favorite?  What else would you like to see open in The Shops Around Lenox?

Please share your thoughts below.  

4 comments:

Skrybe said...

Soulcycle is finally coming to Atlanta. Took them long enough.

Katherine S said...

Very excited about this news, esp. SoulCycle!

Anonymous said...

I use to take spin classes back in the early - mid 2000's with Ruth when she was an instructor with the Reebok Club on the UWS,NYC. She's done well for herself since then. Never heard why she parted ways with her former partners at SoulCycle.

Anonymous said...

Why do you think Cyc closed? It got good reviews and seemed busy.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...