Friday, August 16, 2019

Bits & Bites

Mishti Holdings LLC, the parent company of gourmet candy shop Lolli & Pops, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on August 13.  Lolli & Pops has 69 stores nationwide, with all but two located in traditional shopping malls. The company listed between $1 million and $10 million in liabilities and $500,000 to $1 million in assets.  The company partnered with major mall owner General Growth Properties (GGP) in 2017 to open 40 stores in their malls.  GGP, now owned by and known as Brookfield Properties, has reportedly locked the retailer out of several locations nationwide.  Multiple stores' employees were locked out this week with signage on at least one store saying “notice of temporary lockout for nonpayment of rental.” The retailer, which sold premium chocolates, candy and other dessert items, has Atlanta area locations in Perimeter Mall in Dunwoody and North Point Mall in Alpharetta, both of which are Brookfield owned malls.
The Lolli & Pops "Forever" jar that is actually only good for 52 weeks 

After an unfortunate HVAC issue forced its closure more than ten weeks ago, Cafe Posh plans to reopen at Hanover Buckhead Village in early September.

Enzo Custom, a new-to-market custom suiting store, is coming soon to Phipps Plaza in Buckhead.  The new store will occupy suite 2035 G, a 2,359 square foot space on the second floor of the luxury mall.  The new Phipps Plaza location is the eighth location for the New York-based chain.  Enzo joins a growing market that includes Knot Standard (Buckhead Exchange), Alton Lane (East Andrews Drive) and Indochino (Shops Around Lenox), all of which offer custom men's suiting, related apparel, and accessories for similar prices to those of  "off the rack" offerings of similar quality.

Kroger announced early Friday that it will close its location at 3435 Wrightsboro Road in Augusta.  The store, which has been in business for 39 years, will close September 13, 2019.  The company says "declining sales and negative profit over an extended period" moved them to shutter the store.  The Wrightsboro Kroger is the third Augusta area store the grocer has closed in recent years.  A Kroger on Deans Bridge Road closed in 2016 followed by one on 15th Street that closed in 2017.  

Pita Mediterranean Street Food will open their newest Atlanta area location at Emory Commons on Friday August 23.  The new restaurant, opening in the Publix-anchored center at the corner of Clairmont and North Decatur Roads, occupies the remaining portion of the former Evans Fine Foods not previously taken by Blaze Pizza.  The Peachtree City-based Mediterranean franchise has expanded tremendously over the past several years, adding new locations in Smyrna, Peachtree Corners, Johns Creek, Marietta, Midtown and Dunwoody, among other locations.  ToNeTo Atlanta reported Monday that another Pita is planned for Sandy Plains Centre in East Cobb.

Krab Queenz Seafood & Daiquiris will open its first Atlanta location Saturday August 17 at 1 pm.   Comedian Kwaylon Rogers, also known by his alter ego TiTi, will open the new restaurant at 1 pm. The new restaurant occupies the former Gladys Knight Chicken & Waffles at 529 Peachtree Street across from Emory University Hospital Midtown.

Cadence Bank has set up temporary branch operations in the street level retail of The Tremont apartments at the corner of Habersham and Piedmont Roads in Buckhead.  The bank, which relocated its corporate headquarters to Atlanta earlier this year, will eventually move to 340 Pharr Road.  The current location, 3610 Piedmont Road, was originally opened as a Flagstar Bank, before being converted to PNC Bank, and eventually closing.  340 Pharr was most recently a Bank of America.  Cadence entered the metro Atlanta market via the acquisition of State Bank.  Cadence, which had previously operated from  the former State Bank at 415 East Paces Ferry Road, was forced to relocate, as a new Thompson Hotel is coming to the former bank site.  Cadence expects to open their new branch Monday, October 28.  

Velvet Taco has delayed its planned August 26th opening in Buckhead to an as yet undetermined date, hopefully in early September.  The delay, like too many in Atlanta, is reportedly permit related.

Good Game, a new concept featuring seven Topgolf Swing Suite simulator bays, is slated to open this November at The Battery Atlanta at SunTrust Park.  The new concept, being opened by Delaware North in partnership with the Braves, will occupy a currently vacant 7,500 square foot space in the mixed-use development.  Each bay can accommodate up to eight people.   The concept will also feature a restaurant with an expansive bar and dining area with a diverse menu featuring "elevated bar foods and hand-crafted dishes made from fresh, regional ingredients."  The Topgolf Swing Suite bays offer a variety of virtual games including the popular Topgolf target game, Zombie Dodgeball, Hockey Shots, Baseball Pitching, Carnival Classic, and more.  Delaware North, which has been the exclusive food and beverage service provider for the Atlanta Braves and SunTrust Park since 2016, also operates the Terrapin Taproom, H & F Burger and Coca-Cola Roxy Theater within The Battery Atlanta district. Topgolf already operates two full-size facilities, one in Alpharetta, the other in West Midtown, with a third expected to open late next year at Fuqua Development's The Exchange at Gwinnett near Mall of Georgia in Buford.  

7 comments:

BK said...

Oddly the space the Battery website shows where Good Game will go is where Punch Bowl Social is right now. I doubt Punch Bowl Social is closing. The upstairs dining room is pretty dead most weekday lunch hours, but I think they do alright game days and weekends. I feel like that space is much larger than 7,500 though. I want to say around 10-11K. Maybe the website is just wrong right now.
The only currently built, contiguous vacant spaces of about 7,500 sf I can think of is the end of the building that Gio's Chicken is in or the space between Punch Bowl Social and the freestanding CRU. There was some road work happening out front there earlier this year that looked like they were putting in another grease trap there so that's where I'm thinking it'll be. I also heard rumors of a dueling pianos type of bar coming to the Battery in the next year or so.

Anonymous said...

August 16, 2019 at 9:41 PM has Fuqua Derangement Syndrome

Atlantan99 said...

@BK RE: Topgolf,

It's my understanding that Good Game will occupy previously un-leased space adjacent to the first level of PBS and under portions of the second floor of PBS.

Hope this helps!

Thanks for your comments and readership!

Greenwave said...

They better not close Lolli & Pops in Perimeter. That's my go-to candy shop for my office. We refill our tins with candy like every week.

Jml813 said...

Yes, Goodgame is across the street from the El Super Pan on the corner. It will not have anything to do with punch bowl social.

Anonymous said...

@ August 16, 2019 at 9:41 PM

I agree. fuqua is a shi#y developer! They lack any type of imagination in design. Shi#y!

CloseOTP said...

Hmmm, maybe this is the reason the H&F Burger at the Battery is horrible and the one at PCM is not. You'd think Hopkins (I think that's his name) would take action when a restaurant with his name is being run TERRIBLY!

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