[UPDATE] Pier 1 Closing Two Atlanta Stores But Still Hiring?

Struggling furniture and home decor retailer Pier 1 Imports  has begun liquidation sales at two of its Atlanta area stores.  The company, which recently dropped the "Imports" from its name, had indicated in April it would close 45 stores this fiscal year, raising that number to 57 in June, and approximately 70 in September, before saying that the actual closures could swell to close to 150.  Based in Fort Worth, Texas and established in 1962, Pier 1 today operates nearly 1,000 stores nationwide.

[UPDATE] Hao Chinese Replaces Papa Chow in Southwest Atlanta

A popular Chinese takeout eatery in southwest Atlanta has been reconcepted into a full-service restaurant.  Papa Chow, a Camp Creek area mainstay for more than ten years, was last week rebranded as "Hao Chinese Cuisine," with a more diverse menu and table service.  The restaurant, located at 3830 Princeton Lakes Court, is situated in a small strip center just off Camp Creek Parkway.   Owned by serial restaurateur Gary Lin, Hao is the third in a series of similar rebrands Lin has completed in metro Atlanta.

[EXCLUSIVE] Location Revealed for Flip'd by IHOP in Atlanta

IHOP Restaurants today announced plans to launch Flip’d by IHOP, a new fast-casual concept in the U.S. The new brand, slated to make its debut in metro Atlanta, "aims to fill a gap in the restaurant space by focusing on freshly-made breakfast foods and beverages with speed and convenience in mind."  Flip'd units will be about 2,000 square feet, roughly half the size of typical IHOP restaurants, a spokesperson told ToNeTo Atlanta by email Wednesday morning.    

[UPDATE] Lidl Looks to Get Things Going in Woodstock

About a year after the Cherokee County Commission approved variances to its code to accommodate a new Lidl store in Woodstock, the German grocer appears to be gearing up to break ground.  Earlier this week, development plans for the new roughly 29,000 square foot store were put out for bid with a deadline of December 19.  This timeline suggests that construction could begin as soon as the first half of 2020.   

[CLOSURE ALERT] Four Fewer Places for Bo Time in Metro Atlanta

Bojangles' this week closed four of its restaurants in metro Atlanta.   The Charlotte, North Carolina-based chicken chain reportedly closed the four restaurants without prior notice to customers and due to them all being "underperforming," according to a company spokesperson.