Sunday, July 15, 2012

Burger Tap-ped Out, Waffles Enter the Fold

Burger Tap in Morningside has closed.  The restaurant, opened late last year by the founder of Yoforia, never really caught on, and I'm told the space is already being reconcepted.  I only visited the restaurant once, but it seemed as though it was almost a hybrid of the now defunct Wonderful World Burger & Fry and YEAH! Burger.

The prices were high considering the portion size, but I'm sure plenty was spent on the buildout.  The space was previously Caramba Cafe which subsequently reopened downtown at the Pencil Factory lofts. 

Burger Tap closed after dinner service Friday night, and as of Saturday, paper covered the windows with signage for "Waffold" gourmet waffle sandwiches Coming Soon.  The Burger Tap website was taken down as of Saturday night, but their Facebook page remains live, but not updated since late June.

The (shuttered) restaurant's public relations firm, Atlanta-based M-Squared, references Burger Tap's success in a "case study" on their website.  The most memorable quote from this is:

"Thanks to Burger Tap’s smooth opening and early success they plan to quickly expand throughout the southeast and beyond."  

Clearly whatever early success the restaurant may have enjoyed quickly disappeared given the restaurant is now closed, a little less than seven months after opening.

I attempted to reach Burger Tap by phone regarding "Waffold" but although the phone is still active, repeated calls went unanswered.

It's my understanding that JP Kim, formerly of Yoforia and one of the co-creators of Burger Tap, will be involved in this latest concept.  A little research indicates that Kim, a California native, may intend to recreate an established California-based waffle concept known as "Bruxie."

Bruxie, a three-unit chain based in Orange, California serves "gourmet waffle sandwiches," and has been in business since 2009.  All three locations are owned by the original owners, who at this time do not offer franchising.  The restaurant, unlike The Wafflery, an often joked about failure at Lenox Square, features waffles folded into sandwiches.  Sandwich options include smoked salmon with dill cream cheese, Philly cheesesteak and a PB&J.

With permanent Waffold signage already up on the building itself, it would seem as though ownership plans to make a relatively quick transition from one concept to the other.  My guess is that the new restaurant will be open within five weeks.

Where is your favorite casual burger joint in town?  Do you think a fast casual waffle eatery will do well in Atlanta?  What casual restaurant or cuisine would you like to see opened in Atlanta? 
Please share your thoughts below. 

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13 comments:

Anonymous said...

You should just go ahead and put that on DeathWatch now.

Atlantan99 said...

Hey Anon,

The place has yet to open but based on what I've seen, I'm inclined to agree with you.

Thanks for reading and for the comment!

Brian Hampton said...

I'm excited about the diverse menu which should come with Waffold. Maybe some of BT's issues were you could get a few different burgers but at the end of the day, it's still a burger.

The big questions are will they keep the beer selection or trim that down. And, do they keep the great shoe string fries from BT or go with waffle fries to keep with the new concept?

I could get excited about a Waffold Ruben or Turkey Ruben. Wash that down with an Allagash White. Yum!

At least this will be a new addition to the neighborhood and not another fish or burger place.

Brian Hampton said...

I'm excited about the diverse menu which should come with Waffold. Maybe some of BT's issues were you could get a few different burgers but at the end of the day, it's still a burger.

The big questions are will they keep the beer selection or trim that down. And, do they keep the great shoe string fries from BT or go with waffle fries to keep with the new concept?

I could get excited about a Waffold Ruben or Turkey Ruben. Wash that down with an Allagash White. Yum!

At least this will be a new addition to the neighborhood and not another fish or burger place.

Anonymous said...

They won't be serving beer at all.

Amy said...

How do you know they are not serving beer? Are they pulling the taps out of there?

Anonymous said...

I just looked at the Bruxie menu. They serve Wisconsin custard! I am so there. I am so sick of these frozen yogurt places everywhere. Gimme some real ice cream.

Amy said...

FYI people - Bruxie is just a concept "like" this one..not the same thing.

Brian Hampton said...

Would seem a shame to waste all of that draft equipment....

Anonymous said...

This neighborhood is to foodie for another gimicky concept. Take that waffle idea to east Cobb or Alpharetta and it might work. Not in morningside

Anonymous said...

This will fail just like burger tap. Jp Kim isn't actually one of the founders of yoforia. He was a marketing rep that got fired because he was useless. It never felt like they were trying to bring something good into the neighborhood. Just gimmicks and second rate products.

Anonymous said...

I live in the neighborhood and I knew this place would fail within a year (apparently I was generous.)Lots of reasons: worn out burger concept; notoriously high rent in Morningside; sterile interior; no commercial buildings around to provide a source of lunch traffic. Afraid the Waffle place will meet the same fate for the same reasons. I'd love to see a high-end ethnic restaurant go in the space.

Harold said...

Waffold is like the pinnacle of waffles. I remember craving for this goodie while I was at one of the hotels in luton. The waffles there are a-okay but nothing beats my favorite.

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