Friday, November 16, 2012

Pollo Tropical Heads North to Kennesaw for New Location

Pollo Tropical opening second location in Cobb county.

Miami, Florida-based Pollo Tropical intends to continue their re-entry into Atlanta with a planned location at Cobb Place Shopping Center in Kennesaw.  The "flex casual" chicken eatery re-entered the Atlanta market last year with a location in Lawrenceville, marking the first restaurant in the state since a franchisee closed three locations in the mid 90s.  This past spring, a second location opened on Cobb Parkway at Akers Mill shopping center, with another planned for Alpharetta, just off exit 9 of Georgia 400. 

As best I can tell, the new Pollo Tropical in Kennesaw will be built on the site of a former Bugaboo Creek Steak House near the intersection of Barrett Parkway and Cobb Place Parkway, in an outparcel of Cobb Place shopping center.  The Bugaboo Creek has been vacant for many years and will be torn down to make way for the new restaurant. 

Another Pollo Tropical was proposed in north Buckhead in late 2010, but the neighborhood's displeasure regarding the restaurant's planned drive-thru access from Wieuca Road eventually led the chain to abandon their plans.  The former Just Brakes has since been demolished and a new AAA Auto Care Plus plans to open sometime late in the first quarter of next year. 

Atlanta has become cluttered with ethnic chicken-centric "fast casual," "flex casual," and "fast food" eateries.  El Pollo Loco entered the market in 2007 and exited in 2011, while Del Taco came back for a third time and Pollo Campero came to town for the first time.  Each restaurant differs somewhat in their offerings and pricing but all compete to some degree with each other in area where they all have locations. Of course KFC and Chick-fil-A, the number one and two quick serve chicken restaurants in the country are well represented as well, and have years of existence in the state as well as brand awareness that the new-to-market restaurants must compete with. 

Where do you for for casual chicken? Do you prefer places like Roaster's or the new Bantam & Biddy or are you a Del Taco fan?  What is the item (entree or side) that must be on a chicken restaurant menu to get you to come in and dine?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Two other restaurants are coming on Barrett Parkway: A new freestanding Jason's Deli will soon open on the site of a former mattress store. A second Atlanta area Chuy's restaurant will also open on a vacant parcel of land just east of Bahama Breeze.

Anonymous said...

If this pollo tropical is anything like the ones in miami fla then get ready for the best chicken and blackbeans this side of the equator

Anonymous said...

It will be better than the ones in Miami. Way better service. Have you been to the one in Cumberland? Very good service.

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