Monday, November 11, 2013

Bits & Bites


Urgent Care - Atlanta Medical Center is opening in place of the sorely missed El Pollo Loco at Crossroads Village shopping center at the corner of Clairmont Road and Buford Highway.  After a number of attempts to salvage the brand locally, El Pollo Loco exited the market entirely in late 2011, having opened their first store in Atlanta in 2007.  The Chamblee location was for much of its existence the most profitable location, and its freestanding structure, with visibility from both Clairmont and Buford Highway, make it a great location.  I can't even imagine all that will be required to transform the former fast food restaurant to an urgent care facility, but work is well underway with permanent signage already up.    Oddly enough, this is the second medical facility to open in place of a restaurant in the Buford Highway corridor in recent months. JenCare Medical Clinic opened at Northeast Plaza a couple months ago in a space that had most recently been Ryan's Grill Buffet & Bakery, and many other restaurants before that.

More after the jump.



QuikTrip has opened its new "Gen 3" location on Chamblee-Tucker Road, just off I-85.  The new convenience store and gas station sports the company's new modern, larger look with enhanced food and drink options and 22 gas pumps.  QT's prior location across the street is now closed and available for probably just about anything except for a RaceTrac or any other similar business.



Mama's Cocina Latina has opened in place of Taco Cabana in midtown.  About a week ago Mama's took over the space from Taco Cabana and has reportedly kept many things the same including staying open 24 hours and offering a very similar menu.  Taco Cabana's closure has been expected since last year, as its properly is part of the new Fuqua project planned for the area.  With its midtown location now closed, San Antonio-based Taco Cabana has zero representation in Atlanta although Pollo Tropical,  its sibling concept from Fiesta Restaurant Group, has re-entered the Atlanta market with five locations open and others planned.  Mama's Cocina is independent and is likely taking over the space for a short time until work begins on the redevelopment.  Interestingly, Archstone, the apartment developer previously promoted as the residential developer of the complex, is apparently no longer involved, and instead the apartments will be developed by Mill Creek, a Dallas-Texas based apartment developer.



Dolce Bakery has closed at Briar Vista Shopping Center.  Dolce, a kosher bakery opened earlier this summer at the center near the intersection of LaVista and Briarcliff Roads in a largely Jewish area with a number of Judaic and kosher related business in the same center.

Happy Garden has closed in Norcross.  The neighborhood Chinese restaurant was located on Peachtree Parkway near Spalding Drive in a Goodwill-anchored shopping center.  A ToNeTo Atlanta reader who made me aware of this closure is seeking advice on where he should now go for good Chinese in the area.

Bonus Bit

Atlanta-based RaceTrac is celebrating its "Crazy Good Coffee" by offering patrons FREE coffee all this week.  Visit any of RaceTrac's more than 70 area locations and receive a free cup of coffee, no coupon (or gas purchase) required.  This promotion includes RaceTrac's full line of 100% Arabica bean coffee and runs through Saturday the 16th.  

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Minor Nitpick: The new Urgent Care - Atlanta Medical Center location (Crossroads Village shopping center) is still in unincorporated DeKalb County, with an Atlanta mailing address, until the effective date of Chamblee's latest annexation, which was approved by voters November 5.

Atlantan99 said...

@Anon,

You are correct but I was referring to the El Pollo Loco as having a Chamblee location, which when it was open, it did. When speaking of the Urgent Care I spoke in more general, geographic terms given the changes afoot in the area.

Thanks for the comment and for your readership.

Anonymous said...

The anonymous comment was correct - that shopping center was never in the boundaries of Chamblee. It will be after December 30th though. That area has been in play for various cities for the last three years, with Brookhaven trying to lay claim to it when it was forming its borders. The area residents have been trying to join Chamblee since 2011.

Anonymous said...

The long closed Olive Garden location at US 78 and Killian Hill Road in Snellville is being converted to an urgent care facility.

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