Tuesday, January 14, 2014

In A Flash, Chuck Wolf's Photo Design Bar Will Open in Buckhead

Photo courtesy of Chuck Wolf's Photo Design Bar Facebook page
Chuck Wolf is launching a new concept in Buckhead.

Chuck Wolf's Photo Design Bar will open soon on Roswell Road in north Buckhead.  Chuck Wolf started Wolf Camera in Atlanta 1974 with a single store, and grew the chain to include more than 800 locations across the country. Wolf Camera eventually grew too big, and found itself in financial trouble.  Financially strained by the purchase of competitor Fox Photo, Wolf Camera filed for bankruptcy in 2001, and was eventually sold to Ritz Camera.  The company stayed in the family as Chuck is the nephew of Edward Ritz, the founder of Ritz Camera.

Given the ease of taking photos from one's phone and the accessibility of internet-based printing options like Shutterfly, the world or brick & mortar camera sales & photo printing was in trouble.

Ritz Camera & Image LLC, the new name of the combined company, itself had financial trouble, and the chain closed entirely in late 2012.  A few independently owned locations still exist, such as the Wolf Camera on Piedmont Road across from Bones and next to Red Pepper Taqueria.

Apparently Chuck, now running WC + G Ad Logic, an advertising firm, could not stand being out the of the camera game, as his latest venture is still camera-centric, but updated for today's consumer.

Chuck Wolf's Photo Design Bar promises to make photography easy for the everyday user.

The store's offerings include custom calendars, photo books and phone cases, gallery stretched canvas, mounted photographic prints, and assorted photography-centric gift ideas.  The store will also cater to those unfamiliar with photography and with cameras they may have purchased online, but never understood how to use.  Classes on photography and Photoshop and iPhoto will be offered, in addition to classes designed to educate consumers on photography related applications like Instagram.

The store is adjacent to the legendary Johnny's Hideaway on Roswell Road, and replaces Core Fitness which closed last year.

Chuck Wolf's Photo Design Bar has been "coming soon" since last summer, and its grand opening is expected to take place within weeks.  

4 comments:

John Osberger said...

interesting concept as despite the reliance on phones for taking photos there is definitely a strong market for higher end P&S and DSLR cameras. considering the margins on providing services, i would assume they imagine classes as a strong revenue stream, but who knows if there is enough demand.

nsk said...

This sounds like a great concept, and the name immediately suggests what the services and products the place will offer. I think there's a strong target audience for this, and I hope the store executes and succeeds. Good for them.

Anonymous said...

I hope the expertise will still be free here too like it was at Wolf Camera and Video.

Anonymous said...

Wolf Camera on Piedmont still sells those cameras and offers the same services. Not sure how the two will differ.

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