Wednesday, February 1, 2017

Bits & Bites

Smoothie King plans to open later this spring on Holcomb Bridge Road in Peachtree Corners.  The smoothie shop will open in the freestanding building that most recently housed Guthrie's, a fried chicken joint, and before that was built as a Donatos Pizza.  The Metairie, Louisiana based chain has been growing its Atlanta presence in recent years adding locations both ITP and OTP.  The chain is no stranger to converting old restaurants and even old camera stores.  Smoothie King opened a new location in a former Checkers in 2013 and operates out of former Fox Photo shops in Northlake and Snellville.  The one constant in all the building conversions has been a drive-thru, something Smoothie King feels is very important in new locations.  

The Krystal that closed for "remolding" on Cobb Parkway in Marietta was demolished and is being rebuilt.  A company spokesperson told me the restaurant is expected to reopen in late March.    

Metro Atlanta's newest Culver's opened this past Monday in Canton/Hickory Flat.  The new restaurant is located on Hickory Flat Highway, near Kroger, and is the Wisconsin-based chain's sixth in the greater metro Atlanta area.    

Cook Out is coming to South Cobb Drive after all.  Plans call for the North Carolina based burger chain to renovate the former Krystal across from Cobb Center. The new restaurant joins the newly opened Cook Out on Cobb Parkway across from the Big Chicken.    

Lucid FC, a lifestyle clothing brand started by Atlanta twins Chet and Betts DeHart, plans to open their first brick and mortar store at Andrews Square in Buckhead.  The 983 square foot store will open in suite 220, on the second level of the Buckhead shopping center, according to the center's site plan.  The twins, graduates of my alma mater, The Ben Franklin Academy, are the sons of Jeff DeHart, partner at commercial real estate firm S.J. Collins Enterprises.   

Ethan Allen is coming back to Buckhead at Lenox Marketplace.  According to the site plan for the Edens owned shopping center, Ethan Allen will occupy the 12,000 square foot former Staples space.  The prime Peachtree Road facing space has been vacant since the office supply chain closed in late 2014.  Ethan Allen's previous location in the Sports Authority shopping center, closed over five years ago and is today Modani, another furniture retailer.  Interestingly, despite not having a presence in Buckhead, the furniture retailer introduced a "Buckhead" collection last year, "a nod to Atlanta’s posh suburb."   

A new Panera Bread is planned for Cherokee Street and Lewis Drive, across from Kennestone Regional Medical Center, in Marietta.  The new eatery and adjoining "retail" space will replace Kennestone Medical Building, an older lowrise medical complex.  A source close to the development indicated to me that demolition is will begin in March and that Panera should be open by the end of July.    

After months of renovations, more than enough delays and plenty of drop-ins from eager customers, Magnolia Room Cafeteria is now open in Tucker.  The restaurant, which represents a "relocation" of sorts of the beloved S&S Cafeteria, opened for lunch and dinner service yesterday.  The restaurant is located in The Shops at Heritage Place on Hugh Howell Road.    

Metro Atlanta's newest QuikTrip is now open at 1590 Mansell Road in Alpharetta.  The new "Gen 3" convenience store and gas station is not far from a recently renovated RaceTrac.   

The Pro Cleaners, located at the intersection of Oak Grove and LaVista Roads in Oak Grove announced recently it will close effective February 11th.  The dry cleaners has been a popular neighborhood business for many years.  Before becoming a dry cleaners, the building was a liquor store.  The liquor store's owner was robbed and murdered in a still unsolved murder nearly 20 years ago.  Before that, the property was a service station.  There is no definitive word on what it will become next.  

DICK'S Sporting Goods plans to open in place of the former Sports Authority at Akers Mill Square near Cumberland Mall. The sporting goods retailer won the rights to open in the former Sports Authority stores in Sandy Springs and Akers Mill, but is reportedly having some trouble getting its plans at Akers Mill approved. Multiple phone calls and emails to the company's media relations department have gone unanswered over the past two months.  I would think it's rather easy to replace one sporting goods retailer with another, but perhaps they are proposing some substantial structural changes that are slowing the process? Who knows? 

2 comments:

vespajet said...

Another opening is Nom Dae Mun has opened their location in Morrow (In the former Target space.) last Thursday (1/26).

Anonymous said...

Glad to hear that Dick's it taking over the SA building at Akers Mill. I was wondering why that wasn't happening given the location is very similar to the one at Perimeter in that there's a LA Fitness a couple doors down.

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