"Healthy" burger joint a bust at Emory Point
North Palm Beach, Florida based BurgerFi has closed its restaurant at Emory Point. The approximately 2,600 square foot eatery opened in the spring of 2013 and was situated between Which Wich and Fresh To Order, facing Clifton Road and the CDC. Sources indicate the restaurant closed after dinner service this past Tuesday.
Interestingly, BurgerFi's page on the Emory Point website has been removed but the restaurant is still listed as open on the BurgerFi website.
BurgerFi differentiates themselves from others in the crowded "better burger" restaurant segment by offering hormone-free and antibiotic-free beef and "eco friendly practices," but of course these are fast becoming standard in the segment. Leading the pack in quality and eco friendliness is none other than Decatur's Farm Burger.
On the whole, restaurants have struggled in Emory Point with BurgerFi's closure likely not be the last we will see. Since Emory Point businesses started to open in late 2012, La Tagliatella, a full service Italian restaurant closed, replaced last year with Marcello's, which is currently for sale. Bonefish Grill also closed and was replaced last month by Papi's, a local Cuban restaurant. Sweet Monkey, a local frozen yogurt shop, also closed with its place now home to TGM Bread, the bakery expansion of The General Muir next door, the "Jewish style" deli and easily the most popular eatery in the complex.
Following the closure of BurgerFi's Emory Point location, the company has five locations remaining in metro Atlanta: Midtown, Downtown (CNN Center), Kennesaw, Alpharetta and Lawrenceville. A location I reported in 2012 in the works at TOWN Brookhaven never materialized.
Why do you think so many restaurants struggle at Emory Point? What is your favorite restaurant at Emory Point? What would you like to see open in place of BurgerFi at Emory Point?
Please share your thoughts below.
11 comments:
I wonder if many of the people who work at Emory, CHOA, CDC, Winship, etc. don’t want to deal with the parking/traffic issues at their facilities, so they’re conditioned to not go out at lunch. Also, I doubt many people are going to venture into that area from the outside to eat.
Boring, uninspired restaurants are not doing well at EP? Shocker. A locally-grown unique restaurant with great food is doing well? Hmmm....not so shocking. The market can only take so many quick serve gourmet burgers and grilled cheese places. We're starting to see market corrections in the quick serve gourmet restaurant segment. But there is still plenty of room in the market for locally-derived, well thought out concepts that place a premium on execution and social marketing.
Also, retail landlords in this city - with the exception of Avalon - are absolutely clueless with regards to attracting and soliciting a mix of retail and restaurants that is primed for success. Look no further than 12th & Midtown for an example of that.
Don't forget the rent. If the rent is too high, then bust. Many businesses close due to high overhead cost along with bad service, unappealing food, parking sitiuation etc
Nothing should open there. It was a failed project that has cost millions in development and operating expenses from many reputable companies. If a company with the size and operating strength of Bone fish Grill failed. How can any independent or small business succeed? Clearly the traffic and volume did not materialize as much as the tenants were promised by the landlord. In order for the property to succeed, visibility, access, signage and mostly PARKING would all need to be revised and improved. Then take the space the BurgerFi and others have vacated and put in a strong anchor tenant like Trader Joes so that the volume comes back.
The leasing at Emory Point has been mundane at best. This in town center seems to specialize in bring unexcititing suburban concepts to an intown location
It appears the only thing working here is The General Muir. Bring in more chef driven concepts
Also the location on traffic clogged Clifton Road is just not a place I want to venture and I live in nearby Druid Hills
There's also the fact that it's a high end burger place in the same development as The General Muir, which has the be-all, end-all in superior burgers on its menu, plus it's local. I was actually curious to try BurgerFi, but every time I was in that development.....I went TGM. How could you not?
I work at Emory Point and BurgerFi (along with many other places) are pretty busy at lunch. I think the trouble for business starts when the work crowds from Emory/CDC go elsewhere for dinner.
Looks like Emory Point no longer suits Jos. A. Bank. It seems to be closed with the windows covered up. No signs indicated what's going on or directing you to other locations.
I don't buy the parking excuse - I have eaten at Emory Point numerous times over the past 2 years and never had any trouble parking at all. I think that the location - being further down Clifton than much of the University minus the CDC hurts it. The Emory crowd simply just walks over to Emory Village instead to eat.
Here is why so many restaurants and retail stores are closing at Emory Point:
1. Ridiculously high rent.
2. Mixed use developments simply do not work.
3. CDC employees can eat at a subsidized cafeteria.
4. Students cannot afford most of the eating establishments.
5. Neighboring communities did not want Emory Point built and avoid going there.
6. Parking absolutely SUCKS.
7. General Muir is successful because it caters to the large Jewish community in the area.
8. It is Dekalb county... Very difficult to do business.
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