Bonus Bits & Bites

In wake of the devastation of Hurricane Harvey, ME Restaurant Group and its Red Pepper Taqueria locations in Buckhead and near Emory University are having a fundraiser next week to support the Houston Food Bank. The "Tacos for Texas" fundraiser will be held this Tuesday, September 5, with the restaurants donating 50% of all taco sales that day directly to the food bank to help provide meals to Houston residents.  The restaurant added a beer component to the fundraiser, "Hops for Houston. Red Pepper partnered with Southern Barrel Brewing Company, Hi-Wire Brewing & Oconee Brewing Company, to raise funds for the Houston Food Bank.  The restaurant will donate $1 per pint sold from these breweries, also on September 5.

Del Frisco's Restaurant Group, based in Southlake, Texas near Dallas, is also having a fundraiser to support victims of Hurricane Harvey.  Starting yesterday, August 31, through Monday, September 4, 20 percent of sales at all 53 Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steak House, Del Frisco's Grille, and Sullivan's Steakhouse restaurants nationwide will be donated to support the Houston  are food banks with a goal of exceeding $1,000,000.  The group currently operates a single restaurant in the Atlanta area, Del Frisco's Grille in Buckhead, with plans to open a Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steak House next year near Perimeter Mall. 

Hardee's has closed its location on Franklin Gateway, just off I-75 in Marietta. The restaurant, which had been in business for decades, closed this past Tuesday with management citing "poor access" as one of the deciding factors.  While the Atlanta United FC recently opened their practice facility nearby and surely brought more traffic with it, the access to Hardee's has never been great and apparently the company decided to throw in the towel.  A Hardee's spokesperson indicated that the company is committed to continuing to serve the community and is actively assessing a number of sites for a replacement location.  A new Hardee's could open in the area in a year or so.

My friends at Scoop OTP report that in-town fave Arden's Garden is opening a new location OTP.  The new store, their 16th overall, will be opening near the city line of Woodstock and Roswell at 1402 Highway 92, across from Life Time Fitness.  

Bad Daddy's Burger Bar has signed on to open a restaurant in the new Jonquil development in Smyrna. The new 3,519 square foot restaurant will join Willy's Mexicana Grill and Newk's Eatery as dining options in the Publix anchored center. The Colorado-based chain already has two other locations planned for metro Atlanta at Parkview on Peachtree in Chamblee and North Decatur Square near Decatur. The Chamblee location was expected to open in September, but it may now be delayed. The Smyrna location will likely open second, as the Decatur site is not yet built. 

Perfumania, based in Sunrise, Florida near Fort Lauderdale, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy as it struggles to survive in a changing retail environment.  The chain, which sells discounted perfumes from designer brands such as Dolce & Gabbana and Burberry, reportedly intends to close 64 of its 226 stores and take the company private as part of its reorganization, according to bankruptcy court filings.  The company also plans to focus on growing its online business.  In metro Atlanta Perfumania operates locations at Sugarloaf Mills in Lawrenceville, Mall of Georgia in Buford and Arbor Place Mall in Douglasville, among other malls and outlet centers. 

A new self storage facility is coming to 650 DeKalb Industrial Way behind Patel Plaza, not far from an existing Life Storage facility on North Decatur Road.  The new facility will replace Willett Collision Center, which was recently demolished to make way for the new development. 

Planning documents indicate that the new self storage facility will sit on about three acres, be three stories tall, and be climate controlled.  ToNeTo Atlanta has thus far been unable to confirm the company opening the new self storage facility.