Olive Bistro Out at TOWN Brookhaven

Olive Bistro closed their location at TOWN Brookhaven this past Saturday.  The restaurant, which opened in the mixed-use center in 2011, cited a "lost lease" as the reason for the closure.  Sources in the center indicate that the restaurant had been for sale previously, but that it was not currently being marketed.  The siteplan for TOWN Brookhaven on the Sembler website reflects that the 1,299 square foot Olive space #415, is "available." 

Beni's Cubano Joining Tin Lizzy's at Peachtree Center Downtown

Just six months removed from its debut in East Cobb, Beni's Cubano is going for seconds, this time in Atlanta.  With the first Beni's Cubano apparently doing well at The Avenue East Cobb, a second Beni's is slated to open next month at Peachtree Center, soon to be known as "fetch" "The Hub."

[CONTEST] Win Free Tickets to an Advance Screening of A Bad Moms Christmas

Earlier this year, ToNeTo Atlanta shared the first trailer for the Atlanta-filmed movie A Bad Moms Christmas.  The film is due to be released November 1st, but STX films has provided ToNeTo Atlanta with a few tickets to Monday night's advance screening of the film.  

After Alpharetta, Adobo Aims for Atlanta Next Year

Adobo Taqueria & Tequila Bar plans to open a new location in Buckhead next year.  The Mexican eatery will open in Lenox Village on Lenox Road in place of what was most recently Vine & Tap.  Vine & Tap, which was primarily a tapas and wine bar for much of its existence, closed this past April after roughly three years in business. 

Arby's Bringing the Meats to Former Johns Creek Chicken Joint

Arby's, the quick serve eatery that for years has seemingly closed more locations than it opened in metro Atlanta, plans to open not one, but two new locations in metro Atlanta soon.

Pollo Tropical when it opened February 2015 

Bits & Bites

Office Depot is actively liquidating their store in Smyrna on Cobb Parkway.  The store, located in Cumberland Square North in the 2400 block of Cobb Parkway, was previously downsized to its current size.  The current store is 8,640 square feet, whereas their previous space next door anchored the center and was 25,600 square feet.  A Goodwill store and donation center today anchors the center.   D. Geller & Son Jewelers, which previously occupied the space to the right of the current Office Depot, left the center last year, and relocated to Akers Mill Square.  Rodney's Jamaican Soul Food opened in the former D. Geller space earlier this year.  Office Depot is due to close next Saturday November 4.  

[UPDATE] The Painted Duck to Land on the Westside in December

The wait is almost over!  The Painted Duck, the follow-up to Buckhead's successful The Painted Pin, is slated to open  on the Westside in early December.  Located at the intersection of 10th Street and Brady Avenue, The Painted Duck will anchor the new Stockyards Atlanta development.  

A glimpse inside The Painted Duck from earlier this month 

Zinburger Taking the Burger Battle to the Burbs

Better burger eatery Zinburger Wine & Burger Bar has plans to open a second Atlanta area location next year.  The restaurant, owned on the east coast by Livingston, New Jersey-based The Briad Group, entered the Atlanta market in 2014 with a restaurant at Lenox Square in Buckhead.  

[ALERT] Clay's is NOW OPEN in Sandy Springs

After a year plus hiatus, Clay's Sports Cafe in Sandy Springsquietly reopened their doors earlier today.  The popular "hole in the wall" bar, which shuttered their original location on Roswell Road in Sandy Springs last July to make way for Gus's "World Famous" Fried Chicken, is now located in the Hammond Springs shopping center where Kaiser's Chophouse opened this past May.  

Bits & Bites

Ponko Chicken softly opened this past Monday, well delayed from their original plans, but ahead of their previously announced November 1 opening. In fact, Ponko is only partially open, as they have not started the build-out on a significant portion of their overall space.  For now, the restaurant is open with limited indoor seating and a sprinkling of outdoor tables.  They definitely have some kinks to work out, but business has been brisk and they have made themselves a destination.  The new Ponko is located just off I-85 on Chamblee Tucker Road.  

The second half of Ponko Chicken is expected to open sometime next year 

99X Bringing Back The Morning X for Celebratory 25th Anniversary Show + FREE Concert

If you've lived in Atlanta for more than 15 years, you remember 99X.  99X, previously heard on 99.7 (WNNX) was one of the most successful morning shows in Atlanta radio history.  The station debuted on October 26, 1992, but its success and popularity grew in 1994 with the introduction of "The Morning X," a morning show comprised of Steve Barnes, Leslie Fram and Jimmy Baron, aka Barnes, Leslie & Jimmy.

A sampling of my 99X memorabilia 

Ill-Fated Mason Tavern Finally Closes Near Emory University

Mason Tavern, which opened in a seemingly cursed restaurant space on Clairmont Road near North Decatur Road in 2015, has closed.  The closure, which was first reported by Decaturish, reportedly happened quietly earlier this week. The restaurant's website and facebook have both been deleted, and its phone has been disconnected. 

[UPDATE] Chase Looks to Cash in on Perimeter Property

A number of readers reached out with questions about the upcoming development at 4453 Ashford Dunwoody Road across from Perimeter Mall in Dunwoody.  The property, most recently home to the DeKalb County North police precinct, has been vacant since the precinct closed in the fall of 2013.  

The new Chase will likely look like this 

Wendy's Franchisee Bringing "Smart" Look to Atlanta

One of the largest Wendy's franchisees has plans to renovate, replace or relocate a number of their Wendy's restaurants nationwide in the coming years, including a few in metro Atlanta. Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Meritage Hospitality Group has been in the Wendy’s franchise system for nearly 40 years and operates over 175 units in eight states. 

When completed next month the new Wendy's in Smyrna will look like this 

Bonus Bits & Bites

Whole Foods Market confirmed earlier this week that they plan to close their millennial-focused Whole Foods 365 store in Bellevue, Washington.  The store, the third of the new concept stores, opened in late 2016 and was soon followed by others across the country.  The Bellevue store is expected to close tomorrow, Saturday October 14, but it has already been removed from the 365 website.  Amazon, which officially closed on its nearly $14 billion purchase of Whole Foods in late August, is reportedly "not a fan" of the 365 concept.   The decision to close the Bellevue store was reportedly made prior to Amazon's purchase of the grocer. “The decision was made by company leadership prior to the Amazon merger after careful evaluation of both store performance and the site challenges that exist for successfully operating a grocery store,” Whole Foods Global PR Director Robin Kelly said in a statement.  Kelly added that the Bellevue store closing doesn’t indicate that Whole Foods is backing away from the 365 concept.  “We remain committed to the 365 format, and will continue to sign new leases and open stores in a variety of markets."   Following the Bellevue closure, there will be five 365 stores open with another 18 in the pipeline including two in Georgia in Decatur and Buckhead.  

[UPDATE] Sources Say Bojangles' Chamblee Finally On Track

Over two and a half years after ToNeTo Atlanta first announced their plans, Charlotte, North Carolina-based Bojangles' is finally about to start construction on a location on Buford Highway in Chamblee, according to sources close to the development.  The new, approximately 3,400 square foot freestanding restaurant would be built in an outparcel of Crossroads Village shopping center on Buford Highway near its intersection with Clairmont Road. A Maaco collision repair facility previously occupied the parcel in question, but was demolished years ago.  

The new Bojangles' would be constructed in the abandoned lot below the billboard 

S&W Seafood Drops Anchor in Johns Creek

A restaurant that traces its local history back to 1934 is returning to metro Atlanta after a nearly 30 year absence.  S&W Seafood, which started as a raw market in downtown's Municipal Market, today known as the Sweet Auburn Curb Market, is planning to "soft open" next Monday October 16 in Johns Creek. 

Bits & Bites

Taste of Atlanta will celebrate its 16th year, this time in a new home: Historic Fourth Ward Park.  The popular restaurant festival will include "tastes" from many established Atlanta area restaurants, as well as a number of new or upcoming restaurants such as Bulla, CO, Donetto, Golden Eagle, Hawkers, Hattie B's Hot Chicken, Muchacho, Ponko Chicken, Todd English Tavern, Wade's and more! General admission tickets are $25 and can be purchased here. 

Bits & Bites

The new Mercedes-Benz showroom and retail shop is now open at Lenox Square in Buckhead.  ToNeTo Atlanta reported exclusively on the automaker's planned opening at the popular Buckhead mall last month, and the store quietly opened earlier this week. The Mercedes-Benz showroom is located near the front of the mall, close to Panera Bread. 

Patel Brothers Planning Suwanee Store

Patel Brothers, an Indian oriented grocery store and market, plans to open a second Atlanta area location next year.  The new store, which will be located in the Johns Creek/Suwanee area of Forsyth County, would be built on currently vacant land near the intersection of Peachtree Parkway and Caliber Street.  Forsyth County planning and development documents indicate the parcel on which the store is planned is nearly 11.5 acres.

Vacant Buford Highway Corner Could Receive New RaceTrac

Atlanta-based RaceTrac recently submitted plans to the City of Chamblee for the construction of a new fuel center and convenience store on Chamblee Tucker Road at Buford Highway.  The new RaceTrac would be built at 2443 Chamblee Tucker Road in place of what was many years ago a portion of the Kelley Toyota dealership.  More recently, there were plans to turn the parcel into Viet Town Center, an Asian oriented business, that never materialized.  Currently, the site sits vacant.  

Most new RaceTrac locations look like the above store 

Starbucks Scores Space in New Buckhead Skyscraper

Seattle based Starbucks apparently thinks Buckhead could use yet another of its eponymous coffee shops. On the heels of last week's news that Starbucks plans to open a drive-thru only (DTO) location on Northside Parkway in Buckhead comes news that they will also open a new shop on the ground floor of the new 30-story Three Alliance Center (3AC), also in Buckhead.