Local Firm Woodstock Mattress Outlet in Kennesaw to Take Advantage of Mattress Firm Weakness

Acworth-based Woodstock Furniture & Mattress Outlet is planning its third standalone mattress outlet store.  With existing locations in Canton and Buckhead, which opened this past February, the company is returning to its OTP roots with a location in Kennesaw.  The Kennesaw outpost will open alongside a new Flying Biscuit Cafe in a newly constructed outparcel strip at Kennesaw Marketplace, the Whole Foods Market anchored center at the corner of Ernest Barrett and Cobb Parkways.  The store will occupy suite #420 at 1450 Ernest W Barrett Parkway.

[UPDATE] RaceTrac and Wendy's Proposal Withdrawn But Not Quite Out of Gas

Jay Gipson of The Gipson Company has withdrawn his SLUP requests for his controversial planned development at the corner of Clairmont and Briarcliff Roads in DeKalb County.  The development is not dead, but Gipson wisely withdrew the proposals ahead of what could have been a majority vote against his development by DeKalb County's Board of Commissioners.  By withdrawing his proposal, Gipson avoids what could have been a lengthy setback as a majority vote against the project would have meant he would have to wait two full years before resubmitting.   

Toll Brothers Proposing New "Student" Housing in Place of Nine Homes Near Emory

Horsham, Pennsylvania-based Toll Brothers Apartment Living, a subsidiary of the parent company that bills itself as “the nation’s leading builder of luxury homes,” is planning a second Atlanta area apartment community not far from its first.  The new development, slated for the corner of Clifton and Briarcliff Roads, would replace nine single family homes with a new multi-family, "student housing" apartment development.  

[UPDATE] Amazon Books No Longer Opening at Lenox Square

The amazon books store planned for Lenox Square is apparently no longer happening.  ToNeTo Atlanta reported this past November that the store, planned for the mall's main level, was to occupy a roughly 5,000 square foot space near Panera Bread, then occupied by a seasonal Mercedes-Benz store.  

[Sweet!] Culver's is Coming to Cumming!

Culver's, the Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin-based quick-serve burger restaurant which entered the Georgia market in 2016, plans to open one of its restaurants in Cumming, according to planning documents obtained by ToNeTo Atlanta.  The 4,330 square foot restaurant would be built on an approximately 1.6 acre parcel at 5512 Bethelview Road, near its intersection with Castleberry Road.  Culver's will join Regions Bank as outparcels of the newly opened 123,000+ square foot Kroger Marketplace store.  

[UPDATE] Fountain Oaks Kroger Finally Renovating, Shopping Center Too

Kroger is finally renovating their existing store at Fountain Oaks shopping center on Roswell Road in Sandy Springs.  In the works since 2014, the work will now be just a renovation, rather than also an increase in size of the approximately 60,000 square foot store, as was originally planned.

Bits & Bites

Mi Rancho Comida Hondurena #2 will celebrate its Grand Opening this coming Friday, June 29.  The new Mexican and Salvadorian restaurant, opening in a former McDonald's, is opening on Roswell Road in Marietta and joins the original location at 760 Sandtown Road SW, also in Marietta.

[ALERT] East Atlanta Village's Octopus Bar Closed Due to Upcoming Condo Project?

Octopus Bar had what it called "The Gran Finale" this past Saturday.  Details of exactly what that meant are unclear at this point, but there is reportedly a condo development planned nearby that may force the bar's closure.  So Ba, the Vietnamese restaurant with which Octopus Bar shares space, remains open, but its long term prospects are hazy.  Both restaurants are located at 560 Gresham Road in East Atlanta Village.  So Ba opened in late 2009, followed by Octopus Bar, a joint venture between Chefs Nhan Le and the late Angus Brown.

A now deleted post on the @8ARM Instagram page 

[EXCLUSIVE] Second Wildleaf Location to Sprout From Atlanta Plaza This Fall

Business partners David Morse and Chef Randy Lewis plan to open a satellite location of their popular salad concept Wildleaf in Buckhead's Atlanta Plaza later this fall.  The eatery, which will open in the renovated lobby of the Buckhead office building, will be about the same size of the original Wildleaf in Terminus 100 which opened last January.    

The original Wildleaf at Terminus 100 in Buckhead

[ALERT] Chick-fil-A to Close in Colony Square, Reopen in 2019

Chick-fil-A plans to close their restaurant at Colony Square in Midtown Saturday, June 23, with plans to reopen next year.  The restaurant, located in the street level portion of the mixed-use development, originally opened in 1981 and was one of the earliest Chick-fil-A restaurants in the now 2,000+ unit chain.  

Image courtesy of @Crazy4ChickFilA

[EXCLUSIVE] Del Taco Opening in Former Roswell Bank and Burger Spot

Del Taco, which yesterday added "Fresh Mexican Grill" to its branding, is planning a new location in Roswell.  The "new" restaurant will actually make use of an old bank branch that had more recently operated as The Counter, a "better burger" concept.  The Counter closed this past January after nearly ten years in business.  Del Taco intends to convert the building to their needs with plans to uncover the drive-thru lost in the conversion from banking to burgers.  

Parker Blanchard Plans Project for Prime Buckhead Parcel?

Parker Blanchard of Atlanta-based Blanchard Real Estate has acquired the Bank of America site at 340 Pharr Road in Buckhead.  The site, which measures only .43 acres, sits at the corner of Pharr Road and Grandview Avenue in the Buckhead Village.  The property has been eyed for years as a redevelopment opportunity and was offered for sale by the Atlanta-based JLL Land and Development Services Team.

Kung Fu To Bubble Up Next in Kennesaw

Kung Fu Tea is opening a new location in Kennesaw near Kennesaw State University.  The new shop will open in Town Center Market at 2505 Chastain Meadows Parkway, just off Ernest Barrett Parkway.  

Bits & Bites

Chopt plans to open their first Atlanta location Thursday, June 21 at Toco Hills shopping center.  The new 3,140 square foot restaurant opens in a portion of the former Petite Auberge restaurant beside Maggie's Neighborhood Bar & Grill.  Later this year, the company plans to open their second Atlanta area location in a former Regions Bank branch in Tuxedo Festival shopping center near Chastain Park in Buckhead.  

Biltong Bar Bound for Buckhead

Justin Anthony plans to bring his popular beef jerky and cocktail concept Biltong Bar to The Shops Buckhead Atlanta this fall.  The restaurant will open in place of American Food & Beverage which closed in early 2016 after about a year in business.  The closure was the first of four restaurant closures in the development.  The American Food & Beverage space has been vacant since its closure, save for a popup of the Miracle cocktail bar this past holiday season.  

[EXCLUSIVE] Mall of Georgia in Bloom: Seasons 52 Coming Soon

Darden Restaurants plans to bring their upscale concept Seasons 52 to Mall of Georgia in Buford next year.  The new restaurant will be built on vacant land along Buford Drive, on an outparcel of JCPenney.  The new location will be the chain's third in Georgia following locations on Peachtree Road in Buckhead and on an outparcel of Perimeter Mall in Dunwoody.

[EXPANSION ALERT] Nancy's Pizzeria Coming to Conyers

A new location of Nancy's Pizzeria is coming to Conyers.  The Chicago-style, deep-dish pizza restaurant, which will be at least the sixth in Georgia, will open in a former Mattress Firm in Conyers Plaza, a Walmart Supercenter-anchored shopping center on Dogwood Drive.  Floyd Sims, a multi-unit franchisee of McDonald's, and his "Legends  Property Management & Investments,LLC" are opening the new pizzeria. 

The latest iteration of the Nancy's logo

[EXCLUSIVE] Le Colonial to Open in The Shops Buckhead Atlanta in 2019

Upscale French Vietnamese restaurant Le Colonial plans to open in Atlanta soon.  Multiple sources confirm to ToNeTo Atlanta that Le Colonial plans to open in the former Dolce in The Shops Buckhead Atlanta in Buckhead.  Dolce, part of New York based LDV Hospitality, closed their second floor restaurant in the Buckhead development this past December after a little over two years in business.  

Le Colonial Chicago on N. Rush Street 

Bits & Bites

After a series of delays, Cousins Maine Lobster plans to make their Atlanta area brick & mortar debut at Lenox Square on Thursday, June 21.  A franchisee of the Shark Tank invested business already operates an Atlanta area food truck by the same name, but the outpost at Lenox Square provides a permanent, weather protected location for fans of the restaurant to enjoy authentic lobster rolls.  

Macy's Bringing Backstage Outlet Store to Buckhead's Lenox Square

Permits filed with the City of Atlanta indicate that Macy's plans to bring their Macy's backstage off-price concept to their existing full-line department store at Lenox Square in Buckhead.  The new store, to be situated on the lower level of the existing Macy's, will occupy space previously home to the store's spa, as well as other floor space.  

Piccadilly to Shutter in Howell Mill Square, Space Likely to be Divided

Piccadilly [Cafeteria] plans to close its longstanding location at Howell Mill Square June 30.  The restaurant, the second largest single tenant in the Kroger anchored center, will likely be split into two or perhaps three suites, when their space is released.  The closure, which was confirmed by two sources with knowledge of the situation, has been in the works for months. 

 

Iron Age Plans Cumming Debut

Korean barbecue restaurant Iron Age Steak House plans to open what will be its fourth Atlanta area location in Cumming in Forsyth County.  The new restaurant, planned for 872 Buford Highway, would open in place of what was most recently Silk Road Asian Kitchen and before that, Indigo Joe's.  The 8,000 square foot restaurant was built in 2003 as Buckhead Brewery & Grill, which closed in 2005. 

The Diner at North Point Has Closed

The Diner at North Point has closed.  The breakfast,lunch & dinner restaurant, located at 2355 Mansell Road near North Point Mall in Alpharetta had been in business 10 years.  A sign posted to the restaurant's front door confirms its closure but provides no explanation for it.

[Update] IKEA Marietta May Never Be Assembled

If you were excited by the news this past fall that Swedish furniture and home accessories retailer IKEA was opening a new store in Marietta, you may be in for some disappointing news.  In the past few days the retailer has confirmed that it has cancelled not just one, but three, previously announced new stores, two of which were in the southeast.  The Marietta store was to be in addition to the existing 366,000 square foot Atlanta area store in Atlantic Station which opened in 2005.  

[EXCLUSIVE] GreenWise to Anchor East Cobb Elementary Redevelopment

Following months of rumors, ToNeTo Atlanta can now confirm that Publix plans to bring their GreenWise Market to metro Atlanta next year.  The new store, slated for East Cobb, will anchor a new joint venture development between Marietta-based Brooks Chadwick Capital and Atlanta-based Fuqua Development near the intersection of Shallowford and Sandy Plains Roads.  The store will be about 25,000 square feet and could open as soon as next summer.  

An artists rendering of the GreenWise Market planned in Tallahassee,FL 

Bits & Bites

IHOP teased Tuesday that it is renaming itself IHOB, with an official explanation expected Monday, June 11.  International House Of "Breakfast" could reflect the restaurant's offering of not just pancakes, but a wider variety of breakfast options. 

John Cassimus of Zoës Kitchen Fame Liquidates Restaurant Holdings to Enter Liquidation Retail Business

John Cassimus, the restaurateur behind Zoës Kitchen, Maki Fresh, Miss Dots and Jinsei, is leaving the restaurant industry and going into the liquidation business according to a report by AL.com.  Cassimus, whose parents Marcus & Zoë started Zoës Kitchen in 1995 in Homewood, Alabama, is largely credited with growing the restaurant into the brand that it is today - publicly traded, with over 250 locations - although he has not been involved in any official capacity since his departure as CEO in late 2008.   

Bits & Bites

Atlanta's first location of Grand Lux Cafe is slated to open in August according to an announcement on the Phipps Plaza website.  The restaurant, located on the mall's second floor overlooking Peachtree Road, is the upscale sibling concept of Calabasas, California-based The Cheesecake Factory which operates a location at neighboring Lenox Square. 

[UPDATE] Taco Mac Silently Shutters CNN Center Outpost

Taco Mac quietly closed its restaurant at CNN Center in Downtown Atlanta after ten years in business.  The 10,000 square foot two story restaurant, which opened in May 2008, was located on Georgia Dome Drive, adjacent to Philips Arena and CNN Center and across the street from the Georgia World Congress Center.  The restaurant closed on April 30, reportedly without warning.