Friday, July 20, 2018

[False Start] Former Famous Pub Will Not Reopen as Hudson Grille at Toco Hills

ToNeTo Atlanta was first to report last January that Atlanta based Hudson Grille planned to open its eighth overall location at Toco Hills.  The restaurant, which would have been approximately 9,000 square feet, was to replace Famous Pub which closed at the end of 2016 after 30 years in business.  At the time, Jeff Landau, CEO of Metrotainment Cafes which owns Hudson Grille, indicated that he planned to be open by the start of the 2017 NFL season in early September.  With the start of the 2018 NFL season now on the horizon, and no visible work having been completed, Landau now confirms they have scrapped their plans:
Famous Pub shortly after its December 2016 closure 

"Hudson Grille Toco Hills decided this location was not a fit, and we are not going to go through with the project"  

It's not yet known what led to their decision to abandon their plans at Toco Hills, but the ongoing sewer issues in DeKalb county have led to a number of restaurant delays.

Edens, which owns Toco Hills shopping center and Toco Hills Promenade, where Publix is located, does not yet show the Hudson Grille space as "available" on its website, but sources close to the project indicate that is it actively being marketed for lease. 

Duck Donuts, which is expected to open adjacent to Taziki's in the Publix side of Toco Hills, has also been delayed for many months, but franchisee Andre Walters has said he remains committed to opening.  Walter's first Atlanta area Duck Donuts opened this past fall in Tuxedo Festival in Buckhead, another Edens owned project. 

In recent months, a number of new restaurants have opened in Toco Hills including The Local Pizzaiolo, Spiller Park Coffee and Chopt, a gourmet salad joint.  Pao Pao Ramen & Ice Cream and Kale Me Crazy are expected to open in the coming months.  

Are you disappointed that Hudson Grille will not open at Toco Hills?  What new opening at Toco Hills have you enjoyed most or are most looking forward to?  

Please share your thoughts below  

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Apparently the owners decided that Toco Hill residents aren't partial to mediocre bar food with terrible service. Good call though, they saved themselves a lot of money by not opening there.

Anonymous said...

I'm not sure what belongs there, but I completely agree that Hudson Grille was not a good fit, and I think that is even more the case now. Have you been recently? I just don't get the "sports bar" vibe over there now.

Anonymous said...

Sports bar vibe wouldn't go well with the Steak N Shake Chipotle and Einstein crowd

Anonymous said...

I'm close to people who work with Metrotainment. According to them, the rebuild/remodel inside was much more then they expected. They would have had to do a total gut to the interior.

John Anderson said...

That back space would be great if they kept it as a concert venue/comedy club. I don't know what's wrong with the current set up. I felt like Famous under-utilized what they had.

Anonymous said...

The inside of the building had extensive water damage behind walls and sub flooring, mold, rotted pipes/plumbing and a host of other issues. Makes one wonder how the other place was able to stay open in such an unhealthy environment.

Anonymous said...

The new Toco Hills management wants an insane amount of rent for the space. That is the reason that Hudson backed out.

Disneypal said...

I'm a bit disappointed that it won't open there after all but I am glad to at least have an update. Each week, I go there and keep an eye to see if progress is being made but I know now not to keep checking. It is too bad. It would be nice to have a good sports bar in Toco Hills.

Anonymous said...

As a Penn State alumnus, our group watched football games in the Famous back room for years and was really looking forward to Hudson Grille taking over and renovating that space. We were working with them and watching games again in that location, So I am saddened to learn HG is giving up on that space.

Anonymous said...

I briefly worked at Famoue Pub and the news that Hudson Grille isn't going in does not surprise me at all! That space had been very neglected for years. Whoever decides to pay the insane rent they're asking will also have to pay to completely remodel the inside!

LaKeisha Jackson said...

Wouldn't have been the same without that old pervert who owned the place...Tony something...going around hitting on all the college girls.

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