[UPDATE] Pottery Barn Warehouse Sale Near Southlake Liquidating

The Pottery Barn "warehouse sale" outlet store that quietly opened in Morrow at Southlake Festival near Southlake Mall last July will be closing.  The store, which primarily features Pottery Barn and pottery barn kids merchandise, along with occasional Williams-Sonoma and West Elm products, occupies a former Best Buy store in the largely vacant center, so its's hard to imagine the rent being much of a factor in the decision to close.  

[BOOM!] Excitement is Brewing in Tucker With Two New Businesses Opening Soon

The city of Tucker will soon welcome a pair of exciting new businesses.

Infinite Realities: Comics, Games & More will open at 5007 LaVista Road across from Tucker High School.  The roughly 2,600 square foot space was previously an auto repair business but has been vacant for nearly a decade.  Chris Brennaman is partnering with Brandon Mealor and a third, as yet unidentified, but "AMAZING," partner to bring what Brennaman referred to as a "lifelong passion" to life.  Plans call for the new shop, which has been "in the works" for months, to open in December, hopefully in time for holiday shopping.  Brennaman, a new-ish Tucker resident, "fell in the love with the community," and looks forward to being an even bigger part of it. 

Bits & Bites

The "EZ One Price $1.99 Dry Cleaners" that became the EZ One Price $2.29 Dry Cleaners" has now become the even less enticing $2.59 "EZ One Price Dry Cleaners" ... for now.  You must also pay with cash to receive the advertised price.  The first location opened on Roswell Road in Buckhead in 2013, with additional locations added on Roswell Road in Sandy Springs and on Cheshire Bridge Road in Atlanta.  

[EXCLUSIVE] Brack's Kitchen to Take Root in Chastain Park This Winter

Restaurateur Braxton "Brack" Rowe is planning to launch his own concept, Brack's Kitchen, near Chastain Park in December.  The restaurant, which Rowe describes as healthy fast casual, will be located in a 2,573 square foot space in Buckhead Court shopping center, where Ford Fry's Superica, home store Huff Harrington, and juice joint dtox, among others, are currently located.

[EXCLUSIVE] Sarah Donuts to Fill Hole in Roswell Restaurant Row

Sarah Donuts will open their seventh overall location next year in Roswell on Holcomb Bridge Road. The new shop will open between Pizza Hut and Jersey Mike's Subs in Roswell Village shopping center.  The new Sarah Donuts will be 805 square feet and is the latest in a string of new tenants that have signed on for the center which is currently undergoing a significant renovation. 

The Sarah Donuts on McGinnis Ferry Road in Suwanee 

[UPDATE] Fork in the Road Moving Down the Road

Tucker area restaurant Fork in the Road plans to close in its current location at the front of Northlake Mall and relocate later this fall to the former Wendy's at 3892 LaVista Road near Popeyes and the upcoming Ace Hardware.  Locally owned Fork in the Road opened at Northlake Mall in late 2012 at a time when the mall was still owned and managed by mall juggernaut Simon Property Group.  As of early 2016, the mall is owned by a Texas-based real estate firm called ATR Corinth Partners, who, as ToNeTo Atlanta has reported previously, sees "tremendous potential" in the mall and is reportedly close to finalizing their redevelopment/renovation plans for the site. 

[UPDATE] Sears Announced 46 More Store Closures, Including Cumberland Mall

Struggling retailer Sears Holdings announced plans late Wednesday to close an additional 46 "unprofitable stores" across the country, as it works to remain a going concern in a retail world far different than when it made its debut about 130 years ago.   The stores will close "as part of our ongoing efforts to streamline Sears Holdings’ operations, strengthen our capital position and focus on our best stores," according to a statement released by the company.  Sears Holdings, which includes the Sears and Kmart stores, has already, or is in the process of closing about about two hundred stores this year, and the latest round, like others before it, includes a number of stores in Georgia.

[UPDATE] Virginia-Highland Favorite American Roadhouse to Close Sunday, Mediterranean Eatery Truva Replacing it

American Roadhouse, a Virginia-Highland landmark since 1989, confirmed Monday on their Facebook page that they will close this coming Sunday, August 26.  The popular breakfast and brunch eatery will reportedly reopen "soon" as Truva Turkish Kitchen, is an offshoot of the original Truva at the corner of Andrew Young International Boulevard and Peachtree Center Avenue in Downtown Atlanta. 

Bits & Bites

The owners of Mambo Italiano abruptly closed their restaurant in The Forum on Peachtree Parkway after dinner service this past Wednesday, August 15.  The restaurant, which first opened in 2004, replaced what was then Brooklyn Cafe, in the then roughly two year old development.  No reason was provided for the closure and local reports are that a number of would-be patrons, including at least one large group with a reservation on the books, were rather surprised to find the restaurant closed.  ToNeTo Atlanta reported August 3 that the owners of Mambo Italiano were opening a new location on Powers Ferry Road near Marietta, and while at the time it seemed like a second location, it will now be the only location. 

[UPDATE] Developer Makes an End Run to Avoid Neighbors & DeKalb Process Via Brookhaven Annexation

Brookhaven resident Jay Gipson of development firm The Gipson Company, has in recent weeks hatched a plan to have his proposed redevelopment site in unincorporated DeKalb County annexed into the City of Brookhaven.  If successful, Gipson would undoubtedly have a much easier time getting his redevelopment approved, given that Brookhaven has little to lose and everything to gain by allowing the project to move forward.  The redevelopment includes a total of nine parcels, totaling just under four acres, at the corner of Clairmont and Briarcliff Roads.  

80s Era Sandy Springs Townhomes on Johnson Ferry Road to be Redeveloped

Buckhead-based developer Mesa Capital Partners, LLC  has purchased an 80s era townhome complex in Sandy Springs with plans to redevelop it.   Johnson Ferry Park Townhomes, located on Johnson Ferry Road near Emory Saint Joseph's Hospital, is comprised of 44 units on eight acres.  Property records indicate the community was built in 1981.  

Revelator Eyes Expansion with Shops Planned in Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza

Revelator Coffee Company will soon open a pair of new locations in Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza in Buckhead offering a variety of coffees, teas and food. The coffee roaster and café will be located in an 1,800 square foot space in Lenox Square and a 1,724 square foot space in Phipps Plaza. 

[UPDATE] Sage Woodfire Tavern on Powers Ferry Road For Sale

Atlanta-based restaurant brokerage The Shumacher Group earlier this week listed the Sage Woodfire Tavern in Cobb county for sale.  The restaurant, at 3050 Windy Hill Road at Powers Ferry Road, opened last summer in a building that for many years operated as Houston's.  The freestanding restaurant, which measures about 7,800 square feet, is near both the Wildwood office park as well as SunTrust Park. 

[EXCLUSIVE] Yves Saint Laurent To Open Store at Phipps Plaza

Well-placed sources tell ToNeTo Atlanta that the upcoming expanded Gucci store at Phipps Plaza will actually be joined by fellow Kering brand Saint Laurent (YSL).  The new YSL store is expected to open adjacent to the new Gucci, in space Gucci itself currently occupies.

[EXCLUSIVE] Bvlgari Says "Basta!" to Lenox Square Boutique

Well-placed sources confirm to ToNeTo Atlanta that Italian luxury boutique Bvlgari will close its store at Lenox Square in Buckhead at the end of September.  The store, which measures 2,188 square feet, opened in 2008, so its closure would seem to come at the end of what may have been a ten year lease.  Located at the cusp of the "Luxury Wing," Bvlgari is currently located between Fendi and Ermenegildo Zegna.  

[EXCLUSIVE] Monarch Plaza Looks to Add Freestanding Restaurant Along Peachtree Road

A new restaurant space is being marketed for lease along Peachtree Road in the heart of Buckhead.  The site, which sits in front of Monarch Plaza and across from Lenox Square, was a few years ago landscaped and reconfigured to create a more modern, aesthetically pleasing entrance.  Now, a 9,000 square foot, multi-story restaurant is being proposed for the site.  Atlanta-based The Shopping Center Group earlier last week released renderings and a marketing brochure for the would-be restaurant.

Bits & Bites

Fendi plans to open their new, larger boutique at Lenox Square next Thursday August 16.  The store, which measures 2,735 square feet, replaces the brand's existing store across from Starbucks in the main portion of the mall.  ToNeTo Atlanta reported in July that French cosmetics line L'Occitane plans to open in a portion of the current Fendi store.   

The beautiful storefront that Fendi will soon vacate  

Spa Sydell Secures Sizable Space in Buckhead for Return to Where it All Started

Spa Sydell is returning to Buckhead for a third time.  The new spa is slated to open in the ground level retail of the new Modera Buckhead high-rise apartment building. The residential tower - currently under construction - is located at the corner of Pharr and Peachtree Roads adjacent to The Shops Buckhead Atlanta.  Spa Sydell will occupy Suite A, a 5,561 square foot space, according to marketing documents promoting the collective 25,000 square feet of retail space at the 22 story, 425 unit project.

Rather Quickly, PDQ is Returning to Augusta... in Walmart

Tampa-based PDQ is returning to Augusta after closing there late last year.  The new PDQ, considerably smaller than its earlier location and without a drive-thru, will open within an existing Walmart Supercenter at 260 Bobby Jones Expressway.  The previous PDQ, located in a newly constructed freestanding building at 2999 Washington Road, eventually opened in 2016 and closed this past December.  

2nd ATL Area Wahlburgers to Star in Old Planet Hollywood Space Downtown

The second Atlanta area Walburgers restaurant is planned for downtown Atlanta. The new burger eatery will open at 218 Peachtree Street.  ToNeTo Atlanta first heard talk of this likely second location last August around the time of the opening of the group's first Atlanta restaurant at The Battery Atlanta at SunTrust Park.  The plan then was for Wahlburgers to share a portion of the approximately 20,000 square foot multi-story structure with a second QuikTrip (QT) gasless convenience store. 

The 218 Peachtree site where Wahlburgers will open in 2019 

[UPDATE] Eat Fit Go...Gone

Eat Fit Go, which just last fall entered the Atlanta market with three locations, has closed two, and is in the process of closing the third.  The Nebraska-based concept, which sold the Atlanta market to franchise partner "EAT FIT GO GEORGIA KITCHEN, LLC," ran the Kennesaw area commissary that supplied the Atlanta locations and was intended to eventually supply as many as thirteen locations around Atlanta. 

[EXCLUSIVE] Total Wine and Nordstrom Rack Look to Score Space in Akers Mill Square

Akers Mill Square in Cobb County will soon welcome a host of new anchors according to multiple sources with knowledge of the property's leasing efforts.  The center, located along Cobb Parkway, was built in 1976 and most recently renovated in 2007.  Located near Cumberland Mall, Akers Mill has been hit hard by retail bankruptcies with current vacancies including the former Sports Authority, Toys R Us/Babies R Us and Golfsmith anchor spaces.

Bonus Bits & Bites

A new restaurant called Fresco Cantina Grille is opening in place of the former Barberitos in the Goodwill anchored center at the corner of Alpharetta Highway and Mansell Road in Roswell. Barberitos closed at the end of 2017.  

Entrepreneur Jim Whitlow Re-entering Retail With Deka Society

Native Atlantan, fitness enthusiast, retail guru and real estate agent Jim Whitlow, 50, is getting back into retail with the launch of his newest concept: deka society.  Whitlow, who for many years worked at Jeffrey in Phipps Plaza, and eventually opened his own shop deka, is returning to a familiar neighborhood for the launch of his new shop. 

Revised JLB West Paces Apartment Project Could Begin Construction in Early 2019

Dallas-based real estate firm JLB Partners Wednesday presented to the Buckhead Development Review Committee revised plans for its planned mixed-use project in the Buckhead Village.  JLB's new design replaces the primarily brick and glass architecture of the 13-story multifamily tower with beige masonry to better match the aesthetics of surrounding Buckhead Village projects such as the St. Regis Atlanta and 92 West Paces, an apartment community across the street.

[BANKRUPT] Brookstone Bails on Malls, Seeking Buyer For Other Businesses

Electronics and unique gift retailer Brookstone announced earlier today their intention to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy with plans to close all 101 remaining mall stores.  The retailer blamed the closures on "continued deterioration of traditional mall traffic."  The company said it will continue to operate its airport, e-commerce and wholesale businesses, but is actively looking for a buyer for them.  Brookstone operates 35 airport locations across the U.S., including five at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, according to its website. 

Bits & Bites

A new Planet Fitness Roswell is coming to East Cobb Station on Roswell Road, just off I-75 near The Big Chicken in Marietta.   The new fitness facility opens in place of longtime tenant Marietta Billiard Club Sports Bar & Grille.  Before Marietta Billiard Club, the space was home to Carriage House, a consignment furniture store.  East Cobb Station, formerly known as Town & Country Shopping Center, was purchased by Dallas-based Stream Realty Partners in late 2015.  The seller, Atlanta-based Mimms Enterprises, included the center as part of a larger portfolio acquisition that also included Moreland Shopping Center on Moreland Avenue in southwest Atlanta and Sandy Springs centers Marshalls Plaza (now "City Center Crossing") and North River Shopping Center, among others.  Stream has active or planned renovations for all of the centers that it purchased from Mimms.