Wright's Gourmet Sandwich Shoppe abruptly closed today after nearly 35 years in business. The family owned restaurant and catering business located in the Shops of Dunwoody at 5482 Chamblee Dunwoody Road announced their closure earlier today in a post on their official Facebook page. No reason was provided for the closure but sources familiar with the situation indicate that declining sales and increasing competition were factors contributing to the decision to close.
"Since 1984 it has been our family's honor and joy to share our food with so many great customers at The Wright Gourmet Shoppe. There are simply no words to describe what it has meant to us and how much we will always cherish the friendships that were born in this place. My favorite friendship that was born here at Wright's was my friendship with a beautiful blonde that came here looking for a job and got more than she bargained for, she said yes and four sons later I'm the luckiest guy in the world. Thank you, Allison. We can't thank the incredible people that we worked with through the years enough, fantastic memories! For me, the chance to work with my Mom and Dad was one of the greatest gifts of my life. The most valuable lessons I've ever learned were from them at home and in Wright's. I will miss this place, but the memories I'll take with me will be about the people....it's always the people! The relationships with customers, vendors, employees, family....we were and are truly blessed. So many of you "customers" are family and always will be. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all of these great years, we love and appreciate you all. God bless you and yours." The message was posted by Matt (Wright).
Matt Wright’s father, John Wright, opened the restaurant in 1984 on Jett Ferry Road before relocating it to the Shops of Dunwoody in 1988. For more than three decades, the restaurant was an institution in Dunwoody, offering classic sandwiches in an unpretentious and "family-like" atmosphere. Sadly though, Wright's is not the only, and likely not the last, longtime restaurant to close amidst rising costs and competition.
Old Hickory House, another Atlanta area mainstay, closed its Dunwoody outpost in 2014, like Wright's, after decades serving the community. The last remaining location of Old Hickory House is located on Northlake Parkway in Tucker. The Dunwoody Old Hickory House property is now home to a SunTrust Bank.
Brand Properties, the landlord at Shops of Dunwoody, is not yet marketing the Wright's space (and was apparently not advised in advance of the closure) but is likely to see interest in filling the approximately 3,400 square foot vacancy given the center's good location and high occupancy.
Porter BBQ & Brewery, a sibling eatery to the recently opened Porter Pizza & Brewery on Powers Ferry Road in Sandy Springs, is expected to open open in the former D'vine wine bar in the coming weeks and joins existing dining options such as Vintage Pizzeria, J. Christopher's and Dunwoody Tavern.
Tikka Factory, an Indian eatery opened in January in place of Simha, a multi-ethnic restaurant which itself replaced longstanding eatery Co'm Dunwoody. Strangely though, Tikka is already "closed for renovations," with plans to "reopen soon" according to signage on the restaurant's windows.
Will you miss Wright's Gourmet in Dunwoody? What is your favorite Dunwoody area restaurant? What would you like to see open in place of Wright's?
Please share your thoughts below
22 comments:
Oh, I wish we could have had notice and could have sent them out with applause and thanksgivings! I don't live in the area but dined there several times a year, making a special trip for a sammich and a slice of cake eaten on the covered patio. It's a sad day.
No doubt the Republican party holding their monthly meeting there and people like Karen Handel Michael awilliams and Josh McKoon trolling around there all last year drove people far away. Every other day was some campaign stop. Who could stomach the food people people like that
Oh my goodness! So sad to hear this. I loved stopping by, grabbing a sandwich and a slice of lemon cake, then sitting out on the patio to eat. I will miss that spot.
@Anonymous 8:04pm
I'm sure you have pinpointed the reason for closing.
Nice work.
Make it political? What a LOSER!
Once again, we have evidence that Atlanta does not have a culture of supporting small businesses. Atlantans flock in droves to the shiny chain restaurants and stores, bypassing mom and pop establishments along the way. Quite the opposite of Portland and Denver where local establishments are the preference. Long live Lenox, I suppose.
Definitely did not support a business that had a campaign rally for Josh McKoon. All of my neighbors stopped supporting them as well when the owners became so political
@ February 12, 2019 at 8:04 PM
Bless your heart!
@Anonymous 1:56.
If you and your neighbors only support restaurants whose owners have the same political views as you, then you have a serious problem.
It's like those wackos who won't eat Chick-fil-a because of differences in opinion on family values. They deserve to eat substandard chicken sandwiches.
When you go to the grocery store do you say "before I allow you to ring up my groceries, what are your views on stricter gun control laws?"
I see I wasn’t the only one to stop eating at Wright’s due to their support of the GOP. For those that want one last fix:
Here’s the scoop straight from Mr. and Mrs. Wright, Sr:
They will be open one last time on Valentine’s day beginning at 10 AM until everything is gone:
Cash only
Cakes
Turkey Salad
NO sandwiches
NO DRINKS
NO Sit-down (Tables are gone)
Prepare for long lines!
Left wing radicals have now infiltrated Dumbwoody .I guess if this place supported Hillary,Stacey and Alexander Ocasio-Cortez then it would be booming.
So if you didn't go to Wright's because "Republicans" were there, where instead did you go - Starbucks and Whole Foods?
Oh Hillary and Stacy you lost the election get over it! Always acting like your a superhero while drinking your Starbucks coffee and shopping on Amazon! You only support the local when the cameras on! Fake news! Fake hair! Bye Felicia!
oh my God they just lost their business in the Liberals are trying to make this about them! some nerve!
@Anon 2/13 @ 1PM - They were around for 35 years. Sometimes things change, whether it's people's tastes, how the business is run, etc. I've been to both Portland & Denver. Both are great cities. Both have locally owned establishments and both have chain establishments. Get off your high horse. Or take it to Denver or Portland! Long live Applebees! (I jest)
I never went to Wrights, but in today's day and age, I can understand not supporting an establishment that makes it clear that they're on the "other side". Personally, I keep my political beliefs out of my business dealings. If I owned a restaurant or retail establishment, I would be neutral. That seems like Business 101 to me.
Anonymous 8:04pm & 1:56PM are most likely the same commenter. SMH
I prefer not to eat at any place that smells like Josh McKoon and Terry Nall
I suspect multiple dumpster fires there is partly responsible.
This place has had terrible success this year. They had campaign stops for Josh McKoon, Karen Handel, Ken Wright, Michael Williams, Fran Millar and have now closed and all those people LOST! Dunwoody voted for Lucy McBath, Jon Ossoff, Sally Harrell, Mike Wilensky and Hillary Clinton. Demographics change but if you try to cling onto the past and even double down on it you will lose the support of your community. They may have had good cake but were terrible proprietors with business sense.
Good grief ... the same PAID liberal whack job keeps posting. Your tossed word salad is fooling no one. Why are you socialist moon bats such bitter mental cases?
Politics is not the reason Wright gourmet shoppe shut their doors. If they truly wanted to stay open they could have easily taken the political route and conservatives would flooded them with business.
Head to the Golden Corral trough if you want to worship Stacy Abrams and watch her eat.
Let us know when the shuttle lands goofball!They’re all sick—if Trump discovered the cure for cancer they’d hate him.
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