[SMOKIN!] Signage Up For Ford's BBQ on Main Street in Tucker

The owners of Downtown Tucker's The Local No. 7 have now confirmed the location of their next venture.  Ford's BBQ, which made its debut at this past fall's Taste of Tucker, will open at 2331 Main Street, across the street from Local No. 7 at 2316 Main Street.   "Coming Soon" signage announcing the upcoming venture recently went up with sources indicating the hope is to have the restaurant open before the end of the year.

[UPDATE] Silvano Pizza Opening Where BBQ Joint Recently Bailed

A new pizza restaurant will open later this summer in place of a former Buckhead barbecue restaurant.  Marco Betti of Antica Posta has secured a lease on the small building at 25 Irby Avenue in Buckhead Village, to open "Silvano Pizza," a new restaurant named for his father.  Betti has signed what he says is a 15 year lease, and plans to be open in mid-to-late July.  

Work underway Monday afternoon at the former Buckhead BBQ 

[EXCLUSIVE] Flower Child Heading to the Westside

A new Atlanta area location of Flower Child is expected to open in the coming months on the Westside.  The new restaurant, the Phoenix, Arizona-based concept's third in metro Atlanta, is reportedly planned for the former J.Crew at 1170 Howell Mill Road in the Westside Provisions District.  The 3,200 square foot Westside J.Crew, along with four other metro locations of the troubled retailer, closed last January.

[ALERT] New R.L. Stine Based Movie to Film at North DeKalb Mall

The status of the planned redevelopment of North DeKalb Mall is still unclear, but there is renewed interest in the mall for a familiar alternative use.  As first reported by our friends at Decaturish, the mall is currently being used as a location for the new feature film Fear Street, a movie adaptation of the popular R.L. Stine book series by the same name.  R.L. Stine's other popular book series, Goosebumps, has already been brought to the big screen with Goosebumps and Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween, in 2015 and 2018 respectively, both of which were filmed in Georgia.

[CLOSURE ALERT] After More Than 35 Years, Burger King Cedes its Throne in Marietta

The Burger King restaurant at 2716 Sandy Plains Road in Marietta has closed.  The freestanding restaurant was located in front of the largely vacant Sprayberry Crossing shopping center and reportedly closed without warning last week.  The Marietta location is at least the second Burger King restaurant to close in metro Atlanta in just the past two months, the first being the closure of the Peachtree Corners restaurant on Holcomb Bridge Road in early March.

Photo courtesy of Angela Green Giles via Sprayberry Crossing Action

[NEW & NEXT] New Bowl Concept Bolay Could Be Headed to Georgia

A heath-oriented bowl concept currently exclusively in Florida could be headed to Georgia.  Bolay, which launched in South Florida in 2016, currently has ten locations open with more in the pipeline.  The growing restaurant chain was founded by Chris Gannon, who owns the concept with his father Tim Gannon, a co-founder of Outback Steakhouse.

[FRESH BAKED] Breadwinner Cafe to Rise at Former Wrights in Dunwoody

The owners of Breadwinner Cafe confirmed earlier today that "the rumors are true," and that they have reached an agreement to open in the former Wright Gourmet in Dunwoody.  Wright, a Dunwoody Village mainstay for 35 years, closed abruptly this past February.  The space is located in Shops of Dunwoody at 5482 Chamblee Duwnoody Road and will be larger than the original Breadwinner at 220 Sandy Springs Circle in Springs Landing.  

[CLOSURE ALERT] Ingles to Shutter Two Georgia Stores

Ingles confirmed earlier this week that it plans to close two Georgia stores by the end of the month.  The stores, both located in Lawrenceville,  are due to close permanently as of April 26.  One store is located at 1050 Grayson Highway and according to real estate resources, is 62,500 square feet and originally opened in 1986.  The other store, at 1154 Lawrenceville Highway, is about 78,000 square feet and opened in 2002, according to real estate resources.  The Lawrenceville Highway store featured a fuel center, unlike the Grayson Highway store.  The Grayson Highway store, however, is owned by Ingles, according to property records.  No immediate plans for the soon to be vacant stores have been made public.  

Typical Ingles store 

[UNCLE!] Uncle Maddio's Flops, Files For Bankruptcy

Uncle Maddio's Pizza last week filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.  The Atlanta-based quick serve pizza franchise, via a corporate entity called Integrity Brands, filed on April 13 for reorganization in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Atlanta.  The bankruptcy filing said the company has estimated assets less than $50,000, and liabilities between $1 million and $10 million.

[nǐ hǎo] Shanghai Street Food Readies Itself For Summer Debut in Roswell

A new restaurant called Shanghai Street Food & Bar is planning a June debut in Historic Downtown Roswell. The restaurant plans to bring "Chinese-inspired cuisine" to downtown Roswell with a focus on the colorful and eclectic street food scene of China’s largest city.  Shanghai will open at 108 Magnolia Street in place of Krespos Seafood House.  Krespos, a Portuguese eatery which opened in 2014, had been for sale and a transaction closed earlier Tuesday.  

[ALERT] Texas Convenience Store Operator Buc-ee's Planning Georgia "Invasion"

Convenience store operator Buc-ee's is looking to further expand beyond Texas following its January debut in Alabama and Georgia is in its sights!  Buc-ee's first opened in 1982 in Lake Jackson, a suburb of Houston, and while their original locations were typical of most other operators with a dozen or so fuel pumps and a basic looking convenience store of about 3,000 square feet, their next generation stores are anything but typical.

[PIZZA PIZZA!] Mellow Mushroom Moving into Former Muss & Turner's, Marking Return to East Cobb

A new Mellow Mushroom pizza restaurant is coming to East Cobb.  The Atlanta-based franchise chain will open in the roughly 5,200 square foot space most recently home to locally owned Muss & Turner's in Woodlawn Square shopping center.  The center, along Johnson Ferry Road, is anchored by The Fresh Market and is also home to Half Price Books, J. Christopher's and Hollywood Feed, among other tenants.  

[SMOKED] Buckhead BBQ in the Buckhead Village Has Closed

Buckhead BBQ in the Buckhead Village has closed.  The restaurant, located at 25 Irby Avenue, opened June 1, 2017, according to its Facebook page, and quietly closed within the past few days. Last week the restaurant updated its facebook page to reflect that they are a catering only business.  This tweak was the only "comment" from the restaurant which kept such irregular hours that it was difficult to know when they were open.  No notice regarding the restaurant's closure was made either on location or on its facebook page.  

[Retail Renewal] Perimeter Mall Attracts Huge Zara, New Restaurants, Hotel and More!

A number of changes are taking place in and around Perimeter Mall in Dunwoody.  Below, Tomorrow's News Today - Atlanta (ToNeTo Atlanta) looks at the history of the suburban mall, its beginnings, recent updates and its future.

[UPDATE] Permits Filed For Tom Ford at Phipps Plaza

Tom Ford has officially filed for permits with the City of Atlanta to begin buildout of its new store at Phipps Plaza in Buckhead.  ToNeTo Atlanta exclusively broke news of the retailer's planned opening at Phipps Plaza January 16.  The luxury fashion retailer is currently located in The Shops Buckhead Atlanta, but will close there to relocate to Phipps Plaza.  The Tom Ford store at The Shops Buckhead Atlanta opened in February 2016.  

The existing Tom Ford store at The Shops Buckhead Atlanta

Bits & Bites

Metro Atlanta's newest DSW is slated to open Thursday April 11 at Merchant's Walk in East Cobb.  The nearly 15,000 square foot store, which ToNeTo Atlanta first reported on this past October, will open in a portion of the downsized Office Depot in the Kohl's anchored shopping center.  The new store is the third in Cobb County for the off-price retailer joining existing locations in Cobb Place in Kennesaw and Cumberland Mall near Smyrna.

[UPDATE] Grand Opening Wednesday of 2 Chainz' New Members Only Lounge

Rapper and budding entrepreneur 2 Chainz, aka Tity Boi, (Tauheed Epps by birth), is putting the finishing touches on his second Atlanta area lounge.  This new lounge,"Members Only," will reportedly be just that: exclusively for members of the establishment.  Located at 139 Ralph McGill Boulevard, Member's Only is situated between Downtown Atlanta and Old Fourth Ward.

[EXCLUSIVE] Gio's Chicken Amalfitano to Open at The Battery Atlanta

Gio's Chicken Amalfitano will open its second Atlanta area location later this year.  The new restaurant, coming to The Battery Atlanta at SunTrust Park, will open in place of FEED, another chicken joint, which quietly closed at the end of 2018. Gio's owner Giovanni Di Palma has applied to Cobb County for a beer/wine/liquor pour license according to signage at the restaurant.

[MEATS!] Arby's Hopes to Return to Tucker

A new Arby's restaurant is being proposed in Tucker marking the the potential return of the roast beef chain to the area after an approximately decade long absence. The new restaurant, part of a four tenant proposal, would be built at the corner of Lynburn Drive and Lawrenceville Highway, bound by  Burns Drive (aka Railroad Avenue), across from Cofer Crossing shopping center.  The parcel in question is currently home to a pair of two-story homes which sit on a combined roughly two acres.  Debra A. Harden and B and A Ventures, LLC are listed in redevelopment documents as the property's current owners.

Proposed siteplan of redevelopment project 

[EXCLUSIVE] Duluth Trading Company to Open First Georgia Store in Kennesaw

Outdoor and workwear apparel retailer Duluth Trading Company is bringing its first metro Atlanta location to Kennesaw later this year.  The approximately 20,000 square foot store will open beside Aldi in Barrett Place shopping center, on Cobb Place Boulevard just off Barrett Parkway.  Aldi opened in the center at the end of 2017 and occupies about half of a onetime Sports Authority, but had leased the entire space.  The grocer had been marketing the remaining space for sublease.  

A freestanding Duluth Trading Company retail store  

Bits & Bites

Denmark-based BoConcept will close its short-lived Atlanta area store April 30.  The store, in the renovated 309 East Paces building, opened in January 2018 but never seemed to catch on.  The retailer sold furniture and related accessories and rugs.  The store is currently liquidating in-stock merchandise as it prepares to close.  Furniture is 40% off, accessories are 50% off and rugs are 60% off.

[CLOSURE ALERT] Marlow's Tavern Exits Emory Point

Just days after we reported the closure of Francesca's at Emory Point, local restaurant Marlow's Tavern has closed its location in the troubled mixed-use development.  The 2,995 square foot restaurant closed as of March 29.  A message posted to the restaurant's front door reads in part that the closure was to "focus on our future growth."  

[UPDATE] Developers Hope to Turn Former Friday's Plaza in Doraville into Apartments

Atlantic Realty Partners in partnership with Kaufman Capital Partners is planning to redevelop the shopping center in Doraville once known as Friday's Plaza.  The firms plan to demolish more than two thirds of the mostly vacant nearly 130,000 square foot shopping center and redevelop it as a multifamily project that planning documents recently filed with the City of Doraville suggest will bring at least 300 apartments to the property.  

[UPDATE] Redevelopment of Historic Goodwin Home Property Moving Forward in Brookhaven

"Brookhaven Medical Center II" has broken ground on Peachtree Road in Brookhaven.  The new  three story building, which has been in the works for a number of years,  is being constructed just north of Brookhaven Medical Center where Piedmont Physicians of Brookhaven and Walgreens opened in 2016.  The property was previously home to the historic Solomon Goodwin House, which dated from 1831, and a Subway restaurant. 

[UPDATE] Summer to Bring Seasons 52 Mall of Georgia Debut

Last June, ToNeTo Atlanta was first to reveal that Seasons 52 planned open a new restaurant at the Mall of Georgia.  We are now pleased to share that the restaurant plans to open Thursday, July 11 June 27.  The new Seasons 52 will open on a previously undeveloped out-parcel of mall anchor JCPenney. 

Mega Bits & Bites

Drybar Midtown opened its third location in metro Atlanta last week in Midtown.  The Irvine, California-based franchise salon has existing locations on West Paces Ferry Road adjacent to the St. Regis Hotel in Buckhead  and Avalon in Alpharetta.   The approximately 2,500 square foot Midtown outpost is located at 60 11th Street and officially opened Friday the 29th.  All three locations are owned by local franchise partners Chris Hadermann and Mike Evertsen of Southern Proper Hospitality Group (Tin Lizzy's, Gypsy Kitchen, The Big Ketch etc.) 

[UPDATE] After Just Seven Months, Dallas Biscuit Company Has Closed

Dallas Biscuit Company has quietly closed.  The breakfast eatery, located at 210 Merchants Drive in Dallas, was the reincarnation of Mountain Biscuits, originally located near Kennesaw Mountain. Restaurant operator Debbie Ingram opened the original Mountain Biscuit at 1718 Old 41 Highway at the foot of Kennesaw Mountain in 2009.  In 2016, with business booming, Ingram tripled the size of her then-modest restaurant to accommodate the increase in customers.

[UPDATE] Gwinnett Medical Clinic Checking In to Former Peachtree Corners Ippolito's

Gwinnett Medical plans to open a new clinic in the former Ippolito's Neighborhood Italian restaurant at 5277 Peachtree Parkway in Peachtree Corners.  The popular neighborhood restaurant closed as of Sunday March 16 after twelve years in business.  The restaurant was located in a roughly 5,400 square foot freestanding building just south of The Forum and the new Peachtree Corners Town Center.