[EXCLUSIVE] Vietnamese Eatery 285 Colonial Kitchen to Open at The Prado in Sandy Springs

Restaurateur Duc Tran plans to bring a new Vietnamese restaurant to Sandy Springs later this summer.  The new restaurant, 285 Colonial Kitchen, will open in place of the former Barberitos, a quick-serve Mexican chain that closed in the roughly 2,000 square foot space last fall.  The new restaurant is adjacent to Hand & Stone Massage Spa in the Life Time Fitness and Target anchored The Prado shopping center.

Bits & Bites

Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar will open the first of two planned Atlanta area restaurants August 7 at Peachtree Corners Town Center in Peachtree Corners.  The freestanding restaurant was built at the entrance of the new mixed-use development along Peachtree Parkway across from the Forum.  A second location will soon break ground on Ashford Dunwoody Road across from Perimeter Mall in Dunwoody.

[EXCLUSIVE] Round1 and Dick's to Headline Cumberland Mall Sears Replacements

ToNeTo Atlanta has learned that the former Sears at Cumberland Mall near Smyrna will be divided rather than demolished.  The former two-level department store will become home to at least three new tenants.  The spaces will range from about 16,000 square feet to about 75,000 square feet.  The roughly 190,000 square foot Sears store has been vacant since last fall when it and 45 others nationwide were closed amidst the retailer's continued financial struggles.

Bits & Bites

Abercrombie & Fitch is reviving their defunct lingerie brand Gilly Hicks.  The brand, previously marketed as Abercrombie's "cheeky cousin," was closely tied to faux beginnings in Sydney, Australia.  There were about two dozen stand-alone Gilly Hicks stores worldwide [none in Georgia] at the time of their closure in 2015.  This time around, the company is pairing Gilly Hicks with established and thriving sibling brand Hollister Co. and giving it a California theme to match its sibling store.  The company recently opened four pop-up shops at Tysons Corner Center in Tysons, Virginia; at Dolphin Mall in Miami; at Los Cerritos Center in Cerritos, California; and at Baybrook Mall in Friendswood, Texas. All are expected to be open for about 12 months, according to the company. These stores join two existing Gilly Hicks shops at Ala Moana Center in Honolulu and Roosevelt Field mall in East Garden City, New York.  An upcoming Hollister on the first floor of Perimeter Mall in Dunwoody advertises that it will have a Gilly Hicks store too, perhaps as a "shop in shop."  The new Perimeter Mall outpost is expected to open in the coming weeks.

[UPDATE] Del Taco to Replace Former Pollo Tropical in Tucker

Following months of rumors, signage now confirms that the former Pollo Tropical on LaVista Road in Tucker will reopen as a Del Taco Fresh Mexican Grill.  The Tucker Pollo Tropical was one of nine restaurants that parent company Fiesta Restaurant Group closed this past December amidst a complete retreat from the Atlanta market.  The Tucker restaurant, which opened in September 2016, is located in a freestanding outparcel of a Target store.  

[AHOY!] The Pirate's Boil to Open in September in Smyrna, Other Cajun Seafood Concepts Opening Too

Continuing the growing trend of Cajun seafood restaurants, a new eatery, The Pirate's Boil, plans to open in September at Cumberland Square North shopping center on Cobb Parkway in Smyrna.  The new restaurant will open in Cumberland Square North shopping center where it will be a junior anchor to primary anchor Goodwill.  Goodwill occupies the 25,600 square foot space previously home to Office Depot before it moved to the adjacent 8,640 square foot space in which The Pirate's Boil will soon open.

[EXCLUSIVE] Four Fat Cows to Supplant Steel City Pops in Madison Yards

Steel City Pops has abandoned plans to open in the new Madison Yards project in Reynoldstown.  The lease, which was to have been the Birmingham, Alabama-based popsicle company's second in metro Atlanta,  was terminated within the past few weeks, according to a source with knowledge of the project.  The first Steel City Pops in metro Atlanta opened in fall 2017 on Church Street in downtown Decatur.  When it opened, the plan was for the Decatur "Kitchen" store to supply product for several "satellite" locations elsewhere in metro Atlanta.

The recently opened Four Fat Cows in Dunwoody 

[UPDATE] Iron Age to Bring Korean Barbecue to "Famous" Space in Toco Hills

Korean barbecue restaurant Iron Age Steak House plans to open its fourth Atlanta area location in Toco Hills.  The new restaurant would open in place of what was most recently Famous Pub, where Hudson Grille was to open but later abandoned their plans.  The 4,900 square foot space is adjacent to the alleyway that separates Toco Hills shopping center from Toco Hills Promenade.  

[EXCLUSIVE] Men's Clothing Retailer Psycho Bunny Secures Space at Lenox Square

Contemporary clothing line Psycho Bunny is preparing to enter the Atlanta market with a new store at Lenox Square, according to permits recently filed with the City of Atlanta.  The roughly 1,500 square foot store would open adjacent to the upcoming Scotch & Soda store on the main mall level.  Established in New York in 2005, Psycho Bunny's offerings include clothing and accessories for men and boys as well as golf apparel. 

[PRIME TIME] Succulent Hospitality to Open PRIME 120 in Downtown Woodstock This Fall

Residents of Woodstock will get their wish this fall when PRIME 120 opens in downtown Woodstock. The new steakhouse will open at 120 Chambers Street where it replaces Fire Stone Wood Fired Pizza & Grill which closed in June after about eight years in business.  PRIME 120 is being opened by Jason Sheetz and William Sigley of Succulent Hospitality.  

Terry Morris, Cheri Morris, William Sigley and Jason Sheetz

[CLOSURE ALERT] Moe's Original Bar B Que Toast in Roswell

Moe's Original Bar B Que has closed its franchised restaurant in Roswell.  The restaurant, at 12020 Etris Road, opened in August 2016 and reportedly closed within the past week.  There was apparently no advance warning to patrons about the closure, only a sign once the restaurant closed thanking the community.  

Bits & Bites

A second former Huddle House restaurant will soon get new life as a different concept.  On the heels of the One Eyed Mule opening in the former Huddle House at 430 South Marietta Parkway, JimPa's Catsfish & Chicken  will be moving to the former Huddle House at 2420 Cobb Parkway at its intersection with McCollum Parkway in Kennesaw.  JimPa's was previously located at 3140 Cobb Parkway but closed in early May when they indicated they were moving to a "bigger and better space."   The original restaurant had been open eight years, and according to their Facebook page, had received a perfect 100 on their health score every year.  In addition to the restaurant, its owners operate a popular catering business.

[EXCLUSIVE] Four Fat Cows Opening Ice Cream Shop in Buckhead, More Locations Coming

Locally owned Four Fat Cows, a gourmet ice cream shop, is going for five with their upcoming debut in Buckhead.  The new Buckhead location will open on Pharr Road, adjacent to both Barking Hound Village and Karma Farm.  The ice cream shop will be located at 30 Pharr Road, which until earlier this year was home to Karma Daisy, a sibling restaurant of Karma Farm.  The Cookie Studio and Fuoco di Napoli, a pizzeria, both operated from 30 Pharr Road in the past. 

[INCOMING!] Roll On In Bringing Sushi Burritos to East Cobb

A new quick-serve franchise specializing in sushi burritos is planning its Georgia debut.  Roll On In Sushi Burritos and Bowls will open the first of at least three planned locations later this fall in East Cobb.  The new eatery will be located Woodlawn Point, a Publix anchored shopping center at 1100 Johnson Ferry Road.  Roll On In will open in suite 100, a 1,050 square foot space adjacent to La Vida Massage.

Bits & Bites

Charming Charlie announced late Thursday that it plans to close all 261 of its stores after its second Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in the past two years.  Entrepreneur  Charlie Chanaratsopon started the women's fashion and accessories business in 2004.  The Houston, Texas-based retailer operates eleven stores in Georgia including outposts at Cumberland Mall near Smyrna, Ashley Park in Newnan, Mall of Georgia in Buford, The Forum on Peachtree Parkway in Peachtree Corners, The Shoppes at River Crossing in Macon, The Avenue Webb Gin in Snellville, The Avenue Forsyth in Cumming, Arbor Place Mall in Douglasville, Oglethorpe Mall in Savannah, Augusta Mall in Augusta and Woodstock Square in Woodstock.  The Charming Charlie at Cumberland Mall was used in the filing of the hit 2018 comedy A Bad Moms Christmas.   Charming Charlie does not plan to offer severance to its employees, but seeks court approval to offer a one-time bonus to help close its locations. "The Store Bonuses are purposed to mitigate flight risk by incentivizing and rewarding store employees for staying with the Debtors through the Store Closing process," the company said in its filing.

[UPDATE] Kefi Targeting Summer Debut in Atlanta, Three More In The Works

Things are starting to take shape at the new concept Kefi, coming soon to the former hhgregg at Buckhead Triangle in Buckhead.  The new business, developed by Red Wagon Ventures, an affiliate of Chick-fil-A, plans to marry co-working and coffee with kids and toys to create a business unlike any other, a "family hangout," as they call it. 

[CHOPPED] Waffle House Slices Decades-Old Doraville Location

Waffle House has closed its location at 5467 Buford Highway in Doraville.  The restaurant, which a company representative confirmed opened August 16, 1984, closed as of July 1.  No explanation was given for the closure but its location in a shared space with another business and across I-285 from another, newer Waffle House which opened in 2008, were likely contributing factors in the decision to close the nearly 35 year old location.

Bits & Bites

Duluth Trading Co. this past Friday opened its first ever Atlanta area store in Kennesaw.  The new store, which ToNeTo Atlanta first reported was opening this past April, is the chain's 55th location in the nation, and is located at 860 Cobb Place Boulevard, just off Barrett Parkway.

[EXCLUSIVE] Turkish Furniture Store Lazzoni to Open New Showroom in Buckhead

A Turkish furniture store plans to open just its fourth U.S. store next year in Atlanta.  The new Lazzoni showroom, to be located at 3178 Peachtree Road, will open in place of the former Huff Furniture, which closed last year after 61 years in business.  The Huff building was demolished to allow a completely new building to be constructed.

[UPDATE] Tin Can Now Closed in TOWN Brookhaven

Tin Can Oyster Bar closed as of Sunday according to signage at the TOWN Brookhaven restaurant.  The eatery, which opened in 2016 in place of Shucks Oyster & Wine Bar, was part of Teela Restaurant Group.  The group also included Filo's at Chastain Square in north Buckhead as well as Teela Taqueria and Tin Can Fish House & Oyster Bar in Sandy Springs, all of which have now closed.  Tin Can Brookhaven was located in a nearly 1,300 square foot space. 

[EXCLUSIVE] Joella's Hot Chicken Takes Over Where Pollo Tropical Chickened Out

A new-to-market restaurant has secured the sites of several former Atlanta area Pollo Tropical restaurants to help launch the brand locally.  Joella's Hot Chicken, based in Louisville, Kentucky, is a fast casual purveyor of [Nashville] Hot Chicken.  The growing chain's first location opened in St. Matthews, a suburb of Louisville, in 2015.  Today, there are eight Joella's in Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio, as well as a roaming food truck.  Joella’s Hot Chicken "was named in honor of two legendary employees of a bygone era, Joe and Miss Ella."

[CLOSED] Dunwoody Wing Factory Clipped

Wing Factory announced today via their Facebook page that their Dunwoody location has closed.  The restaurant, at 5500 Chamblee Dunwoody Road, was within the Shops of Dunwoody shopping center.  The announcement indicated that the Dunwoody location opened in 2014.