Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Bits & Bites

Beloved chocolate and treat shop River Street Sweets will return to metro Atlanta with a location at The Battery Atlanta at SunTrust Park.  The new 1,500 square foot shop, expected to open later this fall, replaces Tomahawk Harley-Davidson, which closed in August at the mixed use development. The sweet shop will offer guests traditional favorites like its World Famous Pralines and a variety of chocolate treats including homemade fudge, candied nuts, bear claws and more.   Local Atlanta-area franchisees, Doug Hicks of Milton, Georgia and Jamie Wright, of East Cobb will operate the new shop.  Based in Savannah, River Street Sweets for nearly 20 years had a store on the second floor of Phipps Plaza in Buckhead, but it closed last March.

Waffle House plans to close its existing location at 1700 Howell Mill Road at its intersection with Defoor Avenue on the Westside.  The restaurant will be "completely gutted" and rebuilt to offer better efficiency and increased seating, although the size of the building will not change.  The Norcross-based company completed a similar project at the restaurant on Clairmont Road at I-85 in Brookhaven in 2015.

A new eyewear store called Frame Of Mind is opening their first store at Phipps Plaza near Starbucks  The store, which opens in place of what was recently Ministry of Supply, and before that Agent Provocateur,  is expected to open September 27.  The store is being opened by twin sisters Anna and Julie Reinberg, who also own GEM + ELLI.  "GEM+ELLI is an international brand born in Italy and based in the US." The name GEM+ELLI comes from the Italian word 'gemelli' meaning 'twins'.  The store will carry GEM + ELLI products as well as other hard to find and emerging European and domestic lines.

Wendy's Monday lowered its 2019 financial outlook amid plans to invest about $20 million to retrofit and support its U.S. stores and franchisees to serve breakfast, including hiring more employees.  Breakfast, seen by many fast food chains as a largely untapped and lucrative, yet highly competitive day-part, could help Wendy's attract new customers to the chain.  The company, which had previously tested breakfast at about 300 locations, will introduce it to the company's 5,813 restaurants next year.  The breakfast offerings will include AM versions of at least two current menu offerings.   The Breakfast Baconator with an egg, six strips of Applewood smoked bacon, one square breakfast sausage patty, two slices of American cheese and a Swiss cheese Hollandaise sauce and the "Frosty-ccino" which combines cold brew coffee with either a chocolate or vanilla Frosty.

Cremalosa, a new dessert shop from former AJC dining critic, Gelato Master & Pastry Chef Meridith Ford, will open later this fall in Decatur.  The new shop, serving handmade gelato, sorbetto, gelato pops & cakes, boozy milkshakes and more, will open at 2657 E. College Avenue in Decatur,  on the Plaza at Cortland's  Decatur East apartment community.   The menu will feature American flavors inspired by southern sweets, made according to age-old Italian technique.  In addition, Cremalosa’s Decatur shop will serve as a hub for the business’ wholesale operations with their gelato available to restaurants, grocers and more around Georgia.


The lone Atlanta area location of Dave’s Cosmic Subs is up for sale.  The Emory Village restaurant, located on North Decatur Road, opened in 2003 in a freestanding 800 square foot space.  The restaurant, just steps from Emory University, is a franchise of the Cleveland, Ohio-area based franchise which started in 1997.  The small restaurant offers seating for 26 and parking for 30, according to the sales listing from Steve Josovitz of The Shumacher Group.  The restaurant most recently had $500,000 of grass sales which after $2,600 per month and other expenses, allowed the part time owner to pull $50,000 in net profit.  Would-be buyers are invited to "Keep or Convert" to any​ concept.   If kept as Dave's, the new owner would be responsible for franchise transfer fee of $5,000 and royalties of 6%.   The business is priced at $110,000.


Lemont Bradley, owner of the popular car detailing venue and restaurant Auto Spa Bistro on 14th Street in Home Park, recently opened Eco Car Spa and Amazing Salads and Smoothies at 900 Northside Drive in West Midtown. Eco Car Spa offers waterless car washes that save both time and environmental resources, plus the opportunity for clients to enjoy health-conscious dining options such as salads, smoothies and Italian ices.  “Eco Car Spa and Amazing Salads and Smoothies is a one-stop destination for those in search of a quick and healthy pit stop,” says Bradley.  The waterless car wash method at Eco Car Spa uses biodegradable products that are less environmentally harmful than traditional car detergents and create a longer-lasting shine due to the wax finish. The car spa’s interior showcases a West Midtown-meets-SoHo vibe featuring vibrant local artwork from Micah Eubanks and Jacques Rozier, a lounge area with tables and booths that seat 20 people, and an outdoor seating area for guests who want to watch the car cleaning action.  While waiting for car services to be completed, guests can take advantage of menu options that include smoothies, juices, salads, soups, sandwiches, wraps and Italian ices. Hookah also is available at Eco Car Spa, offering guests an additional way to relax during the car detailing process.  In addition to Auto Spa Bistro and Eco Car Spa and Amazing Salads and Smoothies, Bradley will also reportedly still be opening his heavily delayed Clutch restaurant concept on Buford Highway in Brookhaven.

Kroger plans to open their new "BeltLine Kroger" October 16 at 725 Ponce de Leon Avenue.  The new 60,000 square foot store replaces the old "Murder Kroger" which was demolished in 2016 to make way for the new mixed-use project that also includes a 12 story office building. 

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I hope the new owners of Dave's Cosmic Subs keep it as is. Great sandwiches, good location, unique concept

Greenwave said...

Pro: River Street Sweets is back!!!
HUGE Con: It's at the Battery

Anonymous said...

There has been a River Street Sweets at the Mall of Georgia since 2002 that never closed. Opening at The Battery is not the concept "coming back to ATL".

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