Monday, January 6, 2020

[ROASTED!] Revelator Coffee Pulls the Plug in Peachtree Corners After Just Six Months

Revelator Coffee quietly exits Peachtree Corners.  ToNeTo Atlanta has confirmed that Revelator Coffee has permanently closed its short-lived coffee shop at Peachtree Corners Town Center in Peachtree Corners.  The roughly 1,300 square foot shop at 5160 Town Center Boulevard opened in early July and closed shortly before Christmas.  The coffee shop posted no sign in advance of (or after) the closure and lists no number for Peachtree Corners, or any location, which delayed our ability to confirm the closure.  

Born in Birmingham, Alabama, but now based in Atlanta, Revelator operates four locations in metro Atlanta under its name, and a fifth under Octane Coffee, the Atlanta shop it purchased in 2017.  Two of the four Revelator shops - those in Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza - are operated in partnership with local ice cream purveyor Queen of Cream.

Hazel Jane’s, a coffee and wine bar backed by Revelator, opened in October at the Edge apartment complex along the Eastside BeltLine trail.

Revelator revealed last spring that it would not renew their lease at 1280 Peachtree Street at the Woodruff Arts Center and that it would close as of  May 31.  Revelator made a similar move when they did not renew at the Jane development in Grant Park, closing that shop as of December 31, 2019.  

The company also last fall shuttered its shop at Buckhead's Atlanta Tech Village where Kula Coffee Co. subsequently opened in its place.  

Wired Puppy, another formerly independent coffee shop that Revelator acquired in 2017, shuttered one of its two Boston area locations this past June.  The Back Bay location had been in business about ten years and reportedly closed without advance warning.  

In 2018, Revelator closed its coffee shop at the Cottonwood Westside Apartment community at the corner of 14th Street and Howell Mill Road in West Midtown and also their cafe concept, The Mourning Dove, at The Shops Buckhead Atlanta in Buckhead.  A pair of Revelator shops within Whole Foods stores in Chamblee and Kennesaw were replaced in 2018 with Allegro, a coffee brand the grocer owns.   

In addition to the Atlanta and Boston shops, Revelator operates outposts in Alabama (3), California (1), Louisiana (1) and Tennessee (2).  

Multiple real estate sources tell ToNeTo Atlanta that Revelator may be undercapitalized for its size and see other reductions in store count as "likely" in the coming year. 

When contacted for comment on the Peachtree Corners closure, Revelator President Josh Owen said, "It didn't make money, so we closed it. It's as simple as that."  

Are you surprised to see Revelator struggling?  Do you think Revelator expanded too far too fast?  What is your favorite Atlanta area coffee shop?

Please share your thoughts below.  

11 comments:

Matt Dermody said...

I believe the issue with Revelator is that they are trying to target the speciality coffee market, but without the specialty coffee market ethos. I think most specialty coffee enthusiasts in the Atlanta area would rather go to shop featuring Counter Culture, which despite being a larger scale roaster, has still grown organically and has earned the respect of the community. Revelator also doesn't feel like a local roaster whereas most successful roasters at least had local roots in a particular community before expanding. I'd say that Revelator also feels like an imposter 3rd wave shop. Its like they're still a 2nd wave environment but they've put on a facade with edgy interiors complete with pastels and topo chicos. Speciality coffee enthusiasts see right through it whereas your average Charbucks or 2nd wave consumer probably feels out of place as well. They're like 2.5th wave coffee so no one really feels at home.

Anonymous said...

I wonder if they did any marketing at all? I've never heard of it even though I drive by there frequently.

Anonymous said...

Darn, what is going on lately? Looking at this blog over the past few weeks, it's closure after closure after closure. Sad and depressing. One wonders if this is a regular seasonal occurrence with the New Year or if it's just a coincidence or (hopefully not) a new trend. The economy is still chugging along strong (so far). Strange to say the least...

J said...

Peachtree Corners Town Center seems kind of overbuilt, inconvenient parking, not a lot of great must sees that feed off of each other.

Howard said...

The Town Center seems like a mess to me. There's limited parking and the spots they do have are restricted for restaurant patrons. I've been to Beard Papa's (which was fine), Farm Burger, and Zoe's in there. There's a few others I want to try, but since I don't live around there, I get frustrated with the parking and go to Zoe's or across the way to the Forum (who's parking is slightly better and at least not restricted). If you wanted the town center/walk-ability look, you should have built like Avalon or Atlantic Station. Don't tease us with so few spaces.
I'm not the biggest Farm Burger fan, but I love sitting on their patio and enjoying the green space in their backyard. I think that's a hidden gem there.

Anonymous said...

I live nearby and stopped in once when they first opened. I am an espresso drinker and wasn't a fan of theirs. Also, the chairs were extremely uncomfortable and there wasn't much of a selection of pastries or food items. Would love to see a locally owned coffee shop move in, but I am sure the rent is high in that location.

Anonymous said...

One would think they would have had to sign at least a 3 to 5 year lease. I don't understand how they just can up and close after a few months without the landlord coming after them for the remaining balance of rent in their lease.

Anonymous said...

They thought they could move in, buy Octane and rebrand all but one of the stores and instill goodwill. Good riddance.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous @3:26. They can do this because there is nothing for the landlord to come after. The entity is going to be worthless and even if they have a personal guarantee, you can sue and get a judgment against the individual, but collecting is awfully difficult and not worth the time, effort and attorney's fees.

RC blogs said...

The store seemed to sit at 99% complete for months before they finally opened and missed the complex wide public grand opening. To overpriced for what they offered.

Anonymous said...

I tried to go there a few times. When I couldn't find parking anyplace except the deck across the street, I gave up and never tried again. Too far to walk for a cup of coffee of a quality I can find a dozen other places in the area.

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