[RETRO REWIND] Pac-Man Zone Coming to Cobb County Mall

A familiar brand is opening an exciting new concept at Town Center at Cobb in Kennesaw. Pac-Man Zone, owned and operated by Namco USA, will later this spring make its metro Atlanta debut at the Simon owned mall.  Located in a 4,800 square-foot space on the upper level next to Sears, Pac-Man Zone is an arcade built to accommodate over 50 engaging games for people of all ages. "The creators of the legendary video game character Pac-Man have designed a place that provides entertainment and encourages everyone to play together again."  

[OPENING ALERT] Sarah Donuts Plans March Debut in Roswell

Sarah Donuts will soon open their seventh locationon Holcomb Bridge Road in Roswell. The new shop, which ToNeTo Atlanta first reported on August 2018, will open between Pizza Hut and Jersey Mike's Subs in Roswell Village shopping center.  The new Sarah Donuts will be 805 square feet and is the latest in a string of new tenants that have joined the center.

[CLOSURE ALERT] O'Charley's Shutters Restaurants in Lawrenceville and Snellville

O'Charley's Restaurant + Bar Sunday evening closed two locations in metro Atlanta.  The restaurants, both in freestanding buildings, were in Lawrenceville and Snellville.  The Lawrenceville restaurant was located at 830 Lawrenceville Suwanee Road, across from power center Lawrenceville Market.  The Snellville restaurant, located at 2049 Scenic Highway, was in an outparcel of the Kohl's and and Belk anchored Snellville Pavilion shopping center.  Records indicate that the approximately 6,200 square foot Lawrenceville restaurant opened in 1999, and that the 6,650 square foot Snellville restaurant opened in 1998.

[EXCLUSIVE] Intown Golf Club Shooting to Bring the Greens to the City

A new kind of social club plans to launch in Buckhead later this fall with ambitions to be a national business soon.  Intown Golf Club (IGC), which bills itself as "the private social club for avid golfers, thoughtfully crafted in the heart of your city," plans to open its first location at Two Buckhead Plaza, with plans for a Midtown Atlanta location later.  The project is being backed by serial entrepreneur and Atlanta Tech Village owner David Cummings and his Atlanta Ventures.

"The Porch" at Intown Golf Club 

[EXCLUSIVE] DEFY "Jumps" Into Georgia with Trampoline Park in Tucker

DEFY Extreme Air Sports, a new to market activity center, will make its Georgia debut later this year in Tucker, according to updated marketed materials for Northlake Village shopping center.  DEFY Tucker, located at 3200 Northlake Parkway, will open in place of the shuttered Sports Authority that once anchored the center behind Northlake Mall.  The approximately 42,500 square foot space was  previously planned to become an outpost of Aspire Fitness. Financial issues and an eventual bankruptcy filing prevented the fitness facility from ever opening.  

[EXCLUSIVE] Publix Planning New Store in Crowded East Cobb Market

After several years of rumors, we can now confirm that a new Publix Super Market is headed to East Cobb!  The new store, to be located at the corner of Roswell and Johnson Ferry Roads, will occupy an approximately 37,400 square foot space next to Dick's Sporting Goods in East Cobb Crossing shopping center, according to a recently updated siteplan.  Dick's opened in its roughly 50,400 square foot space in 2015.   Together, the two retailers occupy what was previously a Kmart store.

[CLOSURE ALERT] Zinburger to Shutter Dunwoody Restaurant

The Dunwoody location of upscale burger eatery Zinburger Wine & Burger Bar will close Sunday April 12, according to staff at the restaurant.  Zinburger Dunwoody, located in the Sterling Pointe development along Ashford Dunwoody Road not far from Perimeter Mall, opened September 18, 2018.  The freestanding 4,800 square foot restaurant was the second in Atlanta, joining the first outpost which opened in Buckhead at Lenox Square in 2014.  

[SOLD!] Suburban Smashburger to be Supplanted by Mexican Eatery

The Smashburger franchise on Medlock Bridge Road in Johns Creek has been sold.  The 2,800 square foot restaurant opened in 2011 and closed Thursday following its sale to new owners who plan to convert it to a Mexican eatery.  Local real estate brokerage The Shumacher Group, Inc. and broker Steve Josovitz represented the seller and guided all parties to a successful closing.   

[EXCLUSIVE] JOANN Jumps Ship to Open in Former Kennesaw Toy Store

Crafts and fabric retailer JOANN is on the move in Kennesaw.  Currently located in a 46,000 square foot space in Barrett Pavilion, the Hudson, Ohio based retailer plans to late this year relocate to the former Toys R Us in Town Center Station, adjacent to Town Center Plaza and across from Town Center at Cobb.  Permits were recently filed with Cobb County to begin renovations on the 53,000 square foot space where a minimum of $325,000 will be spent converting the space.    

Updated JOANN logo at recent store opening 

[ON THE MOVE] The Imperial Fez to Relocate from Buckhead to the 'Burbs

Longtime south Buckhead Moroccan restaurant The Imperial Fez will soon pack their bags for a trip OTP.  After three decades on Peachtree Road, the popular Moroccan eatery will relocate about twenty miles north to Berkeley Lake in Gwinnett County.  Owners Chef Rafih Benjelloun and his wife Chef Rita made the announcement via their Facebook page where they thanked patrons for 30 years in Buckhead.

[EXCLUSIVE] Male Strip Club to Replace Midtown Furniture Store

A new gay strip club is slated to open later this year in a former midtown furniture store.  "Johnsons" will open in the former Domestic Comfort Furniture store in Ansley Square along Piedmont Avenue near Ansley Mall.  Domestic Comfort closed last year after about a decade in business. 

Johnsons owner Matt Colunga 

[UPDATE] I Luv Pho Opening Two New Locations in Metro Atlanta

Locally owned Vietnamese restaurant I Luv Pho will open its fourth and fifth restaurants later this year.  The new outposts in Kennesaw and Roswell will both open in roughly 5,200 square foot spaces.  

[CLOSURE ALERT] Habitat for Humanity to Close Doraville ReStore

Habitat for Humanity Wednesday confirmed a rumor we'd heard earlier this month.  Due reportedly to disappointing sales, the Habitat for Humanity ReStore on DeKalb Industrial Parkway in Doraville will close permanently as of March 21.  The store, which opened in late 2015, had great visibility off of I-85 and seemed to be a popular destination for all kinds of donations.  

[EXCLUSIVE] Just Love Coffee Cafe to Make Atlanta Debut

A new coffee shop and cafe will later this year make its metro Atlanta debut. Just Love Coffee Cafe, a franchise of a Brentwood, Tennessee-based concept, is slated to occupy suite 10 in the street level retail of Arabelle Perimeter (fka Hanover Perimeter), a mid-rise luxury apartment community at the corner of Hammond Drive and Peachtree Dunwoody Road in Sandy Springs.  The roughly 2,000 square foot space is situated between recently opened eatery The Local Expedition and upcoming fitness facility AKT Fitness.

[NOW OPEN] The Local Expedition Debuts Second Location in Sandy Springs

The owners of The Local Expedition, a fusion European and Asian inspired fast casual eatery, quietly opened their new Sandy Springs restaurant Tuesday.  Originally announced this past June, the restaurant was slated to open this past fall, but was later pushed to January.  The restaurant is located in the street level retail of Arabelle Perimeter (fka Hanover Perimeter), a mid-rise luxury apartment community at the corner of Hammond Drive and Peachtree Dunwoody Road in Sandy Springs.

[CLOSURE ALERT] Bojangles' Shutters in Sandy Springs

The Bojangles' at 8550 Roswell Road in Sandy Springs has closed.  The restaurant, which opened in 2015, was a franchise of the Charlotte, North Carolina-based franchise.  The Sandy Springs restaurant was owned by Richard Vorisek restaurant management, a firm that also owned the Bojangles' at 3101 Canton Highway in Marietta.  

[UPDATE] Sears to Shutter Second to Last Store in Georgia

In its ongoing effort to remain a going concern, TransformCo, current owner of both Sears and Kmart, reportedly plans to close an additional 39 stores, including one Sears store in Georgia, according to a report by USA Today.  ToNeTo Atlanta confirmed the planned Georgia closure is at Augusta Mall in Augusta, with an associate at the store indicating that liquidation sales are slated to begin Tuesday, February 11 and run though April 12, or until all merchandise is sold. 

Photo courtesy of SkyCity2.blogspot.com 

[EXCLUSIVE] Goodwill Opening Third Sandy Springs Store, Shami Kitchen Returning

Goodwill of North Georgia has secured space for what will be its third thrift store in Sandy Springs.  The new store, slated to occupy about 30,000 square feet at Northridge shopping center, opens in place of about two thirds of the former Kroger store, according to permits filed with the City of Sandy Springs.  Kroger closed its Northridge store in late 2017 after about 35 years in operation.  Goodwill is currently hiring for their new store and should be open by spring, according to job postings and a source familiar with the company's plans. 

[CLOSED & OPENING] Chicken Salad Replacing Burgers in Suwanee

Cheeseburger Bobby's has closed its location at Johns Creek Town Center in Suwanee.  The 2,500 square foot restaurant closed within the past week, according to local sources.  By Wednesday, all signage had been removed and there was little evidence of what just days earlier had been a functioning restaurant.  The Suwanee closure is at least the third, following prior closures in Calhoun and in north Buckhead near Chastain Park.  

[CLOSURE ALERT] Wendy's Shutters Two Atlanta Area Restaurants

Wendy's quietly closed two restaurants in Cobb county.  The two restaurants, both freestanding, reportedly closed without prior notice within the past few weeks.  ToNeTo Atlanta has tried for more than a week to confirm the reason(s) for the closure and an exact date of the closures but a Wendy's representative would only confirm that both units are permanently closed.  Wendy's operates more than 6,700 locations worldwide.  

[BUMMER] Baby Burger Business BurgerIM a Bust in the 'Burbs

The Alpharetta location of baby burger restaurant BurgerIM has closed.  The restaurant, located at 5530 Windward Parkway in the Plaza at Windward shopping center, opened early last year in place of fellow burger joint Smashburger, and closed within the past few days, according to local sources.  The restaurant is still listed as open and operating on both the BurgerIM website and Google but the Alpharetta specific Facebook page for the burger eatery indicates the restaurant is "permanently closed."

[CLOSURE ALERT] Earth Fare to Close All Stores; Three in Georgia

Asheville, North Carolina based Earth Fare earlier today announced plans to close all of its stores.  The grocer, which first opened in 1975, today operates fifty stores throughout ten states.  Earth Fare has three locations in Georgia including those in Athens, Cumming and Martinez (Augusta).  Liquidation sales are expected to begin within the next seven days and  "will feature a truly outstanding assortment of merchandise at very significant price reductions", according to a company release.  

[EXCLUSIVE] Amazon 4-Star and Kate Hudson-backed Fabletics To Open in Perimeter Mall

Later this year, Perimeter Mall will see the opening of two first-to-market retailers.  Joining a roster that already includes a recently relocated and hugely expanded Zara store will be new locations of Fabletics and an Amazon "4-star" store.