Friday, April 17, 2020

[CLOSURE ALERT] Boston Market Closes Restaurants in Duluth and Sandy Springs

Quick-serve restaurant Boston Market has closed its longstanding locations at 5903 Roswell Road in Sandy Springs and at 4215 Pleasant Hill Road in Duluth.  The Sandy Springs restaurant, located in a freestanding building a few blocks north of I-285, occupied an outparcel of what is currently a Lowe's and was previously a Kmart-anchored shopping center.  The Duluth restaurant was situated along Pleasant Hill Road, just off Peachtree Industrial Boulevard and across from the Kroger-anchored Peachtree Hill shopping center.     


The company has not sent its email club members notice of the restaurant closures (as it has for others in the past) and both display signage indicating their closures are only temporary, but each has been removed from the company's website. 

Built in 1994, Boston Market's Sandy Springs location is nearly 3,000 square feet and sits on nearly one acre, according to materials reviewed by ToNeTo Atlanta.  The Duluth location is roughly  3,500 square feet, was built in 1994, and also sits on nearly one acre.  Neither closure is believed to be in any way due to the current COVID-19 pandemic.

ToNeTo Atlanta has been tracking the Sandy Springs location since late last year when local real estate firm Retail Planning Corporation listed the parcel, indicating that it would be available as of "late 2020." 

Boston Market closed their Roswell location on Holcomb Bridge Road this past January and their East Cobb restaurant on Sandy Plains Road last January.  This past July, the company closed another 45 restaurants nationwide, with restaurant executives blaming the closures on "an evolving restaurant industry that faces increasing competition, rising costs and shifting consumer preferences."  The July closures included local restaurants on Redan Road in Stone Mountain and on Highway 29 in Lilburn.   At the time of the Roswell closure, the company's website indicated that they operated 376 restaurants, while today it says they operate just 309, a reduction of nearly 20 percent.   

Boston Market, originally Boston Chicken, began in Newton, Massachusetts in 1984, and was owned by McDonald's from 2000 until 2007.

Today, the chain is based in Golden, Colorado and is owned by Sun Capital Partners, a private equity firm.   


Following the closures, Boston Market has only a handful of Atlanta area locations, including those at Briarcliff and North Druid Hills Road not far from Toco Hills, Powers Ferry Road, in the same center as CVS, not far from Truist Park, and in Stone Mountain on Stone Mountain Highway.   There are also Boston Market restaurants at Fort Benning, Fort Gordon, and Fort Stewart. 

Of the recently shuttered Atlanta area Boston Markets, the only one to have reopened as something new is the East Cobb restaurant which reopened this past July as a Chipotle Mexican Grill.  The building gave Chipotle a drive-thru lane where it would introduce to the local area its "Chipotlane," whereby customers can order ahead via the Chipotle app and get their food faster - and from their cars. 

Are you surprised that Boston Market has been closing so many restaurants?  What would you like to see open in the now former Sandy Springs and Duluth Boston Market locations?  When was the last time you ate at a Boston Market?

Please share your thoughts below. 

17 comments:

Ham said...

I would eat at that location in Duluth for lunch and found it a decent option. A few years later I was traveling through Lilburn and saw the location there, so I stopped in for some "nostalgic" food. Man, it was like a different chain! First off the service was terrible, and secondly the food wasn't nearly as good as it had once been. Maybe the franchisee changed or they just lost interest, but either way they went way down. So, no not surprised they closed.

Anonymous said...

I only ate there a couple of times. The chicken was good but their cornbread was never right, it was sweet, not savory, more like cake than bread. Biscuits would have been better.

J Leeds said...

The quality had definitely been going down for years. Private equity ownership is never a good thing for a restaurant; they will always cut corners to try to increase the profit margins as they slowly bleed the chain dry.

RayAtL said...

Really, Eli!
What do you think the basis for these closings is?

I just noticed Duluth was not on the BM website this week and figured it must have closed but it makes no sense.
Duluth was always busy and seemed popular... same with the closed Holcomb bridge site.
#CorporateStupidity seems to reign in a world where an #OrangeIdiot is the nation’s jester!

Anonymous said...

Everything Trump touches dies, including this country, our economy and just about everything else.

Anonymous said...

The closure is unfortunate.

In some ways,it didnt surprise me that those restaurants closed. The chicken that they served..at least at the one I ate at..served really small chicken. For the price they had,I got more at Publix,Krogers or Sams Warehouse..which is also another reason BM is being done in.

Cody Cargle said...

Anonymous on April 18, 2020 at 3:31 Pm You are extremely ignorant and stupid if you want to blame Trump for closing down Boston Market, the country, the economy, and everything else, you are not only a snowflake Liberal, you are a Barack Obama/Joe Biden supporter who wants to be hand waited on for free, get food stamps, live off of the government, and wants to make everyone suffer, Trump if anything has made our country awesome before Covid 19, look how many jobs were created prior to Covid 19, economy was booming like crazy, he built the border wall, he made a peace treaty with North Korea somewhat, and now since this happened you right way want to blame him for all this damage why don’t you talk to China about that one stupid ass Liberal voter, they caused this bullshit on the whole world, so therefore why don’t you get off this blog to quarantine your pity party sorry ass at home, gripe about having no job, no fun, or anything and think about how sorry you really are? 😑 And finally Obama destroyed our country in 2008, but nobody gave a damn about everything he touches it dies, so haha your really think you know it all, if you look back in history this isn’t the Great Depression repeat, it’s a small recession, everyone will eventually have their job back, and economy will be fine, almost everyone will get there stimulus check, as long as they filed for taxes, and don’t bring up that shit Trump needs to show his taxes or be impeached you cannot stand progress obviously, and finally as well you can blame your Democratic Party why small businesses won’t get the loans they deserve either! 🤬

JodyTucker.com said...

About a year ago, I ate at a Boston Market; its brownies are awesome.

Considering the virus issue, Boston Market's multiple closings are no surprise. Panda Express may fit nicely in the former Sandy Springs and Duluth Boston Market locations.

Anonymous said...

@Cody, who hurt you?

Cody Cargle said...

Anonymous on April 20, 2020 at 1:22 Pm Nobody hurt me at all, but I’m sick and tired of everyone turn a store closing or restaurant closing or opening into a political standoff, then of all things downgrade Trump thinking he is a monster. 😑 These people need to be ashamed of themselves. 😠 So therefore I’m okay I just want people to stop hashing each other out on Trump, I mean yeah sure I didn’t like Obama, but I didn’t downgrade him everyday like these assholes do against Trump. 🤔

Coolio said...

@Cody: what would you say if you couldn't say Liberal snowflake? Aren't YOU actually the snowflake since you can't take criticism of your grand master?

Trump likely had nothing to do with the downfall of BM. Like others have said, their quality has gone down and they are in the most convenient of locations. Their heyday is up, their advertising is down, so are their corporate profits.

Your rant reads like someone who wants to make sure they hit all the talking points. You are an ADULT and you parade around worshiping someone simply based off of their party affiliation. Only CHILDREN should be so clueless in their decision making. You're more like a Instagram fan than an actual plugged in, responsible citizen.

Oh and news flash buddy. BOTH parties play each other against themselves. The winners are the politicians of BOTH parties, corporations, big pharma, and anyone with large sums of $$$$, not you, not me, not most ordinary people. Enjoy your life in the matrix, maybe there is a Boston Market there that can feed you.


Oh... and someone absolutely DID hurt you. LOL

Cody Cargle said...

Coolio on April 23, 2020 at 4:59 Pm Honestly that’s none of your damn business what would have said instead of Liberal snowflake your trying to autocorrect me or more specifically politically correct me that’s not going to happen asswipe? 😡 Nope honestly I’m a republican voter who honors and respects any president of the United States whether I like them or not, no Trump had nothing to do with the downfall of Bm? 🤦🏻‍♂️ Yeah that’s exactly my point to in regards that the dumbass who said everything Trump touches dies! 🤣 I am adult who doesn’t take bullshit from people like you saying I go parade around worshipping someone simply based of of their party affiliation. Okay if anybody is acting like a child it’s you and the dumbass above, I love President Trump with all the passion I have for America. 😁 FYI I might have an Instagram account but I don’t brag about it as much as most people do, to me Instagram is simply overrated including social media in general. 😂 I am more responsible citizen than most of the Liberals in our country. 🤣 Okay news flash sir I don’t give a fuck what you think of me at all? 😈 FYI I am not a fan of Boston Market at all, I rather eat at Cracker Barrel or Pofolks over them for an example any day of the week. 🤣 Nope if anybody that is hurting themselves including the dumbass above is you, have a good night and stay safe sir! 😂

Anonymous said...

How did this comment get approved?

Anonymous said...

WHY ARE YOU ON THIS BLOG YOU DON'T EVEN LIVE HERE

Cody Cargle said...

Anonymous said on April 28, 2020 at 5:27 or 5:28 Am My comment wasn’t easily approved overnight, it’s called freedom of speech something that most people forgot since they are so butt hurt and offended! 😂 I am on this blog mostly browsing and reading since I used to live in Metro Atlanta in Paulding County Georgia fyi! 🤣 So before you go assuming why I’m on here, go read some of my comments on here that clearly say when I used to live in Georgia, so does it really matter if I comment from out state, why do Georgians comment on stuff relating to Panama City Beach Florida or anything relating to Florida in general for vacation that’s why? 🤣 So if you have a problem with me, then don’t comment back on this blog or me ever again. 😈

graceandfavor said...

Unbelievable! The venom, the discourtesy, the nonsensical ranting and raving, the name calling! For what?

Anonymous said...

Your friggen stupid

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