[EXCLUSIVE] Sears Closing Last Georgia Store

ToNeTo Atlanta has learned that Sears is currently working towards closing its store at Town Center at Cobb in Kennesaw. The two level store, which opened along with the mall in 1986, is one of five anchors at the property.  Its closure, which will leave the mall with (for now) two Macy's, JCPenney and Belk as anchors, also leaves Georgia without a full-service Sears store. [JCPenney filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on May 15 and plans to reveal a first round of store closures in early June.]  The  Kennesaw Sears, which recently reopened to liquidate its merchandise, is according to several job postings, looking to hire temporary employees to help wind down operations.    

[UPDATE] There is Now Just One Romano's Macaroni Grill Left in Georgia

Romano's Macaroni Grill has permanently closed its restaurants on Windward Parkway in Alpharetta and on Dallas Highway in West Cobb.  The closures, which were reportedly confirmed by the company earlier this week, do not indicate a reason for them, but the effects of COVID-19 are believed to have played a part.  Prior to the notice of their permanent closure being sent to members of their email list, both restaurants, like so many in Georgia and around the country, had been "closed temporarily."

Tuesday Morning Files For Chapter 11 Bankruptcy, Plans to Close More than 100 Stores This Summer

Discount retailer Tuesday Morning filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Wednesday morning and is looking to shut more than 200 of its nearly 700 stores nationwide.   The Dallas-based company is seeking court approval to later this summer close at least 132 stores, which it says are either "underperforming" or located in areas where another Tuesday Morning store is nearby.  The company said it plans to close another 100 stores in a "second phase" of its reorganization efforts, leaving it with about 450 locations when it plans to exit Chapter 11 in early fall.

One of 8 stores in Georgia that will soon go dark permanently 

[LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!] NCG To Debut New Movie Theater in Brookhaven

It has been nearly seventeen months since ToNeTo Atlanta was first to report that movie theater operator NCG planned to open a new theater in Brookhaven.  We are now pleased to share that despite the global pandemic, and most theaters still closed, they plan to open in Brookhaven next week.  The new ten screen NCG Cinema Brookhaven will celebrate its "grand" opening Thursday June 4 at Northeast Plaza along Buford Highway near Briarwood Road.  

[UPDATE] Sahara Cafe to "Soft" Open Monday in Chastain Park

A new restaurant will softly open Monday and its owner is genuinely excited to get his doors open, albeit amidst a global pandemic.  Owner "Jacob" Hussein will open Sahara Cafe Mediterranean Grill at 11 AM along Roswell Road in north Buckhead.  The restaurant, which ToNeTo Atlanta exclusively reported on this past October, features popular Mediterranean dishes such as gyros, Greek chicken and braised pulled lamb, many of which are family recipes.  Sahara is also known for their Sahara Chicken with paprika, spices, lemon-ginger & garlic, and for their house-made tzatziki and avocado hummus.  

[EXCLUSIVE] Bagel Palace Looks to Make a Comeback...

Two years to the day since its closure at Toco Hills shopping center, Bagel Palace is finally making progress towards its long awaited comeback.  The popular bagel restaurant closed its longstanding outpost May 20, 2018, and could reopen just a few miles away.  The prospective new location could be in the Publix-anchored Shamrock Plaza shopping center at the corner of Lawrenceville Highway and North Druid Hills Roads near Decatur.  Bagel Palace 2.0 - 3934 North Druid Hills Road - would be about two and half miles from its original home.  

[UPDATE] Bread and Butter in Marietta Has Closed Permanently

Bread and Butter Bakery has closed its Marietta outpost.  Located on the front corner of the Marietta Square Market, Bread and Butter opened with the development last March, but closed permanently within the past few days.  The bakery and coffee shop is the second known permanent closure in the project following our report Monday that Street Taco from Southern Proper Hospitality will not be reopening.  

[UPDATE] Dunwoody P.F. Chang's Gone For Good

P.F. Chang's China Bistro has permanently closed its Dunwoody restaurant.  Despite still being marked on Google as "Temporarily Closed," all signage has been removed and a note posted to the restaurant's front door confirms the closure is permanent.  The Dunwoody restaurant is strangely still listed on the P.F. Chang's website, but is marked as "closed." 

[ALERT] Nordstrom to Shutter Atlanta Born Luxury Boutique

Nordstrom announced earlier today that is has permanently closed its three Jeffrey specialty stores as it continues to adjust to the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.  Women's Wear Daily (WWD) first reported the news which affects the company's original store at Phipps Plaza in Buckhead, as well as sibling shops in New York's Meatpacking District and in Palo Alto, California at Stanford Shopping Center.  The closures come just days after the company revealed that it planned to close 16 full-line department stores in eight states plus one in Puerto Rico.  Following the closures the company will operates 100 full-line department stores including two in Atlanta: Phipps Plaza in Buckhead and Perimeter Mall in Dunwoody.  

Jeffrey was one of several boutiques which added street signage during Phipps Plaza's 2016 renovation 

[EXCLUSIVE] Street Taco "Muerto" in Marietta

On the heels of news that Southern Proper Hospitality had closed three of its Atlanta area restaurants comes news that they actually closed a total of four.  In addition to the closures of Big Ketch Roswell, Tin Lizzy's at The Point and Beni's Cubano in East Cobb, the group also closed Street Taco at Marietta Square Market at 68 North Marietta Parkway in in Marietta.  Street Taco, described as offering "authentic and adventurous Mexican street food," opened with the food hall last March, and reportedly closed permanently within the past few days.  

[EXCLUSIVE] Local Hospitality Group Shutters Three Restaurants

Atlanta-based Southern Proper Hospitality Group seems to have permanently closed three area restaurants.  Based on local sources, calls to remaining locations and removals of the affected restaurants from their respective websites, it appears that Big Ketch Saltwater Grill Roswell, Tin Lizzy's Cantina at Emory Point [The Point] and Beni's Cubano at The Avenue East Cobb have all closed for good.  

[EXCLUSIVE] Planet Fitness Stretches to Cumberland Mall

Fitness franchise Planet Fitness has signed on to open at Cumberland Mall.  The new Planet Fitness, which Cobb County records indicate will be just under 16,000 square feet, will open in a portion of the former Sears store at the Brookfield Properties-owned mall.  The Sears at Cumberland Mall was one of 46 "underperforming" stores that Sears owner Sears Holdings (now Transformco) closed in 2018.   Planet Fitness will be located on the back side of the mall (upper level of the Sears box) along Cumberland Boulevard.  The fitness facility joins Round1, an entertainment venue, as well as sporting goods retailers Dick's Sporting Goods and Golf Galaxy, in occupying portions of the former Sears. 

[ADIOS] Chuy's Won't Reopen Alpharetta Restaurant

Nearly 30 months after its Alpharetta debut, Chuy's, a Tex-Mex eatery, has closed its location in Liberty Village near Avalon. The  7,000 square foot restaurant opened December 19, 2017 and closed in April.  There was reportedly no advance warning to customers of the closure.  All exterior signage remains up at the restaurant and a sign posted to the restaurant's front door reads: "We have temporarily closed this restaurant. We apologize for any inconvenience.  Thank you."   That said, the Alpharetta location has been removed from the Chuy's website and an employee at another location confirmed that the closure is permanent.  

[Ready, Set...] Buffalo Wild Wings to Debut New "GO" Concept in Atlanta

Buffalo Wild Wings will open its first “GO” concept restaurant on Wednesday in Sandy Springs.  The new restaurant, focusing on takeout and delivery orders, could be the first of many for the chain.  The casual dining restaurant, owned by Sandy Springs-based Inspire Brands, said in a release that the 1,800-square-foot (site plans indicate it's actually only 1,600 square feet) Buffalo Wild Wings GO unit will feature a walk-up counter, digital menu boards, condensed seating and televisions for guests to enjoy while waiting for their orders.  GO, like its parent company, will feature Pepsi products.  

[NOM NOM NOM ] Insomnia Cookies is Coming to Kennesaw

Insomnia Cookies will later this year open its fourth metro Atlanta location with a new outpost in Kennesaw.  The new cookie shop will open at University Point, a small strip center at 1133 Chastain Road adjacent to Kennesaw State University.  At University Point, the cookie shop will occupy suite 600,  a roughly 1,500 square foot space previously home to New Leaf Vapor, a vape shop.  

[EXCLUSIVE] Kevin Rathbun Shutters Rathbun's and Krog Bar in Inman Park

Chef Kevin Rathbun has permanently closed both his namesake restaurant, Rathbun's, as well as Krog Bar, both in Inman Park.  Rathbun's, featuring an American menu, opened in May 2004, and was the first of three restaurants that the chef would open in what was then an unexciting, overlooked part of Atlanta.  Rathbun's second concept, Krog Bar, a small Mediterranean wine bar, opened in 2005, followed by Kevin Rathbun Steak, a "prime steakhouse" in 2007.  KR SteakBar, an Italian steakhouse, opened in early 2013, but unlike the other concepts, is located in Peachtree Hills, near Buckhead.  All Rathbun restaurants have been closed since mid March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Rathbun subsequently sold more than $100,000 in gift cards with the proceeds going to aid his hourly staff.  

[UPDATE] Lidl Looks to Open Several Stores Soon Including Quiet Celebration of 100th in the U.S.

With grocery stores experiencing record sales, one grocer is gearing up to open the first of several stores it has planned for metro Atlanta in the coming months.  Lidl plans to open its new Peachtree Corners store Wednesday, May 13 at 5270 Peachtree Parkway, just south of the new Peachtree Corners Town Center and The Forum.  The store, which ToNeTo Atlanta exclusively reported was coming last year, opens in place of Earth Fare, which exited the market and later closed all of its stores.  The 23,500 square foot store was completely renovated to accommodate the new grocer and while smaller than its other Atlanta area stores which all measure 36,000 square feet, sources close to the company tell ToNeTo Atlanta that it will still offer all the amenities of the larger stores including fresh bakery and self check-out.  

[NO SOUP FOR YOU!] Sweet Tomatoes Likely Done For Good With CEO Seeing no "Viable Way to Reopen"

Popular salad buffet chain Sweet Tomatoes has (likely) closed permanently.  Founded and based in San Diego since 1978 and today owned by Garden Fresh Restaurant Corp., all 97 Sweet Tomatoes & sibling Souplantation restaurants nationwide have been closed since March 16 in response to the spread of COVID-19.  SanDiegoVille, a San Diego-based publication, cited several social media postings of now (former) Garden Fresh employees confirming the closure, but it was not until a report by Jonathan Maze of Restaurant Business that included an interview with company CEO John Haywood that the details of the situation were revealed.  

[UPDATE] Chick-fil-A Planning "Custom-Designed" Restaurant Near Ponce City Market

Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A is looking to open a new restaurant near Ponce City Market, where it would redevelop two adjacent parcels at 689 Boulevard NE and 513 Ponce de Leon Avenue.  The Atlanta-based chain, though its agent, David Kirk of law firm Troutman Sanders LLP,  has applied for a change of zoning for the properties, according to a filing with the city of Atlanta.  The parcels, which according to Fulton County records total just under one acre, are currently home to a Texaco gas station, convenience store and parking lot.  Joseph M. Davis of Newnan-based Jodaco Inc. owns the property, according to Fulton County records. 

Pizzeria's Closure Leaves a "Big" Hole in Roswell

Big Pie in the Sky Pizzeria has closed its Roswell area restaurant.  The pizzeria, located in a corner space of a small strip center at 1010 Mansell Road, opened in April 2014 and was the second location from founder/owner Dirk Tendick.  The original Big Pie opened in February 2007 and is located at 2090 Baker Road, just off Jiles Road, in Kennesaw.  In a Facebook post announcing the closure, ownership indicates they saw a roughly 80 percent drop in revenue in late March and subsequently temporarily closed as a result. 

A young patron about to dig into a Big Pie - Photo courtesy of restaurant's Facebook page

[So Fresh and So Clean] New Natural Soap Company Buff City Soap Enters Metro Atlanta

A Memphis-based natural soap franchise is making its Atlanta entry.  Buff City Soap, started by Brad Kellum in 2013, features a variety of both bar and liquid soaps, as well as other cleaning agents, all "free of harsh ingredients and full of nourishing plant-based goodies to make your skin happy."  The metro Atlanta debut was initiated by the recent opening in Roswell and will this weekend be joined by a second location in Peachtree Corners.