Wednesday, June 10, 2020

[EXCLUSIVE] Groceries to Return to Chamblee Plaza With New Publix Store

ToNeTo Atlanta is pleased to share that after months of rumors, we can now confirm with 100% certainty that Publix Super Markets, Inc.,  has leased space in Chamblee Plaza! The Lakeland, FL -based grocer will occupy a new roughly 41,000 square foot freestanding building on the north end of the center where Hotel Furniture Outlet is currently located.  Grocers Winn-Dixie and later SaveRite had both also previously operated businesses from the box that will be demolished to make way for the new Publix.  
The former Himalayas restaurant and market will also be demolished as part of the Publix development.  Other former retail and restaurant space to the right of the anchor space will also be demolished.  When completed, the new Publix will be flanked by a total of 8,400 square feet in new retail/restaurant space - 6,000 and 2,400 - split between the right and left sides of the grocer. 

Publix's entry into the area comes as arch rival Kroger has decided to shutter its nearby store in Cambridge Square shopping center along Johnson Ferry Road.  The store, which anchors the center, has been in operation as a Kroger for twenty years and is due to close as of August 1.  

Publix currently operates about 200 stores in the Georgia region including nearby stores at Oglethorpe Crossing at the corner of Ashford Dunwoody and Johnson Ferry Roads in Brookhaven, Shallowford Exchange just off I-85 near Regal Cinemas Hollywood 24 and at TOWN Brookhaven just off Peachtree Road in Brookhaven.  Publix closed its store at nearby Northeast Plaza along Buford Highway in Brookhaven around 2005.  Today, the former Northeast Plaza Publix operates as City Farmers Market.  

In addition to the Chamblee Plaza store, Publix has several other new stores in the works for metro Atlanta.  On June 17 the company will debut its new "GreenWise Market" banner in Sandy Plains Marketplace in East Cobb.  The new roughly 25,000 square foot store is meant to be a more premium version of the company's flagship store, and will include, among other amenities, POURS, an onsite bar with coffee, wine and local craft beer, as well as on-tap kombucha and freshly made aรงaรญ bowls and smoothies. 

Publix has also inked deals at new shopping centers planned for Dunwoody and Tucker and, according to well placed real estate sources, has at least two other intown Atlanta stores "teed up."   ToNeTo Atlanta reported February 23 that the company is also planning another East Cobb store.  

2020 marks the 60th anniversary of Chamblee Plaza, and in many ways the addition of Publix is the jewel that had been missing from the center.  The addition of Publix tops off a remarkable return to form of the center which last year saw the openings of TJ Maxx, HomeGoods, Ace Hardware, Rack Room Shoes and Five Below.  

In addition to the new openings, longtime tenant Chick-fil-A hopes to be given the green light by the City of Chamblee to "scrape & rebuild" their existing freestanding restaurant in an out-parcel of Chamblee Plaza.  The Atlanta-based fast food chain hopes to completely rebuild their nearly 33 year old restaurant as a more modern and efficient location.  

Longtime residents will recall that Chamblee Plaza has a long grocery history, having for a time been home to Kroger and Colonial simultaneously, and subsequently the aforementioned grocers, too.

Vince Riggio, Partner with TRINITY, said “Publix was defined as one of the top requests by the community from our realignment meetings with over 300 residents participating.”

Although ToNeTo Atlanta was unable to obtain any renderings of the planned store, we are told it will honor both the early years of Publix and of the center with Mid Century design elements including the grocer's once iconic winged facade.

Despite the ongoing pandemic, Publix, deemed an essential business, has been doing more business now than before, and its recently released sales figures for the first quarter reveal just how well they are doing.  

"Publix’s sales for the three months ended March 28, 2020 were $11.2 billion, a 16.1% increase from $9.7 billion in 2019. Comparable store sales for the three months ended March 28, 2020 increased 14.4%. The company estimates its sales for the three months ended March 28, 2020 increased approximately $1 billion or 10.3% due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic."

Plans call for work on the new Publix at Chamblee Plaza to start construction in early 2021 and for the store to open in early 2022.  

Are you excited for the addition of Publix to Chamblee Plaza?  What are your thoughts on the updated lineup at Chamblee Plaza?  What other shops or eateries would you like to see open at Chamblee Plaza?

Please share your thoughts below  

41 comments:

Anonymous said...

Publix is going to be a great addition to that plaza. So glad to see it coming together after all these years. I have heard that the Chick-fil-A is getting a lot of push back from the city about their remodel. Hoping the city realizes what an asset that restaurant is to the whole plaza.

Anonymous said...

In addition to the two nearby Publixes (on Johnson Ferry and the huge one further down in Town Brookhaven), there's also a Whole Foods and Walmart nearby. Too crowded with grocery stores!

Anonymous said...

I love it! I'm happy to have so many options so close by. ❤️

Anonymous said...

Yay! Another grocery store where we Chamblee citizens will feel safe traveling to on bikes!

Anonymous said...

This is exciting as the Oglethorpe Crossing store is a pain to get to since we have to cut through Blair Circle (or what used to be called Blair Circle). I was hoping for a Trader Joe’s but this will do.

Anonymous said...

Vince delivers The Blee 8 years after promising it with his blue ribbon committee :) Better late than never I guess. Sort the crazy parking lot out and put some decent restaurants in then this will be worth going to.

Anonymous said...

As a Huntley Hills resident I'm thrilled that Publix is coming to our neighborhood. Will be so convenient!

Unknown said...

I grew up in that area and this is great news.

Anonymous said...

I grew up in that area and this is great news.

Anonymous said...

Publix is a great grocery store chain, and we in the Chamblee community are thrilled they are coming! The retro facade is an excellent idea, and will only help build up even more this shopping center from an eye sore to something to be proud about in our neighborhood.

Anonymous said...

Not my first choice, but a decent outcome for the center, and a good fit with the other establishments. I know there are a number of grocery stores around, but that strip of Peachtree Blvd has always felt like a bit of a food desert. Would be great if the new Publix were to have more prepped foods and perhaps a decent hot bar (when such things are safe again.) I wonder if it'll hurt the Johnson Ferry Publix. I've always worried about them losing clientele to the one in Town Brookhaven.

Unknown said...

I would like to see a KFC.

Anonymous said...

Good news, Publix in Chamblee Plaza.
If Publix closes the Oglethorpe Crossing store, it would be a good location for Trader Joe's.
It's a space larger than Buckhead TJ's, it has more parking than Buckhead TJ's, and Oglthorpe Crossing has better access than Buckhead TJ's.
And Oglethorpe Crossing is a better location for a grocer than Cambridge Square.

Anonymous said...

Is there any word on if the Oglethorpe Publix (which to me is nowhere near Oglethorpe, at the corner of AD and JF) will be closed due to this? Please say no, I can walk there!

Anonymous said...

that's great to hear!

Unknown said...

So glad to hear altho sad about Kroger as I used both stores on Johnson Ferry, actually more Kroger than Publix. Loved Kroger Simple Truth line. ChickfilA would be better served being newer and rebuilt. Love that the shopping center has been repurposed. It was such an eyesore along PT Blvd. Could use more restaurants, not fast food tho. Is Publix at Towne BH turning into Greenwise market...good idea. Love Whole Foods!

Anonymous said...

Great! Will be wonderful to have a Publix in this shopping center. Super convenient. And will also be great for all the surrounding businesses. So nice to see this shopping center being turned around into something decent. Long overdue. But happening now!

Anonymous said...

Publix is certainly adding stores in areas where it seems they already have a presence very close by. I wonder if any of these will just shift traffic from the existing locations.

I've never been to the JF/AD store but it looks tiny on the outside. The Town Brookhaven one is nice and I've stopped before when in that part of town.

Anonymous said...

It would not be bad if you remove this very inhospitable, ugly, with a terrible service "store" "Hotel furniture outlet". And place instead "Bed bath and beyond" and "trader Joe's" stores.

Cody Cargle said...

Unknown said on June 10, 2020 at 6: 56 Pm KFC is disgusting as hell, why would anyone eat that shit still, I ate at the one in Douglasville Georgia off of Highway 5 last November it was horrible as hell, every KFC has left me disappointed in general, the one in Panama City Beach is now Hungry Howies, so therefore keep dreaming on, the days of KFC are like Mrs. Winners over, I rather eat at Popeyes or Bojangles over that shit. ๐Ÿคข

Anonymous said...

Love the old Publix signage and chevron-shaped building adornment in the photo - they should use some form of this again for their stores.

Unknown said...

What about Costco?

Anonymous said...

LOVE to hear about Publix coming there. I go between the Dunwoody and Brookhaven, now it will be even closer to me. I love the classic cars in the old picture, I want one , blue and white??

Anonymous said...

I was hoping for an Ingles! Maybe Ingles will come to the Kroger location on Johnson Ferry. Please Ingles!!!

Randy said...

Wow! Am I excited, YES! Having grown up near Tallahassee and with Publix part of everyday life, it will bring back a lot of my early years memories. Being a retro store...will they call the bakery, The Danish Bakery?

Cody Cargle said...

Unknown said on June 11, 2020 at 10:18 Pm Well I wouldn’t count on Costco coming there considering they prefer areas with Sams Club or no club store at all in more higher profile communities only, and areas with Sam’s or Bj’s Wholesale Club have to be on a different road or the same road but not directly near each other except in situations like Sharpsburg, Georgia is what a tourist told me? ๐Ÿค”

Cody Cargle said...

Anonymous said on June 12, 2020 at 11:30 Am Dream on, Ingles would prefer from the ground up locations, especially since Kroger is there main rival in the South still, they don’t want an old Kroger location, you’ll probably be lucky to see an Aldi or Sprouts buy that location. ๐Ÿ˜… Don’t get me wrong I love Ingles over any Kroger or Publix location any day of the week but sadly we don’t have one, we have an awesome Winn Dixie very similar to that, and it’s nasty anymore it’s super clean and modern like all three chains no joke, so therefore Winn Dixie would have survived in Metro Atlanta if the locations were operating under 4 banners which included Winn Dixie, Saverite, Bilo, and Harvey’s owned by Seg now, but oh well it’s past history now along with Food Lion in Georgia, but I heard Food Lion is making a comeback in Georgia so that way Winn Dixie can focus on Florida according to the latest news relating to Bilo, but in Metro Atlanta won’t see anything like that as long as Kroger and Publix live! ๐Ÿ˜ž

Anonymous said...

I was hoping for an IGA or Supervalu! Just like the good ol days in the country. Oooh, or a Cub Foods! Love Cubs!! ❤️

Cody Cargle said...

Anonymous said on June 13, 2020 at 5:32 PM Umm IGA might come to that area possibly, but Supervalu idk about that, and lmao Cub Foods are you kidding me, those stores were a lot more rundown than Save A Lot and Winn Dixie/Saverite, they were Piggly Wiggly bad, Cub Foods was decent when it first opened but there stores were extremely dark inside especially the former Douglasville Georgia location near the old Walmart off of Stewart Parkway! ๐Ÿคฃ

Anonymous said...

You’re probably both joking, but you never know on this board. Ingles isn’t expanding in the metro area and has been shrinking here for years, especially inside the Perimeter into a tiny location like Johnson Ferry. Their newer stores are huge. And as for Costco there is one about two miles away in Brookhaven. Costco isn’t like Publix with 100 neighborhood locations.

Cody Cargle said...

Anonymous said on June 15, 2020 at 10:25 Am Why are you assuming they are joking, it sounded to me they were serious and yeah well that’s because assholes like you always butting in every 5 damn minutes? ๐Ÿค” Ingles hasn’t been really shrinking or really growing in Metro Atlanta it has remain neutral after 2003, because the one new store they built near my old house was off of Dallas Nebo Road in 2008, so it really hasn’t been that long since Ingles last open a brand new location in general, and the Perimeter and Johnson Ferry Road area could careless as long they shop at Publix or Whole Foods! ๐Ÿคฆ๐Ÿป‍♂️ Nah I already knew the newer stores are huge, and no company is like Publix thinking they got to rip people off on there prices, so therefore for far as Costco doubtful it would come any closer than Brookhaven for an example, but you are so damn wrong about Ingles shrinking in Metro Atlanta whoopee wow only 3 locations close within the past few years that’s because people think Kroger and Publix is god, if anything Kroger is cutting back on opening new stores in Metro Atlanta mostly replacing older stores or closing stores on top of that, while Publix on the other hand is growing like a weed. ๐Ÿ˜‚ And no offense you need to stop while your ahead, Ingles isn’t going anywhere they left bad locations including Lawrenceville, I mean Gwinnett County is not that nice except for Mall of Georgia and Snellville, Georgia smh! ๐Ÿคฆ๐Ÿป‍♂️

Anonymous said...

It will be so nice having a closer grocery store to Huntley Hills. We are right between Publix Brookhaven and Publix Dunwoody and it is annoying having to drive at least 5 miles to them. What a wonderful treat it will be to have a clean, sanitary and helpful grocery store like Publix nearby.

I don't use Krogers that often, but I prefer the cleaner look of Publix and was disappointed when Krogers left their floors as stripped concrete rather than a vinyl surfaced floor as Publix has. Too bad about Krogers at Cambridge Square, now if we could get the Georgetown Krogers cleaned up, but I would still use Publix. I DO like the underground parking at Publix Brookhaven, wish we could have that too at Chamblee Plaza.

I miss Harris Teeter stores, they were also clean looking. Really? Chick Fil A has been there 33 years??!!! Wow times goes super fast. Now if we could get a good burger restaurant like Houstons, Joey D's, some nice restaurant in Chamblee Plaza, that would be fun. I rarely use Walmart for anything, unless I am desperate. Publix is much different a store than Walmart. Gee we at Huntley Hills could even walk to the grocery store now, if we wanted, or bicycle there. Now if Publix would reinstate their ready made red jello....ha ha, it's always something.

Anonymous said...

Kroger always smells weird, no matter the location. Publix is only adding more stores to supply the demand for them.

Cody Cargle said...

Anonymous said on June 17, 2020 at 6:10 Pm You are so damn right about Kroger and Publix couldn’t have said it myself, I personally liked Ingles better than both them when I used to live in Paulding County Georgia besides Aldi of course, because Food Depot was mehh no offense, Food Lion was awesome except too expensive like Publix sadly, and of course I love Winn Dixie now, but they were not maintained well in Georgia sadly, but Target is nice, even though they are pricer at times, and I cannot stand Walmart with every living dime, it’s too damn crowded in general. ๐Ÿคฆ๐Ÿป‍♂️

Anonymous said...

Thanks for calling me an asshole, Cody. You need to get help.

Cody Cargle said...

Anonymous said on June 22, 2020 at 9:09 Am Think about what you falsely said about Ingles, and all the excessive criticism you have said to me, you deserve to be called one, I don’t need help, I am doing a lot better than most people but cannot say the same for some of the dumbasses on this blog, because in reality they don’t want to hear the truth so therefore your one of them! ๐Ÿ˜’

Anonymous said...

I think Cody is very talented and knowledgable about Atlanta business and should start his own blog !

Anonymous said...

hopefully this will help clean up this dumpy area and the dumpy peoplr who live there.

Cody Cargle said...

Anonymous said on June 22, 2020 at 11:46 Pm I really appreciate you complimenting me about Atlanta business I also know a lot about Florida business as well, and yeah I thought about starting my own blog once, I just don’t have time with work, and finally I am helping out one of my friends with a non profit organization in my local area that is super famous in Metro Atlanta where it originated from and for ones who don’t understand it’s a special needs baseball program for teens and young adults, but anyways it’s called Alternative Baseball Organization it has had live interviews already with Channel 2 Action News, Fox 5 of Atlanta, CBS 46 News, and 11Alive news for crying out loud, so yeah not shocking at all, but either way thank you a lot! ๐Ÿ˜

Cody Cargle said...

Anonymous said on June 25, 2020 at 1:05 Pm Only one can hope for that but unfortunately it’s hard to say what will happen exactly? ๐Ÿค”

Disneypal said...

I must have missed the post about Kroger @ Cambridge Square closing - that is too bad - it is a good location. That said, I am very excited about Publix opening in Chamblee Plaza, the revitalization of the shopping center is great and I am glad to see it come back to life. A major grocery store is exactly what they need.

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