Bits & Bites

Peloton plans to open its second Atlanta area location later this fall at Avalon in Alpharetta.  The at-home exercise equipment company opened their first Atlanta area retail store at Lenox Square in Buckhead in 2016.  The new store replaces the Levis's store which closed at the suburban shopping destination this past April.  ToNeTo Atlanta heard talk in April that Peloton would replace Levi's, but was told by sources close to the project that a lease had not yet been finalized.  Confirmation of the lease came last week with the installation of Peloton branding at the space.  The new Peloton store should open before the end of the year.  

Ascena Retail Group announced last week it will close several hundred stores as it navigates Chapter 11 bankruptcy.  In metro Atlanta, the company, whose primary brands include Ann Taylor and LOFT, will close just one store, Lou & Grey, a smaller women's apparel concept that operated a store at Avalon Alpharetta.  New Jersey-based Ascena also operates the Justice tween brand and plus-size retailers Lane Bryant, Cacique and Catherines.  

Brinker International has brought their new virtual restaurant It's Just Wings to metro Atlanta.  The concept, basically a digital only restaurant brand, offers just three menu items: chicken wings, curly fries (free with every food order) and fried Oreo cookies.  The menu is simple, the prices are affordable, and the food is available exclusively via DoorDash.  There are no separate It's Just Wings locations, instead, the concept operates out of existing Brinker restaurants such as Maggiano's Little Italy and Chili's. 

In related news, Brinker plans to open a new Chili's in Warner Robins. The new Chili's is coming to a portion of a former Toys R Us store at 3000 Watson Boulevard and will be roughly 4,700 square feet. 

Tanaka Ramen at TOWN Brookhaven has closed.  The restaurant, which opened at the mixed-use development in 2018, had been closed since March, and while no signage is posted to the restaurant indicating the closure, all permanent signage has been removed from the building.  

Louisiana Crab Shack is coming soon to South Cobb Drive in Smyrna in place of a freestanding Ruby Tuesday restaurant that closed in late 2018.  The new restaurant is the latest in a series of "crab shack" openings across metro Atlanta.  Over in Cherokee County, another former Ruby Tuesday site is getting new life but the building was demolished for its new occupants.  Work is underway to open a new Popeyes as well as a new Chipotle Mexican Grill on the site of the former Ruby Tuesday along Highway 92 in Woodstock.  

A new restaurant called Red Crab Juicy Seafood is coming soon to Northridge Shopping Center along Roswell Road in Sandy Springs.  The roughly 7,000 square foot restaurant was most recently home to Barnacle's, a sports bar, but had also in years past been a Buffalo Wild Wings, among other concepts.  The formerly Kroger-anchored center recently welcomed a Goodwill in a portion of the old grocery, but in recent weeks has also lost junior anchor Dollar Tree which relocated north on Roswell to Loehmann's Plaza.  

Crumbl Cookies, which entered the metro Atlanta market earlier this year with a location on Old Milton Parkway in Alpharetta, has inked a third deal in the market.  Already with a second location planned for Sandy Plains Marketplace in East Cobb, sources tell ToNeTo Atlanta that the Utah-based franchise also has a lease signed at Brannon Crossing in Cumming.  

Popular Loring Heights eatery Endive Publik House announced Tuesday that it has closed indefinitely.   "It is with heavy hearts that, due to COVID-19, we have to announce we have closed our restaurant indefinitely. We thank everyone who has supported us throughout these past few months. However, we are happy to say that the Publik House space is still available to book for events of 30 people or more."   The restaurant, which opened in early 2014, was located at 1468 Mecaslin Street, not far from Summerour Studio.  

A new custom framing business called Framebridge is entering the Atlanta market with a pair of  locations.  In Buckhead, Framebridge will open in place of gift boutique Ona in The Shops Around Lenox with the shop also opening along Howell Mill Road in Westside Provisions next to Warby Parker.  Both shops are expected to open in September.  "Framebridge initially launched online in August 2014 as a solution to Founder and CEO Susan Tynan’s ongoing frustration over the outrageous pricing and complexity of the custom framing process. Since its inception, the brand has disrupted the traditional framing experience with a commitment to deliver deeply personal products framed easier, faster and more affordably without sacrificing quality or style."

A new location of Phenix Salon Suites is planned for Buckhead.  The new salon suites franchise will open in the street level of the Allure apartments at 360 Pharr Road.  Phenix Salons will be located next to Fantasyland Records in a space most recently occupied by Best Fitness by Pharr.  There are today more than a dozen Phenix Salon Suites locations in metro Atlanta including those in Midtown, Akers Mill, Roswell, Smyrna and Peachtree Corners, among others.