The Decatur outpost of Highland Bakery has closed permanently. The roughly 3,100 square foot restaurant, located in the street level retail space at The Place on Ponce at 319 West Ponce de Leon Avenue, first opened in late 2016. The restaurant has been closed since March 16, when it and so many other restaurants were essentially forced to pivot to takeout only, or, as Highland Bakery did, close indefinitely. The restaurant posted a message on the 16th indicating that the closure was only temporary, but evidence to the contrary now confirms otherwise.
"We regret to announce that Highland Bakery on 319 W. Ponce de Leon in downtown Decatur will remain temporarily closed to the public. We are working hard to get back to serving you, our loyal public. Please remain patient with us through these trying times and we hope everyone remains safe throughout this ordeal. Stay tuned to our IG or FB for updates!"
There have been no updates of any kind since.
A ToNeTo Atlanta reader notified us that they observed furniture being removed from the restaurant Saturday morning. Even so, the restaurant was still listed on the Highland Bakery website as open, and Google and other sites seemed to suggest it was open. Calls to the Decatur location went unanswered, while calls to the original location on Highland Avenue yielded the response that the Decatur location was "in limbo."
Confirmation of the closure came via a real estate listing on LoopNet.com, where the Highland Bakery space (suite 10) is actively being marketed for lease as a "second generation restaurant space." Highland Bakery was the original occupant of the 3,080 square foot restaurant space. The LoopNet listing was created May 4 and last updated June 29. Another site, TripAdvisor, refers to the restaurant as being in "Dercatur." #BlessTheirHeart.
The Decatur location was originally a franchisee owned restaurant, but was subsequently taken over by concept creator and owner of the Highland Avenue location, Stacey Eames.
Highland Bakery's location on Highland Avenue in Old Fourth Ward remains open, as does the Midtown location at the King & Spalding building along 14th Street. Highland Bakery & Kitchen at the Avenues Peachtree City in Peachtree City is also open. We were unable to ascertain the status of locations at Emory, Georgia Tech, Georgia State and in Buckhead at Atlanta Financial Center.
Highland Bakery & Kitchen at Modera Vinings Vinings Lofts & Apartments has been closed since March 20, and its status is also unclear. Franchisees Campbell & Bree Mitchell opened the restaurant this past November on Cumberland Boulevard not far from Cumberland Mall, but the limited time they had to get up and running and gain a following make it unlikely they will reopen.
Are you surprised that Highland Bakery closed in Decatur? What is your favorite local breakfast joint? What would you like to see open in place of Highland Bakery Decatur?
Please share your thoughts below.
2 comments:
downtown Decatur is rapidly becoming a ghost town due to the Trump Pandemic. I don't know why Highland Bakery couldn't stay open in downtown Decatur. Huge numbers of workers down there, many people live in the area, it was hugely popular. I don't get this at all. Downtown Decatur is rapidly emptying out. And all because Trump lied about the virus.
Decatur hates chain restaurants - even local chains.
They think they are too cool and eclectic for anything other than single location mom and pops.
But yeah, I'm sure it's Trump's fault.
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