[EXCLUSIVE] Davio's at Phipps Plaza in Buckhead Will Not Reopen

ToNeTo Atlanta has learned that Davio's Northern Italian Steakhouse has permanently closed at Phipps Plaza in Buckhead.  The closure, which many industry sources had speculated was a foregone conclusion given how long the restaurant had been closed, was made clear by the removal of the Atlanta outpost from the locations list and verbiage on  Davio's corporate website.  The 9,000 square foot restaurant debuted at Phipps Plaza in 2010 where it occupied a large chunk of the former Niketown store.  At the time, the Atlanta outpost was the fourth for the budding chain and represented their furthest expansion market from their Boston base.

In addition to the Atlanta closure, Davio's also last year permanently closed locations in Irvine, California and Manhattan.  The Irvine location was one of the newest Davio's locations having just opened in late 2018.  The Manhattan restaurant, located on Lexington Avenue across from Grand Central Terminal, had been in business since late 2013.    

The Davio's website today reflects the chain is comprised of nine restaurants, seven in the chain's home market of Massachusetts in addition to outposts in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania and The Colony, Texas.  

At least one of two previously announced new Davio's locations have been cancelled.  Davio's this past May officially called off its planned location at Smith & Fifth, a new redevelopment in downtown Pittsburgh.  Davio's decision to call off their plans prompted the developer of the project, Stark Enterprises (owned by Bob Stark, not Tony Stark), to file a May 2020 lawsuit in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court against the restaurant for alleged breach of contract for not moving forward with the plan.  The status of a second new Davio's, announced this past February to be opening at Metro Plaza at Reston Station, is unclear.  The more than 11,000 square foot restaurant was to open in 2022 at the large new mixed-use, transit-oriented development located midway between Tysons Corner and Dulles International Airport in the Washington, D.C. area.  

A Davio's representative to whom we spoke last summer indicated plans then were for the Phipps unit to reopen in October 2020. (The restaurant briefly reopened for a few days in July but re-closed just a few days later.)  It is perhaps no great surprise, given the pandemic environment, that the reopening has not occurred.  ToNeTo Atlanta reached out to representatives from both Davio's and SIMON but there has been no response yet to our inquiries.  Davio's at Phipps was, by all accounts, doing just fine before the March 2020 restrictions and shutdowns that not only impacted their ability to operate normally, but also the occupancy of nearby offices and hotels, often significant sources of diners.  

Davio's closure is at least the second COVID-19 related one at Phipps Plaza.  ToNeTo Atlanta first reported this past October that longstanding Phipps watering hole The Tavern at Phipps would also not reopen after its multi-month hiatus.  

Fellow full-service Phipps Plaza restaurant Agency Socialthèque is open, but with new, more limited hours and days of operation.  ToNeTo Atlanta will soon report that Grand Lux Cafe, closed since last summer, plans to reopen.   

Are you surprised to see Davio's close at Phipps Plaza?  What is your favorite Buckhead area steakhouse?  What would you like to see open in place of Davio's at Phipps Plaza?

Please share your thoughts below.