Taco Mac has closed its location in the MARTA-adjacent Lindbergh City Center, citing "safety challenges in the parking garage" and the "recent uptick of crime in Buckhead" among other reasons for the closure. The Atlanta-based chain had operated the location at 573 Main Street since the project debuted in 2006 and was the longest-running, continuously operating restaurant tenant in the development.
Taco Mac was in early 2018 sold by Dallas-based private equity firm CIC Partners to a team of independent investors and experienced restaurateurs led by Atlanta resident and longtime Taco Mac guest Harold Martin, Jr. The Lindbergh closure marks the second Atlanta area Taco Mac to be closed under the current ownership following the April 2018 closure of the Taco Mac at CNN Center in Downtown Atlanta after ten years in business. The company also closed restaurants in Cary and Charlotte, North Carolina in 2019 and 2020 respectively.
This past August, Taco Mac opened a new location on Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road in Lawrenceville, marking the chain's first new restaurant since 2017. This past April, the company opened a new location in Hiram.
The closure announcement did offer some good news: "We are gearing up to venture into many new Georgia communities... with the projected opening of 5 new restaurants in 2022."
Taco Mac currently operates 27 locations in Georgia as well as a single unit in Chattanooga.
Are you surprised by Taco Mac's decision to close at Lindbergh City Center? When was the last time you dined at Taco Mac at Lindbergh City Center? What would you like to see open in place of Taco Mac?
Please share your thoughts below.
12 comments:
That location has sucked for a long time. Service was terrible.
Not surprised. The entire Lindbergh area has become increasingly dangerous and that has just exploded since last year. Shootings, arsons, car break-ins have been non-stop. I moved to the area in 2007 and have seen that entire development fall into disrepair while places like Five Guys, Chilis and Urban Flats fled. It's time for some serious action to prevent further loss of businesses and decreased property values. This is not a political issue - everyone is suffering and the City needs to step up.
The new owner are messing it up. And that is BS there lease is up and the rent got jacked.
Not surprising. Between the homeless and govt subsided housing clientele at City Center... That area has become a dump.
This area has been trending downhill for a long time. People will not pay to park in the Garson and other garages. To ask people to get a ticket, have to validate it or to pay for parking doesn't work. Especially when those parking machines don't work half the time. The pandemic and economic downtown are a body blow to the area. With so many people using MARTA around there and living there, you'd figure there would have been a way to make it work. In 2007, the AJC wrote a huge article about the transit oriented development there. But due to the incompetence of the city/MARTA/parking companies, the area never took off. It's sad with so many high income earners around there looking for something to do and willing to spend money
Crime is not unique to Buckhead over the past year. In the aftermath of the pandemic and the economic depression, crime has exploded around the country, Chicago, Miami, New York, Portland. Perhaps if we ever get people to ignore the misinformation campaign from Republicans and FOX about the vaccines and get to the other side of the pandemic, things will calm down. But the Buckhead crime situation is out of control. Perhaps we need to look at some form of gun control. That will never happen with Republicans in charge.
It is really sad what has happened to Buckhead and the Lindbergh area. I have never liked the Lindbergh development around Marta. I always found the parking deck to be a hassle and would typically only go to the restaurants if I was taking Marta vs driving. Now I only go to Buckhead to work and hope my car is safe during the day. I don't shop or dine there anymore....sad.
Bad service for years and new landlord are more than likely what killed this location. 26 Thai Kitchen customers don't seem to have any problem parking in the garage and getting a ticket. It feels like Taco Mac took a parting shot on the way out. I think the new developer will bring new and exciting life to the property.
Having lived in the apartment complexes nearby, I ended up with dozens of pint glasses from Thursday Pint nights with friends at the Lindbergh Taco Mac about 10-12 years ago. Solid burgers and wings, great beers, good service were always what we got. I did notice a decline in cleanliness and service around the time I moved away several years ago, but it was still popular. This area has always had a problem with petty theft, car break-ins, etc but the violent crime surge and incompetence of the city to manage it is what did it in. It is unfortunate to see such a quick decline in what was a great developing area.
Just a poor excuse on their way out. They were tremendously short staffed and failing at that location. Tried to order from there recently and they would not let us do so because they were so slammed. Patrons went, they just couldn't handle it.
The location at Emory is also closed, which tells me that there is more to the story thannthey are leading us to believe
Lack of gun control has NOTHING to do with crime in the Lindberg area.
Post a Comment