[EXCLUSIVE] Bezoria Quietly Shutters in Alpharetta

Local Mediterranean eatery Bezoria has closed its Alpharetta outpost.  Situated at The Atwater (2685 Old Milton Parkway), across from Avalon, Bezoria opened in April 2017 and reportedly closed as of this past Monday, September 27.  The Alpharetta outpost was at the time of its opening the second unit for the fledgling chain after the original location on Peachtree Street in Midtown which debuted in 2014.  A location at Cumberland Mall in Smyrna debuted in early 2018 followed by a unit along Pleasant Hill Road in Duluth this past April.  

[EXCLUSIVE] Something Fishy Spotted at Former Wade's in Smyrna

Recently updated signage indicates that a seafood restaurant will replace Wade's in Smyrna.  According to a ToNeTo Atlanta reader, new signage displaying "Ben's Seafood & Bar" recently went up at the two story restaurant at 1061 Concord Road.  Wade's, co-owned and managed by Smyrna area resident Jason McClure, closed in August after about four years in business.  

[STRIKE!] Knocked Down by Pandemic, Historic Funtime Bowl Closed Permanently in Brookhaven

A ToNeTo Atlanta reader recently alerted us to the closure of Funtime Bowl at Northeast Plaza.  The bowling alley, a mainstay in the Buford Highway shopping center since its debut in 1958, reportedly never reopened from what was meant to be a temporary pandemic closure.  A sibling location on Jonesboro Road in Forest Park remains open.  

[CLOSURE ALERT] Outback Steakhouse Shutters Dunwoody Restaurant

Outback Steakhouse officially closed their Dunwoody area restaurant Sunday night, September 26.  The restaurant, located in Perimeter Place Ashford Lane, occupied a 6,351 square foot freestanding space and opened in 2005 with the center.  Outback was one of four concepts from Tampa-based Bloomin' Brands (fka OSI Restaurant Partners, LLC) to have opened in the center but following the closures of Cheeseburger in Paradise in 2012 and Carrabba's Italian Grill in 2020, only upscale steakhouse Fleming's remains open in the development.  

[MANGIA!] North Italia Heads South For New Atlanta Location

North Italia will enter the Atlanta market next year with a restaurant planned for Lenox Square in Buckhead.  According to a permit filed with the City of Atlanta Thursday, the Italian restaurant plans to spend an estimated $1.5 million to convert a roughly 5,500 square foot space at the mall.  Although the exact space, which is described as including a patio, is not identified, sources close to the mall tell ToNeTo Atlanta that the restaurant will open at the front of the mall in place of Zinburger, which closed last year. 

[UPDATE] Franchise "Kings" Shutter The Hummus & Pita Co. After Mere Months in Business

The Hummus & Pita Co. has closed its lone Atlanta area unit after less than a year in business.  Located at 4511 Olde Perimeter Way in the Super Target-anchored Perimeter Place Ashford Lane shopping center, Hummus & Pita opened November 21, 2020, and closed in early August 2021, according to sources in the area.  Brother-in-law franchisees Jay Gill and Patrick Sidhu signed a five-unit development deal with the New York-based franchise in March 2019, with plans to open the restaurants over a two year span across metro Atlanta. “The Hummas & Pita Co. has unlimited growth potential," said Gill and Sidhu at the time. Clearly things didn't work out as planned.  

[UPDATE] Toco Hills Owner Acquires North DeKalb Mall, Costco Still "Interested"

North DeKalb Mall once again has new owners who are looking to redevelop the property.  According to a report Tuesday by Decaturish, Columbia, South Carolina-based EDENS has acquired the nearly 70 acre property from West Palm Beach-based Sterling Organization.  The $43 million sale closed September 17 and while North DeKalb Mall has been removed from Sterling's website, it's not yet present on EDENS.

Bits & Bites

Tre Vele opened Monday September 20 at City Walk in Sandy Springs.  The new Italian restaurant, bar, and market spans about 5,600 square feet and includes a rooftop patio.  The restaurant, opened by brothers Ryan and Jonathan Akly replaces Three Sheets, also an Akly concept.  The brothers collaborated with chef/partner Ian Winslade of  their Mission + Market restaurant in Buckhead to create the new Sandy Springs eatery.  Executive Chef Giancarlo Ruiz (formerly of Storico Fresco) was recruited to helm the kitchen.  Tre Vele’s initial hours for dinner are Monday through Thursday 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday through Saturday 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. Tre Vele plans to add lunch and brunch shortly after opening.  The café and retail hours are scheduled to be Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., with plans to offer lunch to-go options alongside the retail offerings.

[EXCLUSIVE] Cali-Based Mendocino Farms Buckhead Bound

Mendocino Farms plans to make Georgia its third market with a location planned for Buckhead.  The restaurant, described as featuring "chef-driven sandwiches, salads and more, offering unique twists on classics and globally-inspired flavor combinations," will open at the new Modera Prominence apartment development at the corner of Lenox and Piedmont Roads.  The new restaurant will occupy a 3,100 square foot space along Lenox Road that will also include a roughly 800 square foot patio.   

[EXCLUSIVE] Mutation Brewing to Transform Former Taqueria in Sandy Springs

Two budding entrepreneurs are looking to turn a failed restaurant space into a brewery and taproom.  Mutation Brewing Company is slated to open later this fall at 5825 Roswell Road, just outside the perimeter, in Sandy Springs.  The new brewery will replace Taqueria Tsunami, which closed in the two level 9,137 square foot space in 2020.  Prior to Taqueria Tsunami, the space, two blocks north of I-285, was occupied by Double Zero Napoletana before its "move" to Emory Village.  

Bits & Bites

Fifth Third Bank plans to open a new branch in Roswell.  The Cincinnati-based bank plans to convert the existing Arby's restaurant at 665 West Crossville Road into a new bank branch.  The Arby's, which closed in the Trader Joe's anchored Roswell Crossing shopping center in late 2019, originally opened in 1999.  This marks at least the second time that the bank has taken over a former quick-serve restaurant building in metro Atlanta having previously converted the one-time El Pollo Loco along Buford Highway in Chamblee into a bank.  Elsewhere in metro Atlanta, Chase converted a former Pollo Tropical in Alpharetta and a former Krispy Kreme in Doraville into bank branches, while Regions demolished a former Pollo Tropical in East Cobb to build its new branch.  

[UPDATE] New Kroger Inches Towards Construction in East Cobb, Plans Surface for More Fuel

After nearly four year years of planning and delays, a new Kroger is one step closer to reality in East Cobb.  Plans for the new store, which will anchor MarketPlace Terrell Mill at the northwest corner of Terrell Mill and Powers Ferry Roads, were first made public in late 2017 when developers indicated the grocer would be 113,000 square feet and include a fuel center, too.