Panera [Bread] has closed its bakery cafe at Ashford Lane (formerly Perimeter Place) in Dunwoody. The fast casual restaurant, a center mainstay since its debut in 2006, reportedly closed abruptly about two weeks ago and according to signage on the door "moved" to Dunwoody Village. In reality, the company closed the restaurant and hopes that would-be patrons will travel the roughly two miles to 1625 Mt. Vernon Road where the restaurant has operated a location for several years.
Earlier this year, ToNeTo Atlanta obtained leasing materials for Ashford Lane that indicated that popular hot chicken chain Hattie B's had an LOI (Letter of Intent) in on the roughly 3,600 square foot Panera space. However, recent conversations with real estate professionals familiar with the center's leasing and a representative from Hattie B's tell ToNeTo Atlanta that the chicken joint is not part of the Dunwoody project. In better news, the Hattie B's representative did tell us that progress is finally being made on their highly anticipated West Midtown location, and that it should open in late March. The restaurant, first announced in 2019, will be located at 711 10th Street and at 4,800 square feet, is expected to be the Nashville-based chain's largest location.
As for Ashford Lane, despite the closures, several high-profile restaurants have signed on to be part of the center's new look including Superica, Jeni's Spendid Ice Creams, Brown Bag Seafood and Sweetgreen. As ToNeTo Atlanta has said before, the siteplan we have reviewed has several other well-known and new-to-market names, but as leasing efforts are still underway, we will not be naming them.
Are you surprised to see Panera Bread close its Ashford Lane restaurant? What is your favorite Perimeter area restaurant? What would you like to see open in place of Panera at Ashford Lane?
Please share your thoughts below.
4 comments:
They need to go slice up some remodeling at their open locations. They’re starting to look a little ragged and worn inside.
No doubt the Dunwoody Village location has lower rent, but it is not very nice. I really enjoyed eating at the closed location which was larger, cleaner and more modern.
Panera is one of those "buck or two" places -- where everything seems to cost a buck or two more than it really should. If I'm over in that area and want a decent soup or sandwich I'd head across the street to Jason's, which just seems like a better value (not necessarily cheaper, but better value).
That shopping center seems cursed though... With the exception of Taco Mac and the awful SuperTarget that can't seem to keep shelves stocked (pre-pandemic...) I think most every other space is on it's 2nd or 3rd tenant. I do hope Fleming's sticks around as it's the only remaining Bloomin' Brands concept in that complex now...
@2:57 While I haven't been yet, my wife and kids say the newly renovated SuperTarget over there is quite impressive. They may have been purposely letting the stock wane pre and during covid to make it easier to move the inventory into the parking lot pods while they renovated.
Taco Mac has gotten pretty bad. It's mostly a takeout place now as they have closed off the indoor and outdoor patio and more than half of the remaining seating is not being used - certainly due to staffing shortages. With Buffalo Wild Wings coming soon to the Perimeter Parking lot, they might be on deathwatch. There's no way the Taco Mac, BWW and Wild Wing Cafe can all survive together.
Also, Bloomin' sold its interest in Flemings many years ago. I'm not a fan of Flemings. I like the other high end chains better and would rather go to McKendricks if I'm ponying up for a good steak restaurant.
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