Wednesday, June 8, 2022

Bits & Bites

WOK Provisions has opened in Duluth.  The new Szechuan eatery from popular operator Gary Lin is located in a 2,800 square foot space in Duluth Station, a Publix-anchored shopping center at 2750 Buford Highway, near its intersection with Old Peachtree Road.  In addition to the new WOK Provisions, Lin is a partner in Wei Authentic Chinese in Buford and Marietta, Hai Chinese in Suburban Plaza near Decatur and on Windward Parkway in Alpharetta, Urban Wu in Piedmont Peachtree Crossing in Buckhead and Hao Chinese in East Point. Later this summer, potentially as soon as July, Lin will open Urban Hai at 77 12th in Midtown.  

Captain D's has for a second time been acquired by Centre Partners.  The middle-market firm with more than $2.5 billion of equity in more than 80 transactions, previously bought the 540-unit chain in 2013, but sold it in 2017 to Sentinel Capital Partners.  Despite having closed several locations in and around metro Atlanta over the years, the Nashville-based seafood chain still operates more than 100 locations in Georgia including three in Decatur and two each in Marietta and Tucker.  

Last Call Hospitality, owners of Zeus Greek Street Food and Mambo Italian Street, are reopening their taqueria Prickly Pear, this time joining their existing two concepts along Powers Ferry Road, not far from The Battery Atlanta.  The original outpost of Prickly Pear was located at 950 West Peachtree Street in Midtown but closed in June 2019 after ten years in business, after which it was replaced by a Domino's Pizza.  The new Prickly Pear will open in place of a former dry cleaners on an end cap of one of the center's buildings.  In the center - the Shoppes at Powers Ferry - Prickly Pear not only joins Zeus and Mambo Italian, but also Dunkin' and Moe's Southwest Grill, among other eateries. 

Callie's Hot Little Biscuit at the corner of Virginia and Highland Avenues closed as of June 1 after nearly seven years in business.  Owner Carrie Morey blamed the closure on rising costs.  Morey, who in January 2020 opened a Callie's in Charlotte's South End, debuted in a ten-part PBS docuseries in which one episode centered on the opening of the Queen City restaurant. Unfortunately, Morey closed the South End location this past January.  Callie's Hot Little Biscuit continues to operate a pair of locations in their home market of Charleston.   In Atlanta, Publix and Whole Foods, among other retailers, sell Callie's biscuits in their frozen aisle.  

Going Going Gone by Dick's Sporting Goods has replaced Dick's Warehouse in Towne Center Prado in Marietta.  The stores, both outlets, are essentially the same and the change represents the new direction for the company in their off-price efforts.  This move follows news ToNeTo Atlanta exclusively reported in April whereby Dick's is also replacing their Kennesaw Field & Stream store with Public Lands, an REI-like outdoors-focused retailer.   

Lids and Lids U, a college oriented concept store, are opening new locations at Perimeter Mall in Dunwoody.   

A new retailer called Bombshell Lingerie is coming to a building that most recently housed a locksmith on Cheshire Bridge Road.  Downs Safe & Lock, now Downs Security Solutions, relocated to Alpharetta, making their 4,300 square foot space at 1646 Cheshire Bridge Road available.  Work on the space has intensified in recent weeks and the business should be open soon.  

ToNeTo Atlanta reported in April that North Italia planned to open its Buckhead outpost at Lenox Square June 22 and its Dunwoody outpost along Ashford-Dunwoody Road July 20.  The Lenox location will open on June 22 but the Dunwoody restaurant's opening has been pushed to "August."  

A new Scooter's Coffee is planned for Snellville.  The Omaha-based operator has plans to open a new drive-thru only coffee shop in an outparcel of Wisteria Village shopping center.  The 600 square foot coffee shop would be constructed on a .36 acre parcel.  There are currently two Scooter's Coffee locations open in metro Atlanta: West Crossville Road in Roswell and Canton Road in Marietta.  ToNeTo Atlanta reported in April that the company also has a new location planned for East Cobb. In February, Scooter's announced plans to open a roughly 40,000 square foot distribution center in Hapeville to aid in their southeast expansion efforts.  

Retailer Lucky Brand closed its Alpharetta store at Avalon as of May 11.  Following the closure the company continues to operate a pair of full-line stores in metro Atlanta at Phipps Plaza and Mall of Georgia as well as outlet stores at North Georgia Premium Outlets in Dawsonville, Tanger Outlets Locust Grove in Locust Grove and The Outlet Shoppes at Atlanta in Woodstock.  

Boot Barn will open its fourth overall Georgia location with a store planned for Commerce.  The roughly 10,000 square foot shop will be located at 243 Steven B Tanger Boulevard where it will replace a former Ryan's Grill Buffet & Bakery.   Boot Barn operates existing Georgia stores in Columbus, Gainesville and Valdosta.  

Sweetgreen plans to open its latest Atlanta area restaurant Tuesday, June 28 at Ashford Lane in Dunwoody.  The new eatery, the Los Angeles-based company's fifth in metro Atlanta, joins existing locations at Ponce City Market, Colony Square, Lenox Square and at Star Metals on the Westside.   

A new juice joint called Wholesum Juice Bar is also opening at Ashford Lane. 

Dunkin' GO opened June 2 along Roswell Road in Chastain Park.  The new scaled-down donut shop replaced a building that had most recently operated as an Enterprise Rent-A-Car office.  Another new Dunkin' is planned for the former Starbucks in The Prado shopping center, just inside I-285 in Sandy Springs.  
A new Cajun seafood restaurant called Cap't Loui is opening in the former Highland Bakery at 319 West Ponce de Leon Avenue in Decatur.  The Decatur outpost will be the second unit of Cap't Loui in Georgia joining the existing outpost on Satellite Boulevard in Duluth.  The roughly 3,100 square foot restaurant space has been vacant since July 2020 when Highland Bakery shuttered.  

Cumberland Mall will soon welcome a new Hollister/Gilly Hicks combo store.  The openings will mark the return of Abercrmbie & Fitch owned brands to the mall following the closure of Abercrombie & Fitch at the mall more than a decade ago.  The new stores will occupy the old New York & Company space on the second floor of the mall near the food court.  

SabaRaba's has opened at Parkside Shops in Sandy Springs.  The new Mediterranean eatery is housed in a 200 square foot container in the Tuesday Morning and The Springs Cinema & Taphouse-anchored shopping center.  The restaurant debuted at the end of May and is owned by Udi Hershkovitz, co-founder of  Fuego Mundo at The Prado in Sandy Springs and Marrekesh in Ponce City Market, which closed this past March.  SabaRaba's serves street food-style pitas, laffas, and plates with falafel, shawarma, gyro, schnitzel, marinated grilled chicken, and sabich with fresh-made eggplant. In addition to the five proteins, there is Israeli salad, tabbouleh, and a seasonally rotating market salad. Sides include hummus, babaganoush, seasoned cauliflower and seasoned fries.  SabaRaba's is open daily from 11 AM until 8 PM.  

In the coming weeks, Bok You ATL, a new Korean fried chicken restaurant from Seven Chan and Ken Yu, founders of Poke Burri and Lifting Noodles Ramen, will join SabaRaba's in an adjacent container in the parking lot.  The restaurant's menu is expected to feature three or four flavors of the battered bird. Patrons will also be able to buy a bucket of fried chicken or order it as a sandwich or tenders with sides.  

A popular restaurant group is bringing its Spanish tapas concept to new neighborhoods.  Fork U Concepts, creators of Silla del Toro, plans to bring the restaurant to Roswell and Toco Hills in the coming months.  The original Silla del Toro debuted on the square in Marietta in September 2019.  In addition to Stilla del Toro,  Fork U Concepts, LLC is the parent company of the eight-unit Taqueria Tsunami Latin Asian Kitchen as well as the three-unit Stockyard Burgers and Bones and Forno Vero at the Marietta Square Market.  At Toco Hills, Silla del Toro will occupy suite 620, a 3,760 square foot space most recently home to Regions Bank.  Silla del Toro Roswell will open within the upcoming Southern Post project along Alpharetta Highway. 

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

There’s also a Hollister / Gilly Hicks store coming soon at the Mall of Georgia.

Anonymous said...

I can't get behind the tag of "street food". When I see/hear that, all I can think of is food covered in the disgusting dirt, litter, sand and other crap that collects in a roadway. I have eaten at Mambo Italian, and it is really good, but anything labeled "street" is not something that I will gravitate to.

Anonymous said...

Avalon has had several closures lately: Brooks Brothers, Levis, Lucky, Marmi to name a few. I think it's a see and be seen rather than a shop and spend money destination. The growing Indian and Asian populations of North Fulton and South Forsythe are more likely to shop at the Woodstock and Dawsonville outlet malls. Avalon's retail might be suffering.

Anonymous said...

Sabaraba’s is the best thing to open in this area of Sandy Springs in ages. The best falafel I have ever had.

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