Sunday, July 31, 2022

Bits & Bites

Wagamama officially opened July 27 for dine-in at Star Metals in West Midtown.  The restaurant, the first in Atlanta for the London-based brand, had been open for the past few weeks but for takeout only, as the restaurant ramped up and received their liquor license.  Featuring an Asian-inspired menu complete with ramen, teppanyaki and assorted noodle dishes, the restaurant also features vegetarian friendly options like a mixed mushroom bao, freshly made juices, and a full bar.  

Cuts Steakhouse has opened a new location in Suwanee.  The new restaurant, located at the corner of Satellite Boulevard and Old Peachtree Road, sits in an outparcel of a Home Depot store. The roughly 7,000 square foot freestanding restaurant was once home to an outpost of Tilted Kilt but is unrecognizable after a more than yearlong renovation process created a chic interior complete with a mezzanine seating area.  Cuts owner Muzo Saritas opened the first Cuts in early 2014 on Andrew Young International Boulevard in downtown Atlanta, and also owns Atalian Kitchen & Bar, Truva Turkish Kitchen, and Metro Diner & Bar.  

The Pig & The Pearl has closed.  The barbecue and seafood restaurant, which opened at Atlantic Station during the summer of 2014, reportedly closed earlier this month.  The restaurant was opened by Chef Todd Richards and Cindy Shera of The Shed at Glenwood.  Richards left to become Executive Chef at White Oak Kitchen & Cocktails in 2015, and today is co-owner of The Soulful Company Restaurant Group overseeing Lake & Oak Neighborhood BBQ in the East Lake and Soul Food & Culture at Krog Street Market.  According to Shera's LinkedIn, she became owner of Dot's Fine Wine & Craft, a wine & beer shop in Ballground, earlier this month.  The Shed at Glenwood, another restaurant Shera owned, closed in late 2020 after 12 years in business.  An Atlantic Station representative provided ToNeTo Atlanta this statement with regard to the status of The Pig & The Pearl space: “Atlantic Station prides itself on its curated collection of restaurants, retail and entertainment tenants. While the past few years have been difficult for every industry, the Atlantic Station community has remained strong through finding creative and thoughtful solutions between the tenants and landlord. In this time of transition, we are saying goodbye to longtime favorite The Pig and the Pearl, but we are excited to share what's next for these spaces in the heart of Atlanta very soon.”

Francesca’s plans to bring its "franki by Francesca's" concept to Mall of Georgia in Buford. The new concept store, targeted at tweens, hopes to fill the brick & mortar void left by Justice (fka Limited Too), which shuttered all of its stores at the end of 2020.  Francesca's CEO Andrew Clarke oversaw merchandising during many of Justice’s best years and presumably understands the space better than most.  

Affordable jewelry store Lovisa plans to open its third Atlanta area store at Perimeter Mall in Dunwoody.  Thew new store, which will be located on the mall's upper level above H&M, joins existing Atlanta area stores in Cumberland Mall near Smyrna and Mall of Georgia in Buford. "Lovisa was created out of a need for current fashion jewelry at an accessible price point." In other words, they sell affordable "luxury."  

Gap is returning to Lenox Square.  According to a permit filed with the City of Atlanta, the retailer plans to open in space 4047 C, an upper level space previously occupied by its babyGap and GapKids brands.  The permit indicates that the retailer plans to spend approximately $241,000 to "remodel" and "deep clean" the roughly 6,000 square foot space. Gap closed its store on the main mall level earlier this March with Canadian women's retailer Aritzia opening in their former space earlier this week.

Paradise Grills is coming soon to Phipps Plaza. The Florida-based retailer of outdoor grills will open in a roughly 4,400 square foot space on the mall's upper level overlooking Tiffany & Co.  The new Buckhead outpost will be the fourth in metro Atlanta for the growing chain.  The company currently has locations open near the Mall of Georgia in Buford and along Barrett Parkway in Kennesaw with a third coming soon to Alpharetta.  Paradise Grills claims to be "America’s Largest Outdoor Grills and Furniture Manufacturer."  According to a store employee at one of the company's Atlanta area stores, prices range from about $3,000 for a basic grill to more than $70,000 for a full outdoor kitchen.  That said, while their pricing is definitely in line with the luxury level of Phipps Plaza, their product offerings teamed with location on the second floor are a puzzling pair for the upscale center.  Also worth noting, the company has received 174 complaints with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) but still maintains an A+ rating.  

Floor & Decor has pushed its planned July 25 opening to August 1 to August 15.  The store, located at 1690 Northeast Expressway in Brookhaven, was enlarged and completely rebuilt to become the Atlanta-based company's flagship store.  

North Italia plans to open its second Atlanta area location August 17 in Dunwoody. The restaurant, located at 4600 Ashford Dunwoody Road, replaced California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) which closed September 2020.   The new North Italia Dunwoody joins the North Italia in Buckhead which opened June 22 at Lenox Square in Buckhead

Your 3rd Spot, a new "Technology-Driven Dining and Gaming Concept," has announced that it plans to open October 12 at The Works in the Upper Westside. The 26,000 square foot space will feature full food and drink menus along with a variety of activities including board games, bowling, shuffleboard, and more.  The business, from Boston-based Amp Up1 Hospitality, chose Atlanta to launch its new concept, but reportedly has another nine locations in the works across eight states and Washington D.C.  

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Three thousand dollars, let alone 70, for a grill? A fool and his money are soon parted. Truer words have never been spoken when it comes to Paradise Grills.

Anonymous said...

That Atlantic Station statement has to be the most corporate boilerplate gook I've ever read.

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