Monday, October 3, 2022

[EXCLUSIVE] Fuddruckers Scales Back Expansion Plans

This past March we shared news that Fuddruckers would be opening ten new mall-based locations nationwide including two in metro Atlanta.  The news was met with tremendous enthusiasm with at least one reader requesting "bi-weekly status updates," and even going so far as to volunteer his time to hire permit expediters.  The plan then was for the restaurants to open by the end of 2022.  ToNeTo Atlanta has now learned that the number of openings - all of which were planned in partnership with property owner Brookfield Properties Retail - has been reduced to a single location... 

Hulen Mall, a Macy's and Dillard's-anchored mall in Fort Worth, Texas, will now be the only Brookfield property to receive a new Fuddruckers.  Plans for new Fuddruckers in Cumberland Mall, Perimeter Mall and the seven other Brookfield properties around the country including Riverchase Galleria in Birmingham, Alabama, have all been called off and removed from the "coming soon" lists on the respective properties' websites.  

Black Titan Franchise Systems, LLC acquired then 92 unit Fuddrucker's from former owner Luby's as part of their bankruptcy liquidation in June 2021.  The sales price was estimated to be approximately $18.5 million.  Nicholas Perkins, who controls Black Titan, was at the time of the acquisition already a Fuddruckers franchisee operating 13 restaurants.  

Perkins said of the original agreement with Brookfield: "We are excited to partner with Brookfield Properties, expanding our geographic footprint across the country and making Fuddruckers accessible to an even greater number of guests."  

ToNeTo Atlanta reached out to Dennard Lascar, a Texas-based investor relations firm listed in the 2021 Brookfield release as the contact for Houston-based Fuddruckers, but did not immediately hear back. 

Two Fuddruckers remain in business within TA Travel Centers in Georgia: One in Commerce, the other in Richmond Hill, near Savannah.  

While Fuddruckers may no longer be opening in Perimeter or Cumberland Malls, the two metro malls do have several restaurants in their immediate pipeline.  

At Perimeter, 26 Thai Kitchen, Buffalo Wild Wings, P.F. Chang's and Doc B's, a new to market American eatery, will all in the coming months open new locations at the mall.  Cumberland, too, will welcome new restaurants, but to its food court, where both Popeyes and Corndogs by Mr. Chow will be opening soon.  

Are you surprised to see Fuddruckers scale back its plans?  Who do you think currently makes Atlanta's best burger? What is your favorite food court eatery?  

Please share your thoughts below.  

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

not surprised by the scaling back. the new openings at perimeter are depressing. wish the yard milkshake bar would open there.

SB said...

I am furious.

Anonymous said...

We ate at a Fudds in Pennsylvania over the summer and it brought back great memories. Maybe they may open more in 2023. Love to see that.

Anonymous said...

i’m confused about Fuddruckers following and success. When they had a standalone location in Dunwoody next to Chequers Seafood where the State Farm campus resides today it seemed at that time very ad hoc, makeshift and “jimmy’d up” so to speak, not very well nurtured and was reminiscent of the customer service, quality, and cleanliness of Golden Corral but with burgers.

Anonymous said...

Not surprised they aren't expanding. I was more surprised when the expansion was announced. Fuddruckers was good back in the day but overtime they went downhill. Typically if I am at a food court I order Chickfila. If there is no Chickfila I would get a soft pretzel at Auntie Anne's. After that it would just depend what options are available.

Anonymous said...

HOT BETTY'S BREAKFAST BAR IN TUCKER GA IS PERMANENTLY CLOSED

Super Chix said...

Super Chix îs about to open in Dunwoody. It's going to be a big hit.

Anonymous said...

I'm not surprised they called this off. While I was a fan of Fuddruckers, in their glory days at least, I thought the plan to come back in mall food courts was bizarre. It just doesn't make sense for multiple reasons. Malls are not the place to grow a business anymore, especially a restaurant. Fudd's burger bar type of setup is especially strange for a food court.

Anonymous said...

I think a food court offering would diminish what makes them great. Adding your own toppings, nacho cheese. That's what made Fudd great.

Disneypal said...

I am disappointed to hear this…was really looking forward to having Fuddrucker’s back

Anonymous said...

Me too! This is disappointing!

Anonymous said...

Fuddruckers had the best burgers at an affordable price. Really wish they’d come back to the Northpoint area in Georgia. Tired of losing great places to eat which also included Smokey Bones

Anonymous said...

ME TOO!!!

Anonymous said...

ME TOO

Anonymous said...

I'm SOOOO upset about this!! We don't have one close to Birmingham after the only one we had burned years ago. Fuddrucker's is one of my FAVORITE places and I can only eat there when I go out of town. I was soooo looking forward to them coming here.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...