Wednesday, December 14, 2022

[CLOSURE ALERT] Cajun Seafood Restaurant Walks The Plank

After less than a year in business, The Captain's Boil has shuttered its two Atlanta units and seemingly abandoned plans for another two locations that were under construction.  Headquartered in Canada, The Captain's Boil made waves in metro Atlanta when it announced in October 2021 that its US expansion would start in Atlanta. (Atlanta-based private equity firm NRD Capital owns a minority interest in the chain.)  Representatives from the company would later tell ToNeTo Atlanta that the chain planned to open at least fifteen locations in metro Atlanta.

The first Atlanta area location of The Captain's Boil officially opened January 6 at Cumberland Mall near Smyrna.  The Cumberland/Smyrna area has proven popular for restaurants offering Cajun seafood.  The Juicy Crab opened along Cobb Parkway next to Best Buy in late 2017 followed by The Pirate's Boil, across the street in the Goodwill center in late 2019.  This past December, Ben's Crab Seafood & Bar replaced the former Wade's restaurant on Concord Road in Smyrna.  

Despite the area's appetite for Cajun seafood, The Captain's Boil reportedly closed in Cumberland in September displaying signage that it was "remodeling" and encouraging patrons to visit their Woodstock location, nearly twenty miles away.  

The Woodstock location, located just off Highway 92, opened in late April and reportedly closed in November.  A new restaurant, The Original Hot Chicken, opened December 6 in place of The Captain's Boil in Woodstock.  

The Cumberland Mall location, which before The Captain's Boil, was a Ted's Montana Grill, remains vacant.  

Signage at the shuttered Cumberland restaurant displaying an April 2022 promotion 

In Sandy Springs, The Captain's Boil was to have opened in place of a former Huey Luey's (6650 Roswell Road), which closed in October 2021 after about five years in business.  The two level space space had potentially the greatest visibility of the initial four locations, situated at the intersection of Abernathy and Roswell Roads.     

In Lawrenceville, The Captain's Boil was to have opened at Merton Walk (911 Duluth Highway), a Publix-anchored shopping center where the new seafood restaurant would have replaced a former Newk's Eatery. 

Work on both the Sandy Springs and Lawrenceville locations has slowed dramatically in recent weeks with The Captain's Boil website no longer displaying any locations.  The chain, launched in Canada in 2015, reportedly operates at least 20 locations across Canada as of the openings in metro Atlanta, but according to online reports, has closed at least three of them.  

Did you ever go to The Captain's Boil?  What would you like to see open in place of The Captain's Boil at Cumberland Mall and their planned locations in Lawrenceville and Sandy Springs?  What type of restaurant concept would you like to see open in metro Atlanta in 2023? 

Please share your thoughts below. 

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Someone lanced the concept.
It's always painful to see a business fail.

Susan said...

It would be great if Ippolito's decided to move into the former Huey Luey's now that we know they aren't coming back to Abernathy Square.

Anonymous said...

Another case of the rent being too high. Huey Luey's space's rent is astronomical in this economy. Without PPP loans, many places will soon shutter.

Anonymous said...

Hahahahahhahaha. Just scammers. Will be charged w fraud.

Anonymous said...

Several thoughts here: 1. Remember… “The rent is too damn high “ lol 2. these PPP loans it is my understanding that greater than 50% ended up to be scammers and these people are going to jail 3. while we’re talking about seafood stay clearly away from brown bag seafood Company, I feel for the small business owners and wish them all the luck in the world but really the product is god awful.

Anonymous said...

Good idea

Anonymous said...

Any mall is a very tough market to be in. High rents trying to cover all of the empty spaces.

Anonymous said...

never trust seafood this far inland

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