The Buckhead outpost of The Original Pancake House has closed. The restaurant, located at 2964 Peachtree Road at Buckhead Centre (now Buckhead Center?) in Buckhead, opened in May 2021 after COVID delayed their originally planned 2020 opening. It's unclear when exactly the restaurant closed. While we just noticed it this week, local sources suggest it's been closed for more than a month!
When asked to confirm when the restaurant closed, a representative from the management team at Buckhead Center indicated they could not comment. The reluctance to comment hints at there being legal drama related to what was undoubtedly a premature closure of the restaurant in the middle of a long-term lease. (Boca Raton-based CP Group, together with Cohen & Steers, acquired Buckhead Center in February 2022.)
When The Original Pancake House opened, it replaced Brio Tuscan Grille, which had closed in 2017 after seventeen years in business. The restaurant benefited from an amazing Peachtree Road patio, but had to contend with a parking deck and a space likely too large for its actual needs.
Following the Buckhead closure, the chain has four restaurants in Georgia: One on LaVista at Cheshire Bridge Road in what is now ridiculously close to the border of the City of Brookhaven, one along Memorial Drive in Stone Mountain, one along Windward Parkway in Alpharetta and one in Savannah.
The Original Pancake House and its nearly 9,000 square feet is the latest high profile restaurant vacancy in Buckhead.
ToNeTo Atlanta reported August 31 that Del Frisco's Grille closed its two level, 9,000 square foot restaurant at 3376 Peachtree Road. Del Frisco's was located in front of the Waldorf Astoria Atlanta Buckhead and a stone's throw from Lenox Square.
In addition, American Cut and its three level, nearly 20,000 square foot space remains vacant at Buckhead Village District as are the former Grand Luxe Cafe, Public Kitchen & Bar and Tavern at Phipps at Phipps Plaza. The former location of The Cheesecake Factory on Peachtree Road next to RH (Restoration Hardware) was recently demolished with seemingly no immediate plans for development, while the former Ocean Prime on Piedmont Road has been vacant since 2015.
That said, it's not all doom and gloom for Buckhead restaurants.
A new Buckhead outpost of Delbar is expected to open before the end of the year in the former King+Duke at the corner of Peachtree and West Paces Ferry Roads while new-to-market Burtons Grill & Bar is slated to open next summer at the revamped and soon to be Publix-anchored Buckhead Landing shopping center.
Are you surprised to see The Original Pancake House close in Buckhead? What is your favorite breakfast spot in Buckhead? What would you like to see open in place of The Original Pancake House on Peachtree Road in Buckhead?
Please share your thoughts below.
39 comments:
My fav is The White House. So good with so much history.
Hard to see sustained success at restaurant businesses in Buckhead when you can't find good servers to work due to people not tipping more than 10%.
That has nothing to do with why they closed.
True, meager tips and/or rude customers send good servers looking elsewhere. Even if a restaurant has good accessibility, good management, attractive decor, and a great menu - but the service is only mediocre, word gets out and customers don't come.
Case in point - Houston's at Lenox Road.
Unless the Server is obviously the issue I always tip 20% since any negative issue is probably not their fault. However, I may not go back if the overall experience was a negative one.
Restaurant closures ITP far outnumber openings.
The Original Pancake House and Hookah Lounge--problem solved. The only small businesses that can survive in Buckhead now seem to be "lounges" (i.e. illegal night clubs), personal injury lawyers and nail salons.
City of Atlanta's golden goose is about to be cooked. Like watching a car accident in slow motion. Will be funny to watch the crime and blight move into the residential neighborhoods.
Food too heavy.
I remember when Houston's was the spot! I know they had some controversial occurrences that took place some time ago, but I have read that the eating soon was changing substantially and those restaurants that didn't make the transition needed would not survive. This has been a conversation for the past 20 years.
I have heard for some time that the best restaurants were in midtown because of the colleges located nearby. Buckhead is definitely not the same, but everything must change. The clientele is different and in my opinion, Buckhead is not a desirable location anymore for several reasons, crime and quality of living being a part of the reason.
The Canadian clientele won’t tip
The Original of the Original pancake house was located closer to Oglethorpe University on Peachtree Road. In those days, it was fun to go on a weekend morning to see all the couples that hooked up the night before talking about their encounters with similarly situated others.
Racist. So many racist comments here. You probably don’t live here or anywhere near the city. So many great businesses here, if you lived here you would know.
Don’t eat it. Stay home and eat fruit.
I remember the Brookhaven location that closed years ago next to what was the Peachtree Garden apts
It’s been closed since at least May
It’s def turning into the hood quickly in that area. Section 8 housing right behind it and cars broken into regularly in the damn expensive parking deck behind it. Not racis’, just facts.
Nothing racist about it. The demographic changed, and crime came with it. Just the facts, ma'am.
No section 8. And typing “racis’” is, in fact, racist.
That location was a disaster. So close to our home, we were hoping for a great breakfast and frequent visits. Instead we got marginal food served in stages so we didn’t eat together, missing items, disjointed servers. Just a mess….and no apologies
Not racists. They don't tip which is why Cornern Tavern and others on the south side had to add 20% to the bill (and then took it off when people complained). Ask any server friend who tips and who does not. Also it is not racists to say the area behind that location and buckhead in general has a lot of smashed car windows (they got me on Lenox road). Sure, all races steal but let's be real about the percentages in Atlanta.
Anyway, back to OPH. The one on Cheshire Bridge is still there and has excellent staff. Tip 15-20% if you like it and start fighting the stereotypes.
Houstos on Lenox was amazing. Food and service. They closed when TI got mad they enforced a dress code and a closing time. Big loss always packed. Guess TI got what he wanted lol.
It never really ever opened as far as I am concerned! It would open for a little while then close. Then new management took over and it was open for a little while again. I lost money for parking only to find out no one was in there but the cleaners for that day! I don't know why a success could not be made of it. Never drew a crowd
@Anon 10/1/23 12:04pm: similar arc as Tavern at Phipps.
Cheshire Bridge location very over-rated: slow service, lost orders, cold food, servers w/ attitude. I stopped going pre-pandemic and have not been back since.
The biggest issue this restaurant faced was the Covid lockdown. It’s grand opening was scheduled the day after Georgia locked down in March of 2020. It never got traction because all of the clientele worked from home. I’m surprised it stayed open as long as it did.
Every time anything opens or closes in Buckhead, the comments are full of the anonymous "Buckhead bad because black people" guy having a conversation with himself, but this is getting out of hand - ten of the comments look like they're from that guy.
You're getting out of hand, dude; stick to your original deal where you say something racist, then pretend to be someone else calling you racist, then pretend to be a third guy explaining how the first guy isn't racist at all because racist stuff is true. Nobody needs ten comments of your shtick.
Nice try. We know it is you.
Damn Buckhead down bad. Midtown where the money at now.
Buckhead has been overrun by thugs. Need to secede from the Atlanta bananna republic!
And merge with the Atlanta Abercrombie annd Fitch
@October 2, 2023 at 8:17 PM Nice try attempting to deflect from your racist posts but nobody here is buying it.
I am someone who has financed a hospitality business in the Buckhead area. It is run by a black. HE WILL TELL YOU WITHOUT HESITATION, he has constant staff turnover and the staff all complain about the tips. The demographics of his business supports many of the comments here. It is sad but just the truth. Does that apply to everyone. NO, I know some who tip well. But I know some who barely tip. I have tried to talk my customer into doing the 20% automatic tip but he will not do it.It is a tough battle.
“Run by a black”…..SMH…
This was a poorly run restaurant. Everything was terrible... I'm in the camp of "Bring back Brio!"... I loved that place. Seriously though, let's get a better restaurant in this location.
Yes!! WH great place to eat
yoo noe wats doan tip!!!
The reason why that restaurant close….. You can’t take advantage of people. The restaurant was beginning to turn around and then it was sabotaged by a couple people. You can’t treat people wrong and expect to grow. Be very careful at the people you harm.
Hi there — actually, the owner of that corner on Lenox Road chose not to renew Houston’s lease anticipating that a new high rise was going to be built. The restaurant was consistently packed till the very last evening and the TI incident was a non factor.
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