As if having the bridge over Peachtree Creek in Brookhaven closed for weeks was not bad enough, now the community will soon lose a beloved retailer too. ToNeTo Atlanta has now confirmed the troubling news that Mattress Firm will soon close its store at 2562 Briarcliff Road where it occupies a freestanding junior anchor space within the Village at Druid Hills shopping center.
The Brookhaven area closure follows other Atlanta area closures in recent years including former stores in Buckhead, Lindbergh, Sandy Springs (2), Woodstock, and East Cobb (2), among others. Following the closure, area residents will have to traverse nearly the entire city to the next closest Mattress Firm - a "SuperCenter" - more than three miles away, at the corner of North Decatur and Clairmont Roads.
Following years of inexplicably endless and seemingly unnecessary expansion, Mattress Firm came to the realization in 2017 that it had too many stores. The company in 2018 closed about 700 stores including several in Georgia.
The recent string of Atlanta area closures leave the Houston-based retailer with only 999 locations in metro Atlanta, according to our less than scientific estimates.
In Village at Druid Hills, it's been a mixed bag as of late with multiple openings and closures in the center. Chi Chi Vegan opened in the former Newk's last April but by the end of the year was closed. Mediterranean quick-serve eatery Hummus Republic also opened last spring in the former Penn Station East Coast Subs and remains open, for now. Howlin' Willy's, a new hot chicken sibling brand from Willy's Mexicana Grill opened within the existing Willy's, while a Sport Clips next door closed. The former Chi Chi space (3,601 square feet) and former Sport Clips (1,194 square feet) remain vacant and available. According to the site plan for the center, the Mattress Firm and adjacent Walgreens are both "NAP" meaning they are officially not a part of the project or leased by the center's owner, Columbia Properties.
As for what will replace Mattress Firm in Brookhaven, the space's small size and the center's existing parking challenges would seem to make it an ideal location for a new Trader Joe's.
What would you like to see open in place of Mattress Firm in Brookhaven? What should open in place of Chi Chi Vegan? Where did you purchase your last mattress?
Please share your thoughts below.
27 comments:
Been reading long enough to know your writing style and that you generally don't want to imply any malice here, and what you do is directed at the corporation.
Still, I'm guessing people probably losing jobs out of this so maybe you don't want to celebrate people losing their jobs with quite so heavy a hand...
I never really understood why Newk’s closed & never got a chance to try the Vegan place. I am kind of surprised that Mattress Firm is closing. I honestly wish since it’s closing anyway that they’d rear it down & make more parking there. It’s so difficult to find parking with all the eateries in that center
Tearing down a building to build parking is going to get you canceled in the comments section
Agree with the first commenter. Whether Mattress Firm, storage facilities, banks, etc., these places 1) employ people; 2) pay taxes, including property taxes; 3) keep shopping centers leased. They may not be exciting businesses, but it isn't like their existence is preventing more exciting businesses from finding a location to open...
As a real estate expert, I'd love to read your thoughts on how best to deal with places you're so unhappy to see exist.
They should fill up the parking lot with more buildings. People can just walk or ride the bus. Better for the environment
I, for one, have been reading long enough to get the joke. I'm a 40-something and have purchased two mattresses in my life (granted I got a couple hand-me-downs as a young adult). I drove five miles to the Original Mattress Factory near Jimmy Carter and spent a total of 1.5 hours of my life in a brick and mortar mattress store. The most recent time there was a single employee to help me with my family the only other people in the room. It could have been twice as far away and I would not have questioned whether we needed another one near by. It really deserves mocking. Obviously no one is celebrating the loss of the few jobs they provide. Maybe something more useful, and employing far more people, will go in its place.
LOL...Love the humor Eli. Don't let the downers here change you.
I think the ongoing road construction in that area plays a part as well as the lack of parking in that center. I have purchased 2 mattresses in the past year and had great service at that particular Mattress Firm. The other mattress I purchased was at The Original Matress Factory in Alpharetta and that was not a good experience. It's very sad for the businesses but until that bridge is replaced I really don't want to shop in that area.
Has anyone tried a mattress store with hookah? Maybe they can convert the E11evenFortty5 "Lounge" when it shuts down.
Grow some thick skin!!! All this woke and PC is making us weak. I'm a strong black woman and I have faced a lot of BS in my lifetime. Stop crying and move on! Tissues are on the LEFT side! Eli did not force anyone to close with his pin. PERIOD. Freedom of speech is to be protected. If you babies don't like it then bye! Eli you do you and keep moving forward. Thank you
I’m a strong Asian woman and I do find it racist.
Thanks for letting us know you're a strong black woman. I'm a lazy white man. Nice to meet you.
Hooo boy, these comments are getting good. This is going to be fun.
I'm a weak white MSNBC dad and my girl boss wife wanted me to tell you that we also find it racist.
It's like being back in the car with the CB radio playing in these comments!
I’m a poopoo pants. I lika da doodies. And I think its a-ok.
I see that the fun police were the first to the comments section on this one. A little humor must mean that Eli personally made sure that the three people who worked at this mattress store never earn a paycheck again. It must be exhausting constantly tsk-tsking everyone.
Parking wasn't the issue; always plenty on the side between MF and Walgreens.
LOL Eli. Any company that opens multiple locations within sight distance of each other deserves a little bit of light ribbing about someone having to travel 3 miles to another MF.
And your are right, there will still be too many MFs in metro Atlanta.
The 3-5 people who work at that location will likes have opportunity to relocate to another MF. MF has a pretty constant turnover, so there will be opportunities.
MF has lots of employee turnover. There will be spots for the displaced employees
The final opening of the hospital should bring a large customer base. I look forward to what comes along.
Agreed with anon-5/22-1015pm, there are definitely still too many MFs in this city.
And a lot of Mattress Firms too. ;)
Was this article edited after the fact? I’m confused by the comments stating the article is “celebrating people losing their jobs”?
It was not edited. That's just the "I need a safe space/you're triggering me with your microaggressions" crowd finding something to be offended by, per usual.
I prefer purchasing pre stained mattresses at Goodwill.
They’re not “edited” for cleanliness! Rock on!
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