You know what Atlanta was missing? A new steakhouse! You know what Atlanta was desperately in need of? A steakhouse that is likely to serve hookah too. PreView Steakhouse is coming soon to 111 Cone Street in downtown Atlanta and if its owner's track record is any indication, both offerings may be on the menu.
Efuetlateh, who before opening his first restaurant (more on that later) "worked in corporate America for some of the large fortune 500 companies," described his earlier endeavor as a place where guests could come for a "safe, upscale, grown, sexy, chill and relaxed environment."
His first restaurant, also named PreView, was located at 2221 Peachtree Road (The Shops of Buckhead), and opened in July 2022 in place of Vietnamese restaurant Pho King. The Vietnamese restaurant was sold by Steve Josovitz of the Shumacher Group. In the listing, Josovitz stated "term remains on lease with an option to renew." Presumably Efuetlateh purchased the business with the intention of securing a lease renewal on the roughly 2,000 square foot space in the future.
Those hopes were dashed when an early morning fire on October 29, 2022 damaged the space. An investigation determined that the fire was caused by “hot ash remains/hot hookahs in a cardboard box heated to the point of combustion [and that] [t]he fire spread to other nearby combustibles.” As a result of its determination, the center's landlord, Selig Enterprises sought to exercise its right to terminate the lease as Efuetlateh's operation of a hookah business was outside the bounds of his lease.
"In the letter terminating the Lease, the Landlord also pointed out that Tenant was in violation of the use restriction in the Lease because it was operating a club and hookah bar, when the premises was leased only for the purpose of operating a restaurant."
The case, which started with Selig's dispossessory actions in November 2022, stretched on for more than a year and according to online records, just concluded this past June when Efuetlateh was ruled against by presiding Judge Sara Doyle in his appeal to the Georgia Court of Appeals.
According to Efuetlateh, the first PreView was many months in the making. He has seemingly wasted little time in pivoting from Buckhead to downtown, having registered "Preview Steakhouse" at the Cone Street address with the Georgia Secretary of State on August 15.
A permit for significant interior renovations of the 3,940 square foot Cone Street space was filed with the City of Atlanta on September 2.
There is no explicit mention of hookah being offered (there wasn't in advance of the Buckhead opening either) but sources tell ToNeTo Atlanta the new endeavor is meant to be a bigger, better version of the first restaurant, with similar offerings. If Efuetlateh does offer it, he may find downtown less competitive than Buckhead has become with so many establishments having added hookah to their menu as a way to drive traffic and profits.
Did you ever visit PreView in its earlier iteration? Are you excited for the opening of the new PreView? Do you plan to frequent Downtown Atlanta more or less in the years to come?
Please share your thoughts below
32 comments:
I'm curious from which "university" he "earned" his "Ph.D" from. But you don't need a Ph.D to know that Hookah in Atlanta is always a winning proposition. Except for the neighbors, of course.
Finally! A reason to go downtown....whenever I think Holiday Inn Express, I automatically assume there's a high end steakhouse next door. I can't believe that Bones, Chops, Hal's and the other Atlanta steakhouse stalwarts let this opportunity fall through their fingers. What a slam dunk.
These places are just money laundering fronts, right?
This is a genuine question, but what is the draw to adding hookah to all these businesses? I genuinely don’t understand what it adds to a business other than an instant bad reputation.
The clientele, while it lasts, won't be very diverse.
And because I really want a bunch of tobacco interfering with my olfactory and taste buds while I'm enjoying my Prime cut ...
What the hell even is a PhD in Business Administration? Maybe he was a classmate of "Dr." Jill Biden lol.
To anon: Says the guy too scared to even go inside the perimeter.
To piss your kind off. They seem to be doing a great job of it.
High end steak house, Holiday Inn Express, hookah all in one downtown location?? ... Add a strip club and it's a total winner winner chicken dinner !! No wonder ATL is trash 🗑️
Hysterical 🤣
Or a customer of Melania Trump.
Add hookers instead. They’ll be so busy they won’t know what to do!
Hookah and red meat will prevent overpopulation.
how about some video poker machines? That would put it way over the top. Organizations will all want to move their conventions to Atlanta.
Am I right in remembering this the location that used to house the chinese buffet when it was a Super 8? If it is, it's been 20+ years and I still don't think they've gotten all the bugs out of the space....
It's all hookah smoke and mirrors with these people. This guy doesn't have any reputable education. He just knows how to brand himself. He's a grifter. And there are way too many of this type in Atlanta and for some reason, they all feel the need to open carbon copy businesses that all, obviously, fail.
Nothing says luxury like a location in a former Pho restaurant in a bland Buckhead strip mall. Nothing says luxury like a location next to a Holiday Inn Express that used to be a Super 8 Motel.
On behalf of the tax paying citizens of Buckhead, let me thank this owner for finally targeting Downtown for such an esteemed establishment.
What is “my kind”? lol
More like Nurse Jill.
Ha Ha, nice! But people will be there for the Hookah.
It's a black thing.
Congratulations ITPers. You got yourselves a brand new steakhouse and hookah bar. I wonder who the chef will be?
The Eastside Beltline could really use a hookah lounge, but the Karens over there won't allow it. Rules for thee not for me.
What a joke. No doubt a friend of "The Doctor" of Toss'd and Mr. Veg'n fame.
They already have those machines in Kroger
More like whore Melania
Coffee tea and thee !
Burger Chef
This restaurant has already closed.
You seem to be a hater commenting on a business that is not even open that it is closed. How does spreading this type of false nformation help you?
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