Friday, December 6, 2024

[ALERT] Chick-fil-A to Demolish Duluth Dwarf House Restaurant

The Chick-fil-A Dwarf House restaurant at 1570 Pleasant Hill Road will close early next year and be replaced by something far more boring.  The Duluth restaurant will shut down February 28, 2025, said Chris Bruno, owner/operator of Dwarf House Group LLC, an affiliate of Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A Inc. 

News of the closure was revealed in a December 3 Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) letter sent to the Technical College System of Georgia's Office of Workforce Development.  

The closure, identified on the filing as "permanent,"  will lead to the loss of 111 jobs.    A representative from Chick-fil-A confirmed to ToNeTo Atlanta that the Pleasant Hill restaurant will be demolished to make way for a new Chick-fil-A restaurant and not a new Dwarf House, a change that promises to be both boxy and boring.  

The Dwarf House concept, built in homage to the late Chick-fil-A Founder S. Truett Cathy’s first restaurant, the Dwarf Grill, has been around since 1985.   At their peak, there were eleven locations across greater metro Atlanta.  

These restaurants offer both counter-service and full-service dining and the same menu items as a typical Chick-fil-A, in addition to specialty choices such as sweet potato soufflĂ©, fried okra, crispy sprouts and corn bread muffins.  

Chick-fil-A has demolished several Dwarf House restaurants over the past few years including those in Woodstock, Rome, Newnan, Griffin, Stockbridge and the original in Hapeville.  All but the Hapeville Dwarf House were rebuilt and reopened as "Truett's Chick-fil-A," restaurants with both counter-service full-service options and memorabilia meant to honor Cathy's legacy and little red doors to commemorate their origins. 

ToNeTo Atlanta reported on the company's Dwarf House "scrape & rebuild" projects in 2019 and wondered if the kitchy concept was in danger of extinction.  

The iconic Hapeville location closed in April 2021 and reopened as the - Hapeville Dwarf House - February 17, 2022.  The new location is larger and more modern than its predecessor but maintains its charm and appeal.    

Gwinnett County property records indicate that the Duluth Dwarf House first opened in 1993, measures 5,875 square feet and sits on 1.9 acres.  

A example of a new Chick-fil-A restaurant 

The new restaurant is expected to be far smaller and be branded as simply "Chick-fil-A."  The move, something ToNeTo Atlanta heard rumors of several years ago, is reportedly in response to the change in demographics in the area and the company's effort to simplify operations.  

Are you sad to see another Dwarf House close?  Have you been to the new Dwarf House in Hapeville?  Do you think Chick-fil-A is still king of the chicken sandwich?

Please share your thoughts below  

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

We need to protect this classic Atlanta architecture at once.

sugarfoot said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Yes, it makes me sad!

Anonymous said...

It's a bygone era.

Anonymous said...

Sugarfoot, It is still on the menu. I had one a few weeks ago.

Anonymous said...

So sad that they are choosing to change from the Dwarf House to chick-fil-A (yes, I made the "C" lower case! So disappointed!

Anonymous said...

I visited the Hapeville Dwarf House on 12-7-2024. The new building is great. The customer service was pleasant, and the cobb salad was the way it should be.
I also visit the Forest Park Dwarf House sometimes. The service is great there also.

Anonymous said...

They still had it when I went less than a year ago but I guess it will be gone now...so sad, that's was one of truetts favorite dishes.

Anonymous said...

I’m sure it will be replaced with a Mexican supermarket

Anonymous said...

Why? Keep the unique structure, we don't need another boring same old Chick Fil A building.

Anonymous said...

Why stop there? Just get rid of all CFA.

Anonymous said...

It’s being replaced by a regular Chick fil a. Read it and stop making racist remarks about it

Anonymous said...

Nope, not Atlanta, Duluth isn't a cesspool like Atlanta

Anonymous said...

My brother has been there for 30 years he's the GM manager it's very sad all the years he's put in for them

Anonymous said...

Did you even read the article?

Anonymous said...

This is the only CFA in this area, and is an extremely busy location for many years. Its employees have been there for years and deserve better. A smaller CFA will not work in this area - too many customers and already long long drive thru lines. A very well organized and staffed location. I hate to see that lost in this area. Smaller building will not be sufficient and will definitely lose its loyal customers.

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