Pepper Boxing at Park Place in Dunwoody has closed less than eight months after opening. The Atlanta-based fitness franchise opened at the sleepy suburban shopping center (4505 Ashford Dunwoody Road) this past December and closed last week, according to (former) members of the facility.
Signage at the space indicates it closed due to "lease negotiations," hinting at the studio wanting but not receiving rent relief from owner Edens, who coincidentally, is also the company's landlord at their last remaining location on Early Street in Buckhead.
The Buckhead location debuted in late 2021 shortly after the closure of the company's original location in Nashville. Created and owned by Alexander "Pepper" Kaufman, Pepper Boxing would go on to add locations at The Battery Atlanta and at Spring Quarter, the flashy new Portman project in Midtown. Both locations previously closed, and another planned for Alpharetta is seemingly delayed indefinitely.
The "flagship" Buckhead location was sold in 2025 by Kaufman to franchisee "HeadKrack," an artist and media personality. For his part, Kaufman seems to have relocated to New York to become COO of VK Real Estate, his mother's real estate firm, a position that according to his LinkedIn page, he had held since this past March. Surprisingly, his LinkedIn page makes no mention of Pepper Boxing as a past or present business or job.
Pepper Boxing's closure at Park Place creates more vacancy in a center already dealing with plenty of available space and seemingly limited interest. The more than 13 acre property was purchased by Edens in December 2021 at which time the center was approximately 92% occupied.
Today, following the closures of Pepper Boxing, Fidelity Investments, Allen Edmonds, Jared, The Brass Tap (Cowboys & Caviar), Alon's, H. Stockton and others, the center has more vacancy than it did then, with sources suggesting that at least one current tenant is looking to relocate elsewhere in the area given how slow the center has become.
Despite having added Zarminali Pediatrics in the former Jared, Le Faucheur near Cafe Intermezzo, soon Van Leeuwen in the former Allen Edmonds, and Simply South Indian Vegetarian in a portion of the former Alon's, the center still has more than 30,000 square feet available across more than a half dozen spaces.
Did you know Pepper Boxing has opened in Dunwoody? What would you like to see open in place of Pepper Boxing and the other vacancies in Park Place? What is your favorite Dunwoody area shopping center?
Please share your thoughts below.
You're not lyin' about the place looking empty these days. I have a little tradition with friends from college where we meet up at that Cafe Intermezzo to catch up and have a meal. When we went around Labor Day last year, we all certainly noticed how quiet the place was. We were like "Wow...this place isn't the same as it used to be, huh? 😬"
ReplyDeleteWe used to go and eat a bowl of schlag with our espresso. And say “ooowee! Nobody’s working out anymore! Fats!!”
DeleteAgree. Such a beautiful place. Landlords need to step up before they loose all tenants. I love the salon @Balancesalon great team and the new tea room. Eclipse is still rocking! Parking is great! Hope park place makes it. 🙏
DeleteIt appears the Pepper Boxing on 10th street in midtown has also recently closed. Long note on the door can be seen when driving by and no lights are on.
ReplyDeleteThank you Tony. Needed this exposure. Land lords are not doing this plaza any good
ReplyDeleteI work at one of the businesses in this plaza, and I truly hope this article is the wake-up call that our property management desperately needs. We have been pleading for help for so long. My boss and I, along with our neighbors at the tea room, Brian at Café In, the owner of Eclipse, the owner of McKendrick, and now Pepper Boxing, have all watched this plaza slowly decline while we continue to pay rent and try to keep our businesses alive.
ReplyDeleteThere is no security, homelessness has become a constant issue, and so much of the plaza is vacant. We have repeatedly reached out, cleaned up, and tried to bring attention to the problems, but we have felt completely abandoned by management. The potential this plaza has is incredible. We have seen firsthand how busy and successful it can be when there is foot traffic and when the property is properly cared for.
These aren’t just empty storefronts. These are people’s livelihoods. These are business owners and employees whose lives depend on these businesses succeeding. We desperately need property management to actually listen to us, invest in this property, and care about the people who are still here fighting to keep it alive.
I truly hope this article brings the attention we have been asking for and that this can finally be the beginning of real change. We believe in the potential of this plaza, and we just want the people responsible for it to believe in it too.
I know my comment is long, but as someone who works at this plaza, I feel the need to bring more light to the situation. Nothing has been done, and we desperately want to see change. I would genuinely love the opportunity to speak with whoever created this article so we can provide more information and share what we have experienced firsthand. Thank you for bringing attention to this and for the work you do.
So not only are landlords insanely greedy, they don't reinvest with all that money - just use it to pad their overflowing pockets. Unbelievable. This has to stop. We need regulations immediately and I hope we have more Mamdani style politicians in the next wave of politics. Bring us back to 1950s style tax codes where the rich pay the most and the middle class thrives.
ReplyDeleteAlso - the homeless have made their way all the way to shopping centers in Dunwoody? Wow.
Dead place, so quiet and no traffic. Too namy space still empty
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know if Alon's chose to leave or was it a ridiculous increase in rent that caused Alon's to leave?
ReplyDelete