Bits & Bites [Atlanta Commercial Real Estate News]

ZEUS Fresh Greek Street Food plans to open this week on Powers Ferry Road in Marietta.  The new quick serve Greek eatery will feature a variety of mezze (appetizers) as well as gyros and other Greek fare.  ToNeTo Atlanta was first to report on the planned restaurant this past December when it was confirmed that they would replace Doc Green's.  ZEUS is is owned by the same group that runs Prickly Pear Taqueria in Midtown and Mambo Italiano at The Forum in Norcross.

Chicago-based Hyatt Hotels Corporation confirmed yesterday that it has purchased exhale, a chain of 25 spas and fitness centers based in New York.  Exhale operates one location in metro Atlanta in Midtown at the Loews Atlanta Hotel.  The company, which started in 2002, previously operated a total of three locations in metro Atlanta, but their second and third locations in Alpharetta's Avalon and Inman Park's Inman Quarter respectively, both closed within the past 12 months, neither staying in business long. Interestingly,  Starwood Hotels & Resorts, now owned by Marriott International, was previously in the spa business too.  In January 2004, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide acquired Bliss spa from LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy) for a reported $25 million. (LVMH had acquired a majority stake in Bliss spa for a reported $30 million in 1999.)  As part of the acquisition, Starwood launched Bliss Spas in several of its W Hotels, including W Atlanta Midtown. In January 2010, Steiner Leisure Limited purchased Bliss from Starwood for $100 million.  Bliss spas continue to operate within select W properties and Hyatt indicated it has no plans to alter existing agreements exhale has with other hotel brands, although it does plan to add exhale spas and services to its hotels in the future.  

Chef Marc Taft opened his first FEED Fried Chicken + Such today at The Battery Atlanta at SunTrust Park.  The new quick serve fried chicken eatery will be Taft's first location of at least three, with others planned for the Halcyon project in Forsyth and the new Peachtree Corners Town Center project. The restaurant opened today at 11AM and will be open for lunch and dinner.  Taft tells ToNeTo Atlanta that he also plans to be open for post-game meals and bites. As of now, the only eatery at The Battery open past 10PM on a weeknight is Yard House.    

Bulla Gastrobar planned to open tomorrow, August 31, at 60 11th Street NE in the 12th & Midtown development, but it has now delayed its opening.  The delay, according to the restaurant, is "due to circumstances beyond our control."  The restaurant, part of Doral, Florida-based Centurion Restaurant Group, will eventually be open for lunch, dinner and weekend brunch.  Sources close to the restaurant indicate the delay may be as long as two weeks.   

Cellairis, a phone repair and mobile accessories business, plans to open soon in former Freshii in the Fashion Cafe at Lenox Square.  at&t already occupies a former food space across the hall.  

Blaze Pizza plans to open their first Atlanta area location Thursday September 7 at Emory Commons at North Decatur and Clairmont Roads.  The quick serve pizza restaurant in which NBA star LeBron James is not only an investor, but also a franchisee, is seen as one of the best concepts in the "customizable pizza space." ToNeTo Atlanta was first in Atlanta to confirm the brand's entry into Atlanta and plans to share news of their second location soon. 

Not far from Blaze, MOD Pizza, another QSR pizza restaurant, is targeting a late September opening in Decatur Crossing across from Suburban Plaza. Other locations are coming soon to Sandy Springs and Dawsonville.  The first Atlanta area MOD opened this past June at Kennesaw Marketplace in Kennesaw.  

City Barbecue, a new-to-market chain barbecue eatery, plans to open September 18, also at Decatur Crossing.  The Dublin, Ohio-based chain features assorted barbecue such as pork and chicken, as well as sides like gumbo and hush puppies.  

Aillea, a Denver, Colorado-based beauty business, plans to open just its third overall brick and mortar location next month in Buckhead.  The company has two stores in Denver and will join Bartaco in Buckhead's Powers Ferry Square next month.  The store seems like a boutique Sephora in a way, and will be quite small, only 622 square feet, utilizing the former Vue eyewear space. 

Popular Westside restaurant JCT. Kitchen & Bar, part of Ford Fry's empire, was the scene of an attempted armed robbery late Monday night.  The incident, which started in the parking lot just outside the restaurant, eventually spilled into the crowded restaurant where the armed assailant reportedly followed the victim who had refused to give up his watch.  The victim was reportedly shot once outside the restaurant, and a second time inside the restaurant.  The victim, who has not been identified, is reportedly recovering from his injuries at Grady, while the assailant is still at large.  The restaurant has reopened with a Ford Fry Restaurants representative adding that that the incident "is believed to be a targeted, isolated act intended for robbery."

Indianapolis, Indiana-based Simon Property Group, the largest mall operator in the country, is suing Starbucks in an effort to halt the planned closure of their Teavana retail stores.   The lawsuit argues Starbucks doesn’t have grounds to break its leases at 78 Teavana stores in Simon-owned malls, including four stores in Georgia.  Starbucks said in July it planned to discontinue retail operations at its 379 Teavana stores.  Most of the stores in Simon malls have years left on their leases, according to the lawsuit filed August 21 in Marion County Superior Court in Indianapolis.  “A shopping center is not merely a random collection of stores,” lawyers for Simon assert in their complaint. “Rather, it is a co-dependent ecosystem of tenants with a complex system of governance that ensures its wellbeing.”  That’s why, the suit argues, Starbucks shouldn’t be able to leave its lease agreements early.  Unlike other retailers that shuttered stores in Simon malls in recent years, the suit says, Starbucks hasn’t claimed it needs terminate its Teavana leases in order to avoid bankruptcy.  “Rather, the decision is solely an effort to enrich Starbucks’ profits by shirking its contractual obligations at the expense of Simon’s Shopping Centers and the dozens of communities they serve and support,” the suit says.  The suit seeks the court to step in and prevent the stores from closing prematurely.  In Georgia, Teavana operates stores in Lenox Square, Phipps Plaza, Town Center at Cobb and Mall of Georgia.   

The Tin Drum Asian Kitchen in Augusta at Augusta Exchange is currently being marketed for sublease.  The 1,300 square foot Asian eatery has co-tenancy with fellow quick serve restaurants Jimmy John's, Barberitos and Smoothie King.

The Dunwoody Restaurant Group, which includes such pubs as Dunwoody Tavern, Iron Horse Tavern and King George among others, will be hosting a hurricane Harvey fundraiser at all seven of their restaurants on Sunday September 10.  The restaurants will donate 10% of their gross sales to aid the American Red Cross in their disaster relief efforts.  

In related news, Dunwoody Restaurant Group will open their 8th overall restaurant later this fall in East Cobb.  Black Swan Tavern will open in the old Churchill’s Pub in the Target-anchored Merchants Festival Shopping Center. Sources say the restaurant is expected to open in "early October."

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