East Cobb Business

Cobb Chamber of Commerce honors 2026 top small businesses

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Cobb Chamber of Commerce honors 2026 top small businesses
From L-R: Cobb Chamber President/CEO Sharon Mason; Proda Technology founder/CEO Marissa Maldonado and Cobb Chamber Chair Melissa Cantrell. Images from the Cobb Chamber Marquee Monday. (Photo: Mooreshots LLC)

Submitted information and photos:

The Cobb Chamber named Proda Technology the 2026 Small Business of the Year at its Small Business of the Year Awards Luncheon, presented by 1885 Grill and S.A. White Oil Company.            

Proda Technology is a nationally recognized, cybersecurity-focused managed IT firm — serving organizations across the United States. They’ve grown from a small founding team to more than 35 professionals. From 2023 to 2025, Proda experienced revenue growth by 50 percent. Their charitable giving has nearly doubled over that same period.

Their growth has been driven by three core principles: Investing in exceptional people; continuously improving operations; and staying relentlessly focused on protecting the businesses and communities they serve.

As the Chamber’s 2026 Small Business of the Year, Proda Technology will compete in the state’s small business of the year competition.

Competitive Application and Selection Process

To be considered for the Top 25 Small Businesses of Year, each hopeful candidate submits an application to the Cobb Chamber. The applicants must prove an increase in sales or unit volume, provide examples of innovation, discuss adversity and challenges, and thoroughly detail their community involvement. Applications are analyzed and considered by a group of independent community business leaders and affiliates of the U.S. Small Business Administration.

After all of the submitted applications are judged and rated, five finalists are selected based on their numerical score. The five finalists are then put through a second step in the application process – a site visit by an independent panel of judges. The visit is meant to be a fresh, in-person opportunity to present the ideals, practices, values and day-to-day operations discussed in their initial application.

2026 Top 25 Small Businesses of the Year

The Cobb Chamber honored the following Top 25 Small Businesses at the 2026 Small Business of the Year Awards:

41 South Creative InfoTank
The Butcher on Whitlock Johnson & Alday, LLC
Clementine Creative Agency kirpop
CMIT Solutions of Atlanta Southern Crescent & Atlanta Northwest Manay CPA Inc
DeNyse Companies Modo Modo Agency LLC
DynamiX Web Design, LLC The Music Studio Atlanta
Eclipse Networks Nothing Bundt Cakes
Essayon Construction Group Perfect Image
Essex Consulting LLC Proda Technology, LLC
FruiTea Bubbles Café Riverside EpiCenter, LLC
Gaston Street Eats Co. Summit Heating and Air
Georgia Roof Advisors Warner Fuller Consulting
Gillis Law Firm, LLC

2026 Business to Watch

In order to recognize the impressive accomplishments of many new Cobb businesses, the Cobb Chamber expanded its Small Business of the Year program to include the Businesses to Watch awards presentation. These are businesses that were launched less than three years ago and have already achieved substantial growth. Esteem Dental Studio was named the 2026 Business to Watch.

Minority-Owned Business of the Year

The 2026 Minority-Owned Business of the Year was awarded to Essex Consulting LLC. The award recognizes a small business that has attained outstanding business achievements and exemplifies the significant contributions made by minority-owned businesses in the country.

Woman-Owned Business of the Year

The 2026 Woman-Owned Business of the Year award recognizes a small business that has attained outstanding business achievement and exemplifies the significant contributions made by women-owned businesses in the country. The 2026 award was awarded to Manay CPA Inc.

Veteran-Owned Business of the Year

The 2026 Veteran-Owned Business of the Year award recognizes a small business that has attained outstanding business achievement and exemplifies the significant contributions made by veteran-owned businesses in the country. The 2026 award was awarded to Essayon Construction Group.

Family-Owned Business of the Year

The 2026 Family-Owned Business of the Year award recognizes a family-owned business owner for excellence in leadership and achievement. The 2026 award was awarded to DeNyse Companies. 

Small Business Hall of Fame

The 2025 Small Business of the Year, 1885 Grill, was also honored during the awards program. The reigning small business of the year is inducted into the Small Business Hall of Fame, which includes all county and state winners of the Small Business of the Year award from Cobb County since 1982.

Community Service Excellence Award Winner

The Community Service Excellence Award is presented to a small business that has made a significant contribution to its community through impactful works of service. Modo Modo Agency LLC was awarded the 2026 award.

Cobb Chamber of Commerce honors 2026 top small businesses

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Avenue East Cobb announces free summer movie schedule

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Avenue East Cobb announces free summer movie schedule

During June and July, family-friendly movies will be shown for free at the plaza at Avenue East Cobb.

The movies will be shown starting at 6 p.m., rain or shine.

A few rules of the road that Avenue management has asked people to keep in mind:

  • We kindly ask that guests refrain from touching the screen or stepping onto the stage during the film. Failure to comply with this rule will result in being asked to leave The Plaza.

  • Movie showings are free for all guests & seating is open to the public on a first-come, first-serve basis. Guests are encouraged to bring extra chairs & blankets.

  • No outside food or beverage is permitted, but takeout from our onsite restaurants is encouraged. Click HERE to view our on-site dining options.

Movie Schedule:

  • Thursday, June 4th: Wicked (2024)
  • Thursday, June 11th: Wizard of Oz (1939)
  • Thursday, June 18th: Beauty and The Beast (1991)
  • Thursday, June 25th : Alice in Wonderland (1951)
  • Thursday, July 2nd: Shrek (2001)
  • Thursday, July 9th: Cars (2006)
  • Thursday, July 16th: The Little Mermaid (1989)
  • Thursday, July 23rd: Tangled (2010)
  • Thursday, July 30th: The Princess and The Frog (2009)

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Small Business Week: Support local East Cobb businesses!

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The U.S. Small Business Administration has declared the week of May 3-9 to be National Small Business Week across the country.Small Business Week: Support local East Cobb businesses!

As a small business, East Cobb News encourages readers to patronize their favorite local businesses, especially those that are locally owned and operated, and are independent businesses to boot.

The SBA estimates that there are more than 36 million small businesses (50 employees or less) in the U.S., which is more than 99 percent of all companies.

Those small businesses employ more than 62 million people, nearly half of all private-sector workers, and generate 43 percent of the country’s gross domestic product.

In East Cobb small businesses make up the backbone of our local economy, from service providers to restaurants to home repair and landscaping businesses and more.

During this week, take some time to support your favorite local small businesses. Next week the Cobb Chamber of Commerce will honor its 2026 small businesses of the year.

And if you’d like to support the only daily news source in East Cobb that brings you all the local news that you love, you can provide your financial support today to East Cobb News.

While we bring you the news without a paywall, we do appreciate reader donations that are totally voluntary. For more information and to set up your donation, click here.

Thank you!

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Cobb Chamber to honor small businesses at May luncheon

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Submitted information:Cobb Chamber of Commerce

The Cobb Chamber Marquee Monday series continues on Monday, May 11 at the Coca-Cola Roxy Theatre with the 2026 Small Business of the Year Awards. The luncheon will celebrate the outstanding achievements and contributions of Cobb’s top small businesses. 

During the program, we will recognize the:

  • 2026 Small Business of the Year- announced at the event
  • 2026 Hall of Fame Inductee, 1885 Grill
  • Business to Watch Winner, Esteem Dental Studio
  • Top 25 Small Businesses of the Year
  • Woman-Owned Business Award Winner- announced at the event
  • Minority-Owned Business Award Winner- announced at the event
  • Veteran-Owned Business Award Winner- announced at the event
  • Community Service of Excellence Award Winner- announced at the event

Registration is now open through Wednesday, May 6. Doors open at 11:15 a.m., with the program starting at noon and concluding by 1:15 am. Tickets are $50 for Cobb Chamber members and $75 for non-members. Attendees may register for the event at https://tinyurl.com/56uebadv. Parking is available at The Battery Red Deck for free up to two hours. For further parking options, please refer to the Battery Atlanta Parking Guide. A security screening will be required at check-in.

The Marquee Monday Series is presented by Superior Plumbing, Three-13 Salon Spa & Boutique, Verizon, Coca-Cola Roxy & Live Nation Special Events, Delaware North, Pure Melon, and Classic Tents & Events. The Small Business of the Year Awards are sponsored by 1885 Grill, S.A. White Oil Company, CDH Partners, Pickleball Kingdom South Cobb, Comcast, KSU Small Business Development Center, Eclipse Networks, Genuine Parts Company, VyStar Credit Union, Kennesaw State University’s Family Enterprise Center, 524 Creative, Manay CPA, Cobb County Sheriff’s Office, Georgia Banking Company, Cobb County Economic Development, Delta Community Credit Union, CROFT & Associates, BrillantBox, Preferred Personnel, Renasant Bank, and Johnson & Alday.

For more information about the Marquee Monday event series or the Small Business of the Year Awards, contact Jani Dix at [email protected] or 770-859-2335.

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Cobb company to donate a roof to a veteran for Memorial Day

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Submitted information:Cobb company to donate a roof to a veteran for Memorial Day

Bravo Company Roofing, a veteran-owned residential roofing company headquartered in Acworth, has announced the opening of its second location at 4343 Shallowford Road, Building 100, Suite 181, Marietta, GA 30062. To mark the expansion and give back to the community it serves, the company is launching a search for a local veteran, or the widow or widower of a veteran, who is in need of a full roof replacement or significant roof repairs — at no cost to the recipient.

The new Marietta office expands Bravo Company Roofing’s footprint across Cobb County and the greater northwest metro Atlanta region, strengthening service to homeowners in Marietta, Kennesaw, Acworth, Woodstock, Roswell, Alpharetta, Cartersville, and Dallas. The company specializes in architectural asphalt shingle roof replacements and repairs, gutter installation, and free drone-based roof inspections — a safer, more accurate way to assess storm, wind, and hail damage without walking the roof.

Operation Home Cover: Memorial Day 2026 Roof Giveaway

Through the program, Bravo Company Roofing will donate labor and materials for either a full architectural asphalt shingle roof replacement or, depending on the scope and condition, a combination of significant repairs for the selected recipient(s). Eligible candidates include veterans of any branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, as well as surviving spouses of veterans, who own and occupy a home within the company’s service area and who are in genuine need.

Nominations are open to the public. Friends, family members, neighbors, churches, veterans’ organizations, and first responders are all encouraged to nominate a deserving homeowner. Self-nominations are also welcome. Nominations can be submitted at https://bravoroof.com/heroes and will be accepted through Friday, May 15, 2026. The recipient will be announced on or around Memorial Day, Monday, May 25, 2026, with the roof work scheduled in the weeks that follow.

“When we looked at where to put down our second set of roots, Marietta was the obvious answer — we already take care of families all over Cobb County, and opening here lets us respond faster when a homeowner calls,” said Wes McClure, Owner of Bravo Company Roofing. “But a new location isn’t just about business. A lot of the homeowners we meet have spent their lives serving the rest of us — veterans and the spouses who stood behind them. Giving one of those families a safe, dry roof over their head is the right way to say thank you and the right way to introduce ourselves to our new neighbors.”

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East Cobb audiologist named AAP distinguished fellow

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East Cobb audiologist named AAP distinguished fellow

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Dr. Melissa Wikoff, founder of Peachtree Hearing, has beenawarded the prestigious designation of Distinguished Fellow of the American Academyof Audiology (DFAAA) through the James F. Jerger Program of Distinction, one of the highest honors in the field of audiology.

The DFAAA designation recognizes audiologists who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, sustained contributions, and a meaningful impact on the profession beyond their clinical practice. Recipients are selected by a national review committee for theirexcellence across multiple areas, including leadership, clinical expertise, and community outreach.

Dr. Wikoff’s work has focused on advancing tinnitus care, expanding access to hearing healthcare, and community service. She has served in national leadership roles, including two terms on the Board of Directors of the American Tinnitus Association, and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Audiology Practice Standards Organization. She currently serves locally on the board of directors at City Springs Theatre Company.

“I am incredibly honored to receive this recognition,” said Dr. Wikoff. “This profession has given me the opportunity to change lives every single day. My passion for audiology began at a young age after watching my grandfathers, both World War II veterans, struggle with hearing loss and miss out on meaningful moments with their families. That experience has stayed with me and continues to drive my commitment to ensuring that no patient feels that same sense of isolation.”

Through her private practice, Peachtree Hearing, Dr. Wikoff has become a recognized leader in tinnitus treatment and hearing healthcare. Her work extends beyond the clinic through national education initiatives, international collaboration, and extensive community outreach.

Among her most impactful efforts is a program she founded to provide hearing aids and ongoing care to Holocaust survivors in the Atlanta community, along with accessibility initiatives such as open-caption movie events, theater accessibility advocacy, and public education campaigns on hearing health.

The Distinguished Fellow designation reflects not only Dr. Wikoff’s professional accomplishments, but also her ongoing commitment to elevating the standards of care within audiology and improving the lives of those with hearing loss.

Dr. Wikoff will be formally recognized at the American Academy of Audiology Annual Convention.

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Restaurant Update: Tenku Sushi to open at Avenue East Cobb

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Restaurant Update: Tenku Sushi to open at Avenue East Cobb

The long-awaited Tenku Sushi restaurant at Avenue at East Cobb is closer to opening its doors.

Jamestown, the retail center’s management company, announced Monday that the grand opening has been set for Tuesday, April 28.

The Japanese restaurant, officially known as Tenku Sushi Elevation (for the rooftop bar that it features) is the second Tenku Sushi, following the original location in Woodstock, and will occupy one of the Avenue East Cobb’s “jewel box” standalone spaces.

It includes 2,500 square feet of space with a main seating area, sushi counter and the rooftop bar.

The menu “highlights fresh fish sourced directly from Japan and premium Japanese wagyu, alongside expertly crafted nigiri and sashimi, signature rolls, robata grills, and curated omakase offerings,” according to a company release.

More details about the Avenue Tenku Sushi location and its menu, can be found at this link.

On Friday Tenku Sushi had its initial inspection from Cobb and Douglas Public health and received a score of 100.

The redevelopment of Avenue included two “jewel box” spaces aimed at restaurant space. The first jewel box was occupied mostly by Press Waffle Co., which closed in February. A smaller portion of that space is occupied by the L’Occitane en Provence beauty store.

Tenku Sushi’s opening hours will be Monday-Thursday from 12-10 p.m.; Friday-Saturday from 12-10:30 p.m. and Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Tenku Sushi is located at 4475 Roswell Road, Suite 1900. For information call 770-575-0873 or e-mail: [email protected].

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Celebree School of Marietta at Shallowford breaks ground

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Celebree School of Marietta at Shallowford breaks ground

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The future of early childhood education in East Cobb took a major step forward today as Celebree School of Marietta at Shallowford officially broke ground at its new location, 3930 Shallowford Road.

The celebratory event brought together community leaders, educators, family, and friends to mark the beginning of construction on a school designed to provide a nurturing, family-focused learning environment for young children. Representatives from the Cobb Chamber of Commerce—including Elizabeth Colletti, Jesus Martinez, Kimberly Harmon, and Alex Reed—were in attendance, alongside Celebree School leadership, CEO Richie Huffman and COO Allison Tsomos.

The Marietta location is owned and operated by Jyoti and Rajesh Solanki, marking their first Celebree School franchise. For Jyoti Solanki, the milestone represents the realization of a lifelong dream rooted in her years of experience as an early childhood educator.

“It has always been my dream to open a school that feels like family, where I can bring my passion for educating young people and know that we are helping grow people big and small,” said Jyoti Solanki.

Jyoti, who spent over a decade as a Pre-K teacher, was joined at the event by former students ranging from elementary through high school, as well as former colleagues, directors, and mentors who have been part of her educational journey. Their presence underscored the lasting impact of her work in the classroom and the strong community ties that will help shape the new school.

Set to open in July 2026, Celebree School of Marietta at Shallowford will offer programs for children from as young as six weeks old through Pre-K, with a focus on comprehensive early childhood development in a safe, engaging, and supportive environment.

Enrollment is now open, with special incentives available for the school’s first 50 “Founding Families.” These include a scholarship for the first 12 months, one complimentary week of vacation, and additional exclusive gifts and bonuses.

Celebree School is known for its commitment to fostering a sense of belonging, education, and personal growth among its students. The Marietta location aims to continue that tradition while serving families throughout the East Cobb community.

For more information about enrollment or the upcoming opening, please visit https://www.celebree.com/marietta-at-shallowford-ga/ or contact the school directly.

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1970s TV stars to appear at East Cobb Kroger product launch

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1970s TV stars to appear at East Cobb Kroger product launch

On Tuesday a Kroger store in East Cobb will be the venue for the launch of a celebrity food product, and with two of the leading TV stars of the 1970s on hand.

Patrick Duffy and Linda Purl will appear at the Kroger at MarketPlace Terrell Mill (1310 Powers Ferry Road) on Tuesday for a meet-and-greet with customers as Duffy’s Dough, an exclusive line of bake-at-home artisan breads, is launched.

The event is from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, with 100 percent of profits from sales of Duffy’s Dough that day supporting hunger relief. Kroger also will make a donation to Meals on Wheels Atlanta.

Duffy and Purl, who are now in their 70s, have been a couple since 2020. He was famous for his role in “Dallas,” and she was a regular on “Happy Days” and “Matlock.”

The Duffy’s Dough recipe comes from a neighbor of Duffy’s mother, who devised an “unadulterated sourdough starter passed down by the original Alaska Gold Rush miners,” according to a release from Kroger.

“The variety of breads made from that starter has graced Duffy tables ever since, bringing the family together through the simple, shared joy of baking.”

Those varieties include Sourdough Loaf, Multigrain Sourdough Loaf, Artisan Sandwich Roll, French Dinner Roll, and Sourdough Demi Baguette.

“Duffy’s Dough is a family legacy that lives on in every recipe for customers to enjoy at the dinner table,” Duffy and Purl said in a joint statement. “This collaboration with Kroger on our shared mission will give a window of hope to nourish families across the country as we work to end hunger.”

Among the organizations working with Duffy’s Dough include No Kid Hungry and Meals on Wheels America

The first 100 customers on Tuesday will receive a Duffy’s Dough product and a $25 gift card.

Duffy’s Dough products are on sale at Kroger stores in Georgia, East Alabama, and South Carolina.

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Northside East Cobb Medical Center sold for $32.5 million

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Northside East Cobb Medical Center sold for $32.5 million

Patients and clients won’t notice any changes, the but ownership of Northside Hospital’s East Cobb Medical Center is changing hands.

Stonemont, an Atlanta real estate investment firm specializing in healthcare real estate and industrial development, has purchased the 103,184-square-foot medical office building on Johnson Ferry Road at Olde Towne Parkway.

The Atlanta Business Chronicle reported that Stonemont secured a $32.5 million loan from Webster Bank to complete the acquisition from Northside, which opened the facility in 2018 on land that had been the Fountains at Olde Towne Shopping Center.

The four-story building houses Northside’s Imaging, Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, Primary Care and Urgent Care providers, Dermatology and Surgery Associates, East Cobb Spine and Sport Chiropractic and other physician specialty practices.

The building, which has a 400-space parking lot, is 100 percent leased.

According to Cobb property tax records, the total appraised value of the building and property, which covers more than 12 acres, is around $34 million.

“Our collaboration with Northside Hospital reflects a shared commitment to expanding access to healthcare throughout the region,” said Matt Stone, President of Stonemont’s Healthcare Real Estate division, in a statement.

“East Cobb Medical Center is an exceptional facility in a thriving community, and we’re pleased to add it to our growing healthcare platform.”

Stonemont invests in major healthcare complexes across the country, and a company release said its healthcare portfolio exceeds $375 million.

In Cobb County, Stonemont owns the Atlanta Riverview commercial development in Mableton, which includes 216,400 square feet of space.

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Editor’s Note: A makeover for an old East Cobb retail center

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East Cobb Biz Scene: Another makeover for aging retail center
The Planet Fitness at East Cobb Station will be getting some new tenant neighbors soon as the retail center takes shape again.

For more than 65 years, a shopping center on Roswell Road near the Big Chicken has served as a retail gateway of sorts in East Cobb.

When it opened in 1958, the sprawling facility was called Town and Country Shopping Center. East Cobb wasn’t even a place name then, but a mostly rural area east of the City of Marietta that was beginning to sprout with suburban development.

The place names denoted that too: East Side Elementary School, Eastvalley Elementary School, Eastside Baptist Church, etc. This was the east side of Marietta, which was the absolute hub of Cobb County.

When our family moved to the “east side” in the early 1970s, Town and Country was as busy as the shopping malls that would soon replace it. After living way up in the Canton Road corridor when I was in grade school, I thought we moved to a big city.

My mother, who hailed from a small town in the Midwest, loved Town and Country—there was a Woolworth (and later a Woolco) and a JCPenney and a Dunaway Drugs, where we could eat at the luncheonette if we kids behaved, a Kinney’s Shoes store, as well as a Kroger. Who needed Cumberland Mall when everything was just a couple miles away?

When I was in high school, I enjoyed matinee films at the cinema—less than $5 a ticket!—at Town and Country. Years later, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution had its Cobb bureau located there (during a time in which I worked at the AJC downtown).

Since then, as development and affluent shoppers moved further east, and as East Cobb became even urbanized in some areas, Town and Country fell out of favor.

It was was rebranded as East Cobb Station, to add some labeling prestige to an area that was going through substantial cultural, socioeconomical and generational change. Harry’s Farmers Market took a stab in the 1990s in opening a magnificent store nearby that drew shoppers from all over north Georgia.

In recent years, East Cobb Station has been practically empty, although a Planet Fitness and a few other stores have moved in. It’s been a relatively lonely setting for the gym franchise, which has hung on in spite of the odds that the area, much less East Cobb Station, would mount the kind of recovery needed to sustain such a business.

But that slice of the East Marietta of my youth that has vanished to the wind of memories may be making something of a comeback.

Across Roswell Road at the Powers Ferry Road junction, the redevelopment of the former Harry’s site, with lots of housing, is underway. The Movie Studio Grill, which opened in 2017 as Harry’s closed, is banking on those prospects.

And Hendon Properties, an Atlanta commercial real estate firm that takes older properties and revamps them, is taking a chance at East Cobb Station too.

The firm bought the retail center in 2024, and announced recently that it’s adding some well-known names to its list of tenants. Anchored by a Lidl discount grocery store, East Cobb Station will include the return of Burlington Coat Factory, site of the Woolco and now the home of Andretti Indoor Karting & Games.

Also coming will be a Hibbett Sports store and a 7 Brews Coffee location.

Hendon’s track record has been a successful one, as it’s worked to overhaul properties in Brookhaven, Gwinnett County, Austell and Greenbriar Mall.

Elsewhere in East Cobb, Hendon has ushered in change at Sandy Plains Village, located at the county line with Roswell.

In-store retail has been a difficult transformation in this age of online and delivery sales (and now drones?), and big shopping centers have become massive casualties.

Reviving East Cobb Station won’t be an easy task. It’s more than 200,000 square feet of space that’s been so much of an eyesore, as eastbound vehicles pass by and stop instead at Avenue East Cobb, Merchants Walk and Parkaire Landing and others with more upscale options.

If the newest update of what had been Town and Country is to become a success, then the kinds of stores coming to East Cobb Station are encouraging; they appeal to shoppers of a variety of income levels, and for a variety of goods and services.

I’m rooting for that to happen, and if there’s a way to bring back the drug store luncheonette, it would be perfect!

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Bar 44 to hold special ‘Bar Rescue’ episode watch party

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Submitted information:Bar 44 to hold special 'Bar Rescue' episode watch party

Bar 44, one of Marietta’s most recognizable restaurant and nightlife destinations, is stepping into the national spotlight following its feature on Paramount Network’s hit television series Bar Rescue, hosted by hospitality expert Jon Taffer.

The highly anticipated episode aired on Sunday, February 22, 2026, showcasing Bar 44’s journey through one of the most intense and transformative processes in the hospitality industry.

To celebrate this milestone moment, Bar 44 will host an official Watch Party and Live Event on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM, inviting the community, supporters, and guests to experience the episode together in the very space where it all unfolded.

“We knew running a restaurant came with challenges, but this process exposed everything — the pressure, the stress, the personality clashes, and the tough conversations that usually happen behind closed doors,” said Gary Ellis, Co-Owner of Bar 44.

“When Jon Taffer showed up, there was no room for excuses. It was intense, it was uncomfortable at times, but it forced us to confront what wasn’t working if we wanted to survive and grow.”

“We are truly grateful for the opportunity for Bar 44 to be featured on Bar Rescue,” added Alade Aminu, Co-Owner of Bar 44.“The passion that Gary, Jon, myself, and our entire team have for this business was evident throughout the experience. While there were moments of tension in the beginning, they ultimately reflected a shared commitment to excellence. In the end, we were aligned in our mission — to deliver a quality establishment and an exceptional experience for our community and guests. I’m proud of what we accomplished.”

For more information: (678) 401-2715

Instagram: @Bar44ATL

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Publix store at Woodlawn Point to close for major renovation

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Publix store at Woodlawn Point to close for major renovation

A busy Publix grocery store in East Cobb will be closed for renovations starting later this month.

The Publix at Woodlawn Point Shopping Center at 1100 Johnson Ferry Road will be closed starting March 28, according to the Florida-based company.

The closure will continue for several months, and the renovations will include a complete overhaul of the interior and an expansion of the store’s space.

While there are signs greeting Publix shoppers near the entrance (see right), the company has not divulged details of the renovations.

East Cobb News has left multiple messages with Publix seeking more information.

The Publix store at Woodlawn Point anchors that retail center with nearly 56,000 square feet of space.

Its main Atlanta-area grocery rival, Kroger, is spending $23 million to renovate and expand its Parkaire Landing Shopping Center store that will remain open during the process.

The Kroger space will grow from 59,000 square feet to 85,000 square feet at Parkaire, less than a mile away from Woodlawn Point, and will include a fuel station.

Publix shoppers have several nearby alternatives during the Woodlawn Point closure, including a mile away at East Cobb Crossing (Roswell at Johnson Ferry Road), Piedmont Commons (Roswell at East Piedmont Road), Shallowford Corners (Shallowford Road at Childers Road) and Trowbridge Crossing (7525 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs).

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Update: Parkaire Landing Kroger expansion getting underway

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Update: Parkaire Landing Kroger expansion getting underway
The empty space is where Kroger will be expanding, adjacent to the soon-to-be-reopened CycleBar. ECN photos.

The year-long Kroger renovations at Parkaire Landing Shopping Center are just getting started, and motorists will notice part of the parking lot has already been closed off.

It’s a section of the lot behind the Providence Dental Center outparcel on Johnson Ferry Road (formerly Engineered Smiles), and access is limited around that fenced-off area.

As we reported earlier this month, Kroger is investing $23 million to expand at Parkaire, and this has been the only East Cobb Kroger that doesn’t have a fuel station.

The store will grow from 59,000 square feet to 85,000 square feet—almost as large as the Kroger Superstore at Terrell Mill MarketPlace—and it will remain open during the renovations.

The key features of the expansion include an expanded produce department and an enlarged deli counter, a full-service Murray’s cheese counter and the addition of a sushi culinary kiosk.

Workers have torn down a section of parcels next to Kroger that will be added to the grocery store’s footprint. Those spaces included the former Tuesday Morning consignment shop.

The expansion will continue to CycleBar, a fitness center, which announced it was closing in early February. But in a social media message earlier this week, management said it was reopening, and it was offering free rides as part of its grand reopening March 27-29.

East Cobb News has left a message with CycleBar seeking more information.

Update: Parkaire Landing Kroger expansion getting underway
Work on the future site of Kroger fuel center at Parkaire—right behind the Providence Denter Center—has begun.

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Northeast Cobb Business Association honors volunteer of the year

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Northeast Cobb Business Association honors volunteer of the year
Kathy Winiarczyk, center with 2025 NCBA co-presidents Rosan Hall (L) and Cobb commissioner JoAnn Birrell.

Submitted information and photo:

Credit Union of Georgia is proud to announce that Business Development Officer Kathy Winiarczyk has been named the 2025 Volunteer of the Year by the Northeast Cobb Business Association. The recognition celebrates Kathy’s exceptional leadership, dedication to volunteerism, and her lasting impact on the local business community.

Winiarczyk was honored during the organization’s annual recognition event, where community leaders gathered to celebrate individuals who demonstrate outstanding service and commitment to strengthening businesses and community partnerships across Northeast Cobb.

As Business Development Officer for Credit Union of Georgia, Winiarczyk plays a vital role in building relationships with local businesses, supporting community initiatives, and helping individuals and organizations achieve their financial goals. Her passion for community involvement extends far beyond her professional role, as she actively volunteers her time to support numerous local events and programs.

“Kathy embodies the spirit of service that Credit Union of Georgia stands for,” said Amanda Arnold, Director of Community Outreach “Her dedication to uplifting our local business community and her genuine passion for helping others make her incredibly deserving of this honor. We are proud to have her representing Credit Union of Georgia.”

The Businessperson of the Year award recognizes members of the Northeast Cobb Business Association who demonstrate outstanding leadership, community involvement, and a commitment to supporting the growth and success of fellow businesses.

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Dance Stop Studios to close in East Cobb after 52 years

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Dance Stop Studios starts 50th year
Dance Stop Studios celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2023. ECN photos.

A couple of years after marking its 50th year milestone, Dance Stop Studios in East Cobb announced over the weekend that it will be permanently closing soon.

The business posted a message on its Facebook page over the weekend saying that that final recitals and classes will be winding down in May.

“While our decision is bittersweet, the time has come for us to retire and move to the next chapter of our lives,” according to the message from co-owners Lynette Strickland and Richard Grubb.

“We had hoped to find someone to move the studio forward, but unfortunately, this has not yet happened. We hope everyone will continue to pursue their love for dance.”

Strickland founded the school in a small former house in East Marietta near the Big Chicken in 1974 and moved more than a dozen years ago to space at Merchants Exchange Shopping Center on Roswell Road.

“We’ve outgrown every place we had,” she told East Cobb News at Dance Stop’s 50th anniversary celebration in 2023. “As East Cobb came out this way, we did too.”

Dance Stop Studios starts 50th year
Founder Lynette Strickland (center) with some of her staff in 2023.

Dance Stop adapted to the times and adjusted through COVID-19 closures, and added former students to her teaching and operations staff in more recent years.

Dance Stop set up a non-profit foundation to conduct auditions and hold performances for the public at larger venues, as well as at assisted living centers and for special community events.

“We have had the privilege of serving the East Cobb community in dance education for past 52 years,” Strickland and Grubb wrote. “We treasure the friendships and memories we have made.

“We will truly miss our Dance Stop family! We love all our students, present and past, and our fantastic staff.”

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Bookmiser reopens after five-month closure due to fire

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Bookmiser reopens after five-month closure due to fire
Co-owner Annell Gerson (right) visits with a customer at Bookmiser’s reopening. ECN photos.

Customers rolling in Saturday for a reopening event at the Bookmiser independent bookstore saw a whole new space.

There was new flooring, rearranged bookshelves and more open space for events.

Five months after sustaining heavy damage due to a fire, Gerson and her staff welcomed back book-lovers whose shopping has been limited to online or pop-up sales since then.

“It’s beautiful!” said a customer to co-owner Annell Gerson, who has operated the store with her husband at the Village East Shopping Center on Roswell Road since 2010.

“I’m glad you made it through. I know it was a lot of work.”

Bookmiser and other tenants were forced to close after the adjacent Owl Repairs computer shop caught fire. Nearly half of Gerson’s inventory of 35,000 books was damaged or destroyed, and the interior structure sustained heavy soot and smoke damage.

After she and her staff and volunteers packed up the remaining books for storage, remediation efforts gutted what was left.

“They took out everything,” Gerson said, pointing to the walls, floor and ceiling. “Down to the cinder blocks.”

All but the Owl Repairs business have reopened. Bookmiser’s full range of services, including special orders, as well as operating hours, have resumed as they were.

The front browsing area at Bookmiser.

What has transpired since that late September Sunday morning was more of an ordeal than Gerson bargained for.

While the look and feel of the store is new and inviting, the process of reopening took longer than she wanted.

“It’s been five months to the day” since the fire, Gerson noted on Saturday, shortly before holding a book event, and she was mindful that “there were opportunities to buy books” elsewhere.

A couple of weeks ago, she announced a Feb. 28 reopening, even though her insurance company hadn’t fully signed off on all the renovations to the bathroom.

“They approved the toilet, but not the sink,” she said, adding that once she said a date, she was going to reopen regardless.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/904054FA4AD22A4FC1-60126382-bookmiser#/
Annell Gerson and her staff and volunteers packed up books in November for the temporary closure that lasted through the Christmas shopping season.

Gerson updated customers on a regular basis, and urged them to shop at Bookshop, an online competitor to Amazon that distributes 30 percent of sales to independent stores, as well as libro.fm, an audio bookseller.

“We got some benefit from that, and we saw a lot of people supporting us,” she said, adding that pop-up events located at a nearby storage facility also helped.

She also held some book club events as the Stitched fabric and quilting store at Village East.

But not being able to be open during the Christmas shopping season was the biggest drawback for Gerson, who has held her own in a book market that includes Half-Price Books and Barnes and Noble in close vicinity.

She and her husband originally opened the store at Merchants Festival Shopping Center in the late 1990s, when the Bruno’s grocery store was the anchor.

Bookmiser endured disruptive renovations there as Target came in, then Gerson relocated the store to its present location.

After the fire, the inventory features less non-fiction than it did before (she said she donated 15,000 partially damaged books to Roswell-area libraries and a children’s charity).

“We’re not going to have as many books as we did before,” Gerson said, adding that “a finely curated inventory is our goal.”

Current fiction titles have been strong sellers at Bookmiser.

There’s more space for author events and for the seven book clubs that meet at Bookmiser, with enough room for about 60 people.

(The next author event at Bookmiser is with mystery writer Chuck Storla on March 15 from 4-5:30 p.m. His latest book is “Murder Two Doors Down,” published in October, about the killing of a homeowners association board member in a suburban Atlanta neighborhood.)

On Saturday, Gerson was greeted warmly by customers with hugs, and she later remarked that there were “so many people, so many friends” who came by.

Her community ties run deep—she’s a former English teacher at Dickerson Middle School—and the well-wishers reminded her of what she has fashioned as her legacy running a bookstore.

“They just wanted to connect, to feed their love of books,” she said.

Bookmiser (website) is located at 3822 Roswell Road and is open Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.

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East Cobb Restaurant News: Heavenly BBQ closes after a year

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East Cobb Restaurant Update: Heavenly BBQ closes after a year

Just around a year after it opened in the former Willie Jewell’s space on Sandy Plains Road, Heavenly BBQ has closed.

The restaurant posted a message on its Facebook page saying that Sunday was its last day in business and “this decision was not made lightly. However, we are deeply thankful for the opportunity to have shared our passion for great barbecue and genuine hospitality with you.”

In response to a message from East Cobb News, owner Daryl Stewart said that a “lack of patronage” was the reason for the closure. “We were getting excellent customer reviews and high scores for customer service and cleanliness.”

Stewart kept the barbecue concept at the standalone building at Sprayberry Square Shopping Center when he opened Heavenly BBQ in March 2025, but focused on smoked meats, particularly brisket, and fresh side dishes that included coleslaw.

He was a former Jersey Mike’s franchise owner in the metro Atlanta area, and said with Heavenly BBQ he was aiming to “elevate the food.”

Willie Jewell’s operated in that spot for seven years in an East Cobb/Marietta area with a number of local barbecue businesses, including Williamson Bros., Righteous ‘Que, Sam’s BBQ-1 and Smitty’s and chains including Jim-‘N-Nick’s, Sonny’s and Smokehouse Q.

“Serving this community has been an incredible honor,” Heavenly BBQ said in its closure announcement. “Since our opening, your loyalty, encouragement, and continued patronage have meant more to us than words can express.

“From family dinners and celebrations to quick lunches and catered events, you have made Heavenly BBQ more than just a restaurant — you have made it a gathering place filled with warmth, laughter, and lasting memories.”

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East Cobb Wendy’s closes on Johnson Ferry Road

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East Cobb Wendy's closes on Johnson Ferry Road

Almost all the signage is gone, replaced by other signs acknowledging the obvious.

The Wendy’s on Johnson Ferry Road at East Cobb Drive has closed, as part of a larger wave of closings initiated by the fast-food hamburger chain.

Around 5 percent, or roughly 300, Wendy’s stores are in the process of being closed during the first part of 2026. Wendy’s has around 6,000 restaurants across the U.S.

On an earnings call last week, Wendy’s interim CEO Ken Cook said the locations targeted for closure were “consistently underperforming.”

The East Cobb area is now left with three Wendy’s: On Powers Ferry Road, on Roswell Road near East Lake, and on Shallowford Road at Highland Plaza.

East Cobb Wendy's closes on Johnson Ferry Road

East Cobb Wendy's closes on Johnson Ferry Road

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Kroger’s $23M Parkaire expansion to include fuel center

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Kroger's $23M Parkaire expansion to include fuel center

Demolition work is getting underway for a major renovation and expansion of the Kroger store at the Parkaire Landing Shopping Center in East Cobb.

Kroger’s Atlanta Division said in a release on Tuesday that the store will grow from 59,000 square feet to 85,000 square feet and will include a fuel station in the parking lot.

That’s almost as big as the Kroger Superstore that opened on Powers Ferry Road in 2023 as the anchor for the MarketPlace Terrell Mill development.

Three vacant retail spaces will be converted for the Kroger project, including the former Tuesday Morning store next door, where the construction work is beginning.

Kroger said the project is expected to be completed by the spring of 2027 and that the store will remain open during the construction period.

The key features of the expansion include an expanded produce department and an enlarged deli counter, a full-service Murray’s cheese counter and the addition of a sushi culinary kiosk.

The Parkaire location is the only Kroger in East Cobb that currently doesn’t have a fuel center, and “a portion of existing surface parking will be removed to accommodate” the 12-pump gas station, the Kroger release said.

“We’re thrilled to see Kroger expand its presence at Parkaire Landing,” Eric Hines, director and Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regional lead of asset management at Jamestown, the retail center’s management company, said in the release.

“The store’s evolution aligns with our vision of creating a dynamic, one-stop destination, and we look forward to the benefits the new space will bring to the neighborhood.”

Kroger has been located at Parkaire Landing (4880 Lower Roswell Road at Johnson Ferry Road) since the 1970s.

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