East Cobb Business

Cobb Chamber of Commerce names Sharon Mason new president and CEO

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Sharon Mason, Cobb Chamber of Commerce

Sharon Mason, Cobb Chamber of Commerce

Sharon Mason of East Cobb has been named president and chief executive officer of the Cobb Chamber of Commerce, where she has worked for the past decade, most recently as chief operating officer.

Mason was the unanimous choice of the chamber’s board of directors to succeed another East Cobb resident, David Connell, who is retiring at the end of the year after seven years in the job.

Mason will assume her new duties on Jan. 1, 2018. The Cobb Chamber of Commerce has more than 2,500 members and organizations.

“Sharon Mason is the right person for the job,” Gary Bottoms, chair of the Cobb Chamber Board of Directors, said in a statement. “She inherits a strong chamber and engaged business community. Over the years, she has worked closely with David Connell to create a national reputation for Cobb County and deliver creative solutions to recruit and retain businesses. We are grateful for David’s leadership and his contribution to the growth of our county, and we are excited to embrace Sharon Mason’s vision for the future.”

Among her duties has been helping raise more than $3 million for Cobb’s Competitive Edge, a chamber initiative for job creation that began in 2012. According to the chamber, more than 22,000 new jobs and $2.5 billion in private investment are attributable to the program.

“I am excited and honored to accept the role of President and CEO of the Cobb Chamber,” Mason said in a statement. “I know as a business community we can achieve great things by working together to advance a vibrant economy. It is important that we continue to offer programs and services that are beneficial to our members, while also addressing the education, workforce and business climate needs of our community.”

In addition to her professional endeavors, Mason has been heavily involved in community activities. She is a past president of the Friends for the East Cobb Park and has been on the board of MUST Ministries, as well as a former director of the Marietta Rotary Foundation.

A graduate of Samford University, Mason previously worked for the Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce and the American Cancer Society. She and her husband and daughter attend North Point Community Church in Alpharetta.

 

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East Cobb Biz Notes: Engel & Völkers opens office at The Avenue; new owners for Brewster’s Neighborhood Grille

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Engel & Volkers East Cobb

Engel & Völkers, a real estate brokerage firm with five offices in metro Atlanta, has recently opened at The Avenue East Cobb.

The North Atlanta office is being led by CEO and managing broker Cynthia Lippert, real estate advisor Jaime Turner and qualifying broker Scott Askew. The office also has 14 other real estate advisors who service the East Cobb, Roswell and Sandy Springs areas.

The Engel & Völkers office is located in Suite 200, next to Bed Bath and Beyond, and the phone number is 770-744-3205.

Changes at Brewster’s Neighborhood Grille

Brewster’s Neighborhood Grille, which opened on Canton Road in 1996, is under new ownership. Tommy and MacKenzie Gilbert, doing business as Goodwin Gilbert Inc., are now the proprietors. They received their business license last week and held a party over the weekend for staff and customers to mark the occasion.

The restaurant, located at 3595 Canton Road in the New Chastain Shopping Center, features live music, karaoke, trivia and darts in addition to a sports bar-style menu.

Cobb teacher for a day program 

The Cobb Chamber of Commerce is asking for business and community leaders to participate in its Teacher for a Day program during the week of Feb. 5-9, 2018, that include the Cobb and Marietta public schools and post-secondary institutions

The aim is to give participating individuals a first-hand perspective on public education, as they work with a school’s teacher of the year to learn about what schools and teachers face on a daily basis.

Applications are due Jan. 17. For information or to apply online, visit www.cobbchamber.org or contact Katie Guice at 770-859-2334 or kguice@cobbchamber.org.

 

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East Cobb Biz Notes: Pet Supermarket opens at Pavilions at East Lake

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Pet Supermarket Eastlake Pavilions, Eastlake Pavilions

A new location of the Pet Supermarket has opened at the Pavilions at East Lake (2100 Roswell Road), which has welcomed a number of new businesses in recent months.

The Pet Supermarket is located in the former Ski and Snowboard store, between A.J.’s Seafood and Poboys and SnowVville Shavery.

Also opening in the same retail center recently is an Emory HealthCare Clinic, a Burn Boot Camp women’s fitness center and Benchmark Physical Therapy.

La Novia Taqueria Open for Lunch

La Novia Taqueria, which opened on Nov. 7 in Paper Mill Village for dinner, is now serving lunch seven days a week: from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Saturday and from 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Sunday.

Taking Another Road

High Road Craft Ice Cream, with headquarters in the West Oak Commons office park off Allgood Road, posted an interesting announcement on its Facebook page over the weekend: It’s getting off Facebook (where it has more than 25,000 followers), and using other social media channels and incorporating more offline methods of marketing:

“Facebook has become less about sharing and connecting. (We see your heads nodding). There’s a lot of anger in here. It’s divisive. Frankly, it sucks now (save for the cute pictures of the grandkids).”

The post also expressed frustration with figuring out Facebook’s advertising algorithm, calling its revenue model “a money pit” being dominated by larger companies.

Among the changes High Road plans for its revamped promotional efforts is to “prioritize face to face human interaction,” “use devices and digital technologies as tools, not lifelines or appendages” and to start a podcast after the first of the year.

High Road is still on Twitter (@highroadcraft) and Instagram (@highroadcraft) for now, but the bottom line, according to the post, is “to gun for more substance and less eye-candy.”

A number of readers said they don’t use those social media channels or listen to podcasts, and asked for an e-mail newsletter.

Also opening up in East Cobb

According to the Cobb Community Development office, the following new businesses were granted licenses last week:

  • Agape Recovery House, 3300 Woods Field Drive (business management);
  • Alexandra Hodgson, 328 Penny Lane (bookkeeping/accounting);
  • ANS Property Inspection, 3271 Normandy Circle (home inspection service);
  • Connico, 4960 McPherson Drive (business management);
  • Conscious Creations, 3860 Edenborough Place (mail order);
  • Judy’s Country Kitchen, 2745 Sandy Plains Road (restaurant);
  • Keystone Consulting, 302 Rolling Rock Road (consultant service);
  • La Pargo Shoes & More, 832 Wood Hollow Drive (retail clothing);
  • Marco’s Pizza, 2986 Johnson Ferry Road (restaurant);
  • Mountain Park Fitbody Bootcamp, 4750 Alabama Road (fitness trainer);
  • Pipes Mechanical, 831 Fern Street (plumbing contractor);
  • RB Estates, 3930 Summer Breeze Court (building contractor);
  • SiteMed North America, 1634 White Circle (physician);
  • Superior Chick Services, 2501 East Piedmont Road (business management).

East Cobb Biz Notes: Chick-Fil-A Woodlawn Square expansion would include double drive-through

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Chick Fil A Woodlawn canopy rendering

The congested layout for the Chick-Fil-A Woodlawn Square location on Johnson Ferry Road will be getting a makeover.

According to documents filed with the Cobb Zoning Division, Interplan LLC, which operates the Chick-Fil-A store at 1201 Johnson Ferry Road, wants to redo the parking lot and drive-through layout as part of an overall restaurant expansion.

In order to do that, it wants to add an adjacent .15 acres of vacant land that’s zoned community retail (CRC). A proposal to rezone from CRC and neighborhood shopping, the freestanding restaurant’s current category, to all neighborhood shopping (NS) will be heard Tuesday by the Cobb Planning Commission.

The applicant’s information packet and zoning staff analysis can be found here, and includes the above rendering and site plan modifications shown below.

What Chick-Fil-A wants to do is construct two lanes winding around the back of the restaurant, along the current route of the current single-lane drive-through, with a canopy at the order station.

If you’ve been in that drive-through lane, you’ve noticed that cars parked next to the building are essentially blocked in because of the long lines. Employees are often manually taking orders standing next to the line to speed up the process.

Chick Fil A Woodlawn site plan

In the new configuration, customers would give their order, then proceed into a single line to the window. It’s a set-up similar to other Chick-Fil-A stores with this feature.

In the Cobb zoning staff analysis, it was noted that a variance is being sought for the front setback from 50 feet to 15 feet in order to accommodate the new canopy. Staff is recommending approval with several conditions, including approval of the architecture of the building and canopy plans by the district commissioner (Bob Ott).

The NS zoning classification is consistent with the rest of Woodlawn Square, which includes Muss & Turner’s, Fresh Market, J. Christopher’s and other retail stores at the shopping center. The adjacent Starbuck’s, also freestanding, is zoned CRC.

In other East Cobb business news, Drift Fish House & Oyster Bar (The Avenue East Cobb, 4475 Roswell Road) has appointed Thomas Hill as its new executive chef.

According to Eater Atlanta, Hill moves over from Seed and Stem Wine Bar, where he worked under Drift owner Doug Turbush. Hill also has also worked at restaurants in Alaska and Oregon.

The following new businesses in East Cobb were granted licenses last week by the Cobb Community Development Department:

  • Atlanta Eco Tree, 1651 Smithwood Drive (tree trimming service);
  • Braemar Partners LLC, 1642 Powers Ferry Road, Suite 250 (land development);
  • East Cobb Embroidery, 895 Fairfield Drive (printing and embroidery services);
  • M V Auto Body Repair, 1991 Powers Ferry Road (auto repair);
  • Nest Interiors, 3411 Ebenezer Road (interior design);
  • Southland Partners, 2100 Powers Ferry Road, Suite 300 (building contractor);
  • Studio Glamoureux, 2550 Sandy Plains Road (cosmetics);
  • Treestone Touring, 1000 Johnson Ferry Road (entertainment services).

 

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Studio Movie Grill Marietta location opens on Powers Ferry Road

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Studio Movie Grill Marietta

The Studio Movie Grill location at the old Harry’s Plaza shopping center on Powers Ferry Road has opened.

The 49,000-square-foot facility is where a Sports Authority store was located years ago, features 11 dine-in auditoriums and nearly 1,300 luxury seats, a bar and a patio.

This is the third Georgia location for the Dallas-based Studio Movie Grill, which operates 30 theatres in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Texas.

Construction plans for the Marietta venue were underway before the closure of Harry’s Farmers Market was announced (previous East Cobb News post here).

The movie-and-dinner concept offered first screenings on Nov. 16, and has scheduled a holiday-oriented promotion through Thursday to benefit the Atlanta Community Food Bank.

In what’s it’s calling the “Cans Film Festival,” patrons who donate four or more canned goods or non-perishable items will receive a free movie ticket to any film on that day at the Marietta location.

The current slate of movies includes “Coco,” “Justice League,” “Wonder,” “Murder on the Orient Express” and “A Bad Moms Christmas.”

The Studio Movie Grill in Marietta also has a special needs screening each Saturday morning for families with special needs children, who receive matinee pricing.

Through Dec. 6, online-only tickets cost $3 with the code SMGMARIETTA. Box-office prices are $9 for adults, $6 for children and $7 for matinees.

The Studio Movie Grill is located at 40 Powers Ferry Road. The phone number is 678-273-3558.

 

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East Cobb Biz Notes: Ming’s Asian Kitchen coming soon; what’s new at The Avenue; Walmart grocery closing on Canton Road

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Ming's Asian Kitchen, East Cobb biz notes

We’ve heard from readers about the forthcoming Ming’s Asian Kitchen, and passed by the other day and saw this sign out front.

Ming’s will be located in the former Niecy’s Cafe space (4665 Lower Roswell Road, at Woodlawn Drive), which has been the site of a number of restaurants in recent years. Niecy’s opened in 2015 but closed earlier this year.

There’s no other readily available information yet about when Ming’s is slated to open, but we’ll post that here when we get more details.

In other East Cobb business news, there are two new food spots coming or have opened at The Avenue East Cobb (in addition to the Stockyard Burgers & Bones slated for next spring):

  • WhatNowAtlanta is reporting that Smallcakes, which once was open on Roswell Road at East Piedmont Road, will be opening soon at The Avenue (4475 Roswell Road), and will be located next to the Hand & Stone store;
  • Kale Me Crazy, a Atlanta-based chain of healthy food cafes and juice shops, got its business license last week and is open at The Avenue. The menu features salads, wraps, toasts (yes, avocado!) and açaí bowls, and the store sells a full line of juice-based “cleansing packages” and does catering. Hours are Monday-Friday 7 a.m.-8:30 pm; Saturday 9 a.m.-8 p.m; Sunday 9 a.m.-6 p.m.;
  • This is the last week of business at the Walmart Neighborhood Market, 3372 Canton Road, in the Blackwell Square Shopping Center, after it was announced last month that the store is closing on Dec. 4. It’s the second Walmart grocery to leave the East Cobb area this year; the Sandy Plains Village location closed in March. The only such store remaining close by is at 3101 Roswell Road, in the Olde Mill Shopping Center.

The following new businesses were granted licenses by the Cobb Community Development Department in the last week:

  • Agape Remodeling, 2694 Lower Roswell Road (handyman);
  • Healthy Smoothies, 2550 Sandy Plains Road (health food store);
  • Heyward Accounting, 3837 Courson Street (accounting services);
  • Perks Coffee, 3000 Windy Hill Road, Suite 176 (restaurant);
  • Siding Pro, 2100 Wood Court (Siding contractor).

 

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The East Cobb ‘shop local’ movement, with a touch of generosity

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Challise and Company, East Cobb shop local
Shelbie Fredericks (left) and Terry Yagadics took part in Small Business Saturday at Challise and Company. (East Cobb News photos by Wendy Parker)

In one part of the Challise and Company salon on Canton Road, it’s business as usual: Haircuts and spa services.

When a visitor looks to the left upon entering, however, there are cookies and refreshments neatly laid out on a table, and vendors displaying their wares in an adjoining room.

They’re all women, and they’re all local, selling just about anything a shopper might have on a holiday gift list: Monogrammed glasses and shirts, clothing, handcrafted items and food and cooking services.

It was another Small Business Saturday at Challise and Company, which was among the East Cobb businesses taking part in a burgeoning movement to promote local shopping.

And not just for one day, or even for the holiday season, but year-round.

Ever since 2010, Small Business Saturday has been designated (ironically enough, by a big corporation, American Express) to get consumers to think, and shop local.

Coming the day after “Black Friday,” SBS, as it’s called by many, has helped raise awareness of locally-owned, independently operated business.

For owner Challise Copeland, “shop local” is more than just a one-day promotion. It’s a commitment to helping other local business owners—especially women-owned businesses—gain visibility.

East Cobb shop local
Laura Stevenson of Whimsy Girl Creations, which specializes in mongrammed goods and other handmade crafts.

“For us, it’s traffic flow,” she said. “But we really do it to help start-up business get their names out there.”

Among them is Laura Stevenson, a Northeast Cobb resident and owner of Whimsy Girl Creations, who designs handcrafted items, including a range of monogrammed goods.

Like many artisanal entrepreneurs, promoting her business, which is a couple years old, is “word of mouth. You bring something to somebody and their friends see it.”

Stevenson said that getting into larger craft fairs can be hard—she was offered a spot in last weekend’s Sprayberry PTSA Arts & Crafts Fair at the very last minute—and she often finds herself on a waiting list.

She appreciated the generosity of another business providing space and exposure, even if on a smaller scale.

Copeland, who took over what had been the Studio 5 salon in 2003, said having these kinds of events predated the advent of Small Business Saturday. She and her co-owner Carrie Cox, both of whom are active in the Northeast Cobb Business Association and the Cobb Business Women’s Association, see what they’re doing as promoting not only small business owners, but a sense of community.

“The more you can give back to the community, the better,” Copeland said.

Some newcomers also took part on Saturday: Shelbie Fredericks of Where the Willows Grow, who makes handcrafted watercolor art, and Terri Yagadics, a local fashion consultant for the LuLaRoe line of clothing.

Online-focused businesses also appreciate the chance to have a physical presence on an occasional business. One of them is run by Heather Stafford, who does social media and promotions for Challise and Company and has her own handcrafted business, GeminiRed Creations, which began as an Etsy site.

East Cobb shop local
Handcrafted items from Heather Stafford’s Gemini Red Creations.

For local consultants Cherie Beasley of Pampered Chef and Meredith Smiles of Tastefully Simple, having an appearance like this helps with their word-of-mouth promotions. They occasionally partner on events: Beasley with her in-home cooking demonstrations, and Smiles with her inventory of meal kits.

They do occasional vendor events, but smaller ones like this are also ideal for expanding their network of potential clients.

“You have to be patient to get started,” Beasley said. “But it’s not that different from having a brick and mortar store.” She said she’s reached a point where “none of my calls are cold. They’re all warm.”

The greater satisfaction, Beasley said, is helping busy clients solve meal issues.

“I’m more interested in helping you have a successful kitchen experience, with what you’ve already got.”

East Cobb shop local
Terri Yagadics started her Lula Roe fashion consulting business this spring.

 

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East Cobb Biz Notes: Primrose School expanding to Paper Mill Village; Hoyle’s sports bar opens and more

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Primrose School, East Cobb biz notes

A vacant lot between the shops and back offices at Paper Mill Village is being cleared for a new location of the early education Primrose School.

That’s the view from Moxie Burger for the Primrose School East Cobb at Paper Mill, and pre-enrollment is now underway. The address is 202 Village Parkway, and the phone number is 470-631-9327.

It will be the fourth Primrose location in the East Cobb area, along with East Lake (2065 Roswell Road), Sprayberry (2531 East Piedmont Road) and Lassiter (2821 Lassiter Road).

The former 120 Tavern at 1440 Roswell Road (across from Williamson Bros. BBQ) is now Hoyle’s Kitchen + Bar. Per www.tonetoatl.com, Hoyle’s general manager describes the new place as a “sports bar with a twist,” including an expanded outdoor patio. It’s open for lunch and dinner seven days a week, and aced its opening restaurant inspection.

Hoyle’s is one of the first new restaurants opening along the Roswell Road corridor of East Marietta ahead of the forthcoming opening of an I-75 interchange as part of the Northwest Corridor Project to be completed early next year.

A Waffle House opened earlier this year, right at that junction (and next to Frey’s Gin Road) and the Studio Movie Grill is slated to open soon in the same retail center recently vacated by Harry’s Marietta.

The Cobb Community Development Department recently issued licenses for the following new business in East Cobb:

  • Atlanta Autism Counseling, 4939 Lower Roswell Road (psychologist);
  • Body & Brain Yoga Tachi, 2595 Sandy Plains Road, Suite 9 (fitness trainer);
  • The Craft Beer Factory, 2145 Roswell Road, Suite 110 (package store);
  • Earth & Sky, 4191 Blackland Drive (painting artist);
  • Hammond Group, PC, 111 Village Parkway, Suite 2-200 (certified public accountant);
  • Marietta Technical Services, 3000 Johnson Ferry, Suite 201 (computer & data processing);
  • Motion Stretch Studio, 1255 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 26 (fitness center);
  • Orangetheory Fitness Center, 2960 Shallowford Road, Suite 102 (fitness center);
  • Pivot Point Counseling, 3225 Shallowford Road, Suite 710A (family and individual counseling);
  • Skinsations, 1275 Powers Ferry Road, Suite 220 (medical clinic);
  • Trinity of Success Club, 3290 Ethan Drive (travel agency);
  • Tyiese Scarpa, 4475 Roswell Road, Suite 940 (shoe and accessories store);
  • Village Autism Center, 4994 Lower Roswell Road, Suite 10 (psychologist).

 

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U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson named East Cobb Citizen of the Year

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Sen. Johnny Isakson, East Cobb Citizen of the Year
Kevin Isakson and Dianne Isakson, the son and wife of Sen. Johnny Isakson. (East Cobb News photo by Wendy Parker)

A public official synonymous with the evolution of East Cobb over the last half-century has been named the East Cobb Citizen of the Year.

Johnny Isakson launched a successful real estate agency in the East Cobb area as it began growing in the 1960s and later served in the Georgia legislature and Congress.

But to those who know him best in his East Cobb community, he’s much more than Georgia’s senior senator in Washington. He’s also been a results-oriented public servant, faithful civic advocate, accessible citizen and Sunday School teacher at Mt. Zion United Methodist Church.

Among many other things.

“If you looked up a definition of a statesman and a public servant, you’ll see a picture of Johnny Isakson,” said Cobb Chamber of Commerce CEO David Connell Thursday morning at Indian Hills Country Club.

That’s where the Chamber’s East Cobb Area Council held its quarterly breakfast and gave out the Citizen of the Year honor.

Isakson, 72, was unable to attend, being in Washington as Congress is dealing with major tax reform legislation. His son, Kevin Isakson, and wife, Dianne Isakson, accepted the honor on his behalf.

Connell, an East Cobb resident who’s stepping down from his post at the end of the, gushed with praise about Isakson’s dedication to public service, and several legislative accomplishments this year “in the most dysfunctional Congress we’ve ever had.”

Connell cited Isakson’s service on veterans committees, and after years of working with him and maintaining a longtime friendship, noted how Isakson remains the same person he’s known for all those years, including his diagnosis with Parkinson’s Disease disclosed in 2015.

“There are people in high office who are untouchable,” Connell said. Isakson is “the most humble individual you could ever find.”

It was during his time as founder and president of Northside Realty that Isakson was drawn to public service.

At a ribbon-cutting for the new Walton High School this summer, Isakson recalled how he was asked by Cobb school officials in the early 1970s to help scout land for desperately-needed schools, especially in East Cobb.

Isakson helped them spot true bargains on Bill Murdock Road, properties that now house Walton and Dodgen Middle School, for a grand total of $4,500.

In addition to being the first Georgian to serve in the state house and senate and the U.S. house and senate, Isakson also was chairman of the Georgia Board of Education.

“If there was a Citizen of the Year for the last four decades, it would be him,” said Johnny Johnson, owner of Edward-Johns Jewelers in East Cobb and a former Citizen of the Year recipient who chairs the East Cobb Area Council.

 

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NEW EAST COBB BUSINESSES: Punchline Comedy Club, OkKo Ramen opening soon

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Punchline Comedy Club, new East Cobb businesses

The building that used to house the Spaghetti Warehouse and the Cosmopolitan restaurant on Delk Road is being renovated for a forthcoming expansion of the Punchline Comedy Club.

The official name for the new place is Punchline Club@DelRay Diner, including a full-service diner-style restaurant.

What Now Atlanta reported last week that Atlanta Chef Nicholas Lambrou will be in charge of the diner while he opens a similar concept in Midtown.

An estimated opening date hasn’t been announced.

Related story

In just a couple of weeks, OkKo Ramen will open at 3045 Gordy Parkway, in the same small strip shopping center as New Lucky China (and in the same spot as the former Omega Learning Academy, whose signage still remains). OkKo Ramen got its business license on Oct. 20. OkKo Ramen, new East Cobb businesses

Here are some other new East Cobb businesses, restaurants and otherwise, that have opened or will be opening, based on Cobb Community Development Department filings:

  • Be Kind Photography, James Hunt (freelance photography);
  • Magnolia Moments, Michael Tharp (freelance photography);
  • The Painters Daughter, Alena Lara (retail arts and crafts);
  • Big Johns Christmas Trees, 2197 Roswell Road;
  • Dental Home, 2100 Roswell Road, Suite 108;
  • Drive Copywriting, John Nabinger (consulting);
  • Hybrid Nation Automotive, 3286 Canton Road (used car sales);
  • Paprik’a, 4674 Sandy Plains Road (restaurant; see previous East Cobb News post);
  • TS Hair Studio, 551 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 108 (hair salon);
  • Atlanta Piano Restorations, 2410 Canton Road (musical equipment);
  • Noelle Boyd Salon, 4101 Roswell Road, Suite 301 (hair salon).

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East Cobb business update: What’s coming soon to Providence Square

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Five Below, Providence Square

A few readers have asked about what’s coming in the former Uncle Maddio’s Pizza spot at Providence Square Shopping Center. We went by recently and renovations are still underway for a new Salata location, but there’s not an estimated time of opening beyond the fall.

Salata is making its way into the Atlanta area, with a recent opening at Atlantic Station and another restaurant planned for Sandy Springs. Uncle Maddio’s closed at Providence Square earlier this year.

The discount store Five Below is moving into a former party store space between T.J. Maxx and Rack Room Shoes. Opening is scheduled for the spring and hiring has begun.

Five Below also has locations near Town Center, Sandy Springs and Woodstock.

Do you know of a new business coming soon to East Cobb? Wonder what might be going into a vacant space? Get in touch with us! E-mail editor@eastcobbnews.com and we’ll update the community.

East Cobb businesses on display at East Cobb Business Association Expo

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ECBA Expo

Nearly 50 East Cobb businesses were represented Wednesday at the 2nd East Cobb Business Association Expo at the Olde Towne Athletic Club.

In addition to receiving business cards, brochures and other items for “swag bags,” attendees at the expo engaged in a relaxed and informal networking event.

Attendees purchased raffle tickets for giveaways, with the proceeds going to the ECBA’s upcoming public safety appreciation dinner (previous East Cobb News post here).

The ECBA is also offering year-end membership specials ($95 for 2018, with free membership for October, November and December 2017). The deadline to sign up is Dec. 31. For information contact ECBA Membership Chair Pam Oldaker at pam@powerofpam.com or 770-354-0243.

The ECBA expo’s corporate sponsors were Olde Towne Athletic Club and Brand Bank, and the following businesses had tables:

ECBA Expo, East Cobb businesses
Jim Harris of Money Concepts hands out door prizes, with the proceeds from raffle tickets benefitting the ECBA’s Public Safety Appreciation Dinner. (East Cobb News photos by Wendy Parker)
  • Cobb Financial Planners
  • Money Concepts
  • Movie Tavern
  • WellStar East Cobb Health Park
  • East Cobb Travel
  • Vann Whipple Milligan, P.C
  • Restor-It
  • Your Tax CFO
  • Aegis Alarm & Integration
  • Fidelity Bank
  • Houston Hall Publishers
  • Thrive Wellness Center
  • Mozley, Finlayson & Loggins, L.L.P.
  • Bethea Insurance Group
  • Atlanta I.D.
  • Erickson Technical
  • Atlanta Communities
  • Pam Oldaker Real Estate
  • Seniors Helping Seniors
  • Astrology Source
  • Innova Brain Rehabilitation
  • J & M Roofing
  • TC Productions
  • Carpet For Less
  • Saint Leo University
  • Wine Shop at Home
  • Online Technology Associates
  • Allstate Greg Cavellier Agency
  • The Solana East Cobb
  • Minuteman Press
  • And Thou Shalt Read
  • Reinhardt University
  • Farmers Insurance
  • East Cobber magazine
  • The Current Hub magazine
  • North American Health Plans
  • Honest-1 Auto Care
  • State Farm Ron Sprouse Agency
  • Zija International

The East Cobb Business Association holds monthly luncheons, after-hours networking and other events and is involved in various community projects. The next luncheon is Oct. 17 at Indian Hills Country Club (registration here).

ECBA Expo, East Cobb businesses

East Cobb Business Association Expo set for Olde Towne Athletic Club

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ECBA Expo

Ever wanted to learn more about local businesses in East Cobb, especially those that are involved in community activities?

The East Business Association expo takes place Wednesday, from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Olde Towne Athletic Club (4950 Olde Towne Parkway), and is free for the public to attend.

It’s the second year for the event, which kicked off in 2016 at the WellStar East Cobb Health Park.

Local businesses purchase tables with information, demonstrations, goodie bags and other items for visitors to take with them. Although there is no charge to the public for the expo, registration is recommended and can be done online at this link.

The expo, which also includes a networking event, will have drawings, giveaways, free food and more. A portion of the proceeds from the expo will go toward the ECBA’s public safety appreciation award dinner later this month (previous East Cobb News post here).

The ECBA, which meets monthly and has other networking events, incorporates public and community service projects into its mission. The luncheons take place the 3rd Tuesday of each month at Indian Hills Country Club. For more information, visit the ECBA website.

Solar panels at East Cobb veterinary clinic offer promising benefits

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Montrose Animal Hospital solar panels
Solar panels on the roof of Montrose Animal Hospital were installed in July. (East Cobb News photos by Wendy Parker)

Dr. James Davis was admittedly an unlikely advocate of solar energy when he began researching the topic. Since 2011, Davis has been the owner of the Montrose Animal Hospital, an East Cobb veterinary clinic, and was looking for cost savings, as many business owners do.

While the benefits of solar energy have been touted by environmentalists, Davis, who says he personally believes in nuclear energy, kept an open mind.

He noticed that as the cost for purchasing solar panels was coming down, the energy savings were going up, as far as he could discern from government estimates that he found during his research.

“I’m not exactly a save the planet guy,” Davis said, “but if I can save a little money and the planet at the same time, then I’m all on board.”

Montrose Animal Hospital, solar panels
Dr. James Davis of the Montrose Animal Hospital keeps track of energy production from the rooftop solar panels with an app on his mobile phone.

In July, his clinic on Woodlawn Drive was equipped with solar panels on the roof that produce enough electricity to seriously cut into energy use. He said the panels already are reducing the clinic’s electricity bill, which had averaged around $1,700 a month, by around 45 percent.

He said about 20 percent of Montrose’s electric bill is for lighting, and the solar panels could reduce that to four percent.

“I’ve done a lot of analysis, and it makes more sense for businesses” to adopt solar solutions, he said. In addition to federal tax credits he said that another advantage to having the panels “is zero maintenance.”

But deciding to make the switch is still a sizable investment, and one with a longer term payoff. After making a down payment, Davis secured a loan for the panels, similar to buying a home, purchasing them from Creative Solar USA in Kennesaw.

“The costs are coming down, they’re more affordable,” he said. “We could make the payments.”

The solar panels at the 7,000-square-foot Montrose clinic are projected to have a break-even effect in about six-and-a-half years. Davis said he also tracks other local businesses that have solar equipment, and said he’s found “surprisingly few” in the East Cobb area.

Montrose Animal Hospital, solar panels
The clinic’s solar production momentarily dropped to zero during the eclipse.

Davis, who also operates the Shiloh Veterinary Clinic in Kennesaw, follows solar production figures on a mobile phone app included his purchase of the panels. He familiarized himself with its features just in time to track the energy drop that came on the solar eclipse on Aug. 21.

The Montrose staff celebrated the event with a barbecue in the clinic’s back yard. Davis looked at his app, and noticed solar production was “basically was at zero” as the eclipse passed over Georgia on a bright, sunny afternoon.

Another tool Davis uses is Google’s Project Sunroof, which estimates available sunlight for a particular location.

As his new solar investment continues to evolve, tracking data like that will be helpful, not only because solar production generally falls in the winter months, but also because he’s considering buying panels for his other clinic.

Harry’s Marietta store closing Oct. 5 as movie theater plans continue

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Harry's Marietta store
Harry’s Marietta store has been part of Whole Foods since 2001. (East Cobb News photos by Wendy Parker)

What was announced earlier this year has become official: The Harry’s Marietta store is closing, and its last day of business is Wednesday, Oct. 4.

That’s because Whole Foods, which acquired Harrys in 2001 but allowed the farmers market concept to retain its name, is opening a new store in Kennesaw. That location opens on Friday, Oct. 6.

Harry’s was once the anchor of a shopping center at 70 Powers Ferry Road, at the intersection of Roswell Road, that opened in the 1990s, featuring Builders Square and Sports Authority stores and a Revco/CVS drug store. But after those businesses closed, Harry’s became the lone occupant of what was later named Harry’s Plaza.

Harry's Marietta store
A sign near the exits of Harry’s Marietta store.

Harry’s downsized its original space in Marietta following the opening of the East Cobb Whole Foods store at Merchants Walk in 2012.

Plans for the Harry’s relocation were in the works for months before Whole Foods recently became a wholly owned subsidiary of Amazon. The Studio Movie Grill, a Dallas-based company that operates big-screen cinemas with beer and restaurant fare, announced in January it would be redeveloping Harry’s Plaza.

Construction of the Studio Movie Grill is underway in the former Sports Authority spot, with a November opening tentatively scheduled.

Harry’s Plaza is in the vicinity of a larger, more gradual redevelopment of the Roswell Road corridor along Interstate 75. On the other side of the interstate, a new Waffle House has opened at Frey’s Gin Road and older commercial buildings in that area have been torn down.

All of this redevelopment is within the confines of the city of Marietta, which has been aiming to to revitalize certain portions of its eastern edge.

Harry's Marietta store
The former Sports Authority store is being turned into a Studio Movie Grill location.

 

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Renamed Cobb Chamber golf tournament slated for Indian Hills CC

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Cobb Chamber of Commerce

The Cobb Chamber of Commerce has announced that its annual fundraising golf tournament will return to East Cobb’s Indian Hills Country Club next month, and under a new name.

The Cobb Chamber/Taylor English Classic will take place Oct. 23, with a cost of $265 for individuals or $1,000 for a foursome (click the link for more information, including registration). The proceeds will go to the Cobb Chamber Foundation to fund leadership training, education programs, building maintenance and equipment needs.

The name change reflects the title sponsor, Taylor English Duma LLP, an East Cobb-area law firm located off Powers Ferry Road near Windy Ridge Parkway.

Marietta-Cobb Career Expo is next week; includes readiness workshops

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Details about the Marietta-Cobb Career Expo are being distributed to the public by Cobb County Government:Marietta Cobb Career Expo

Learn how to sharpen up your resume and interview successfully at free readiness workshops and then put those skills into action during the Marietta/Cobb Career Expo. WorkSouce Cobb staff will host Expo Readiness Workshops 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 12, at the Cobb County Civic Center. Topics will include career expo success, resume writing, interviewing, netserving, job search over 40 and resume critique. Registration is required. Register by visiting worksourcecobb.org. For more information, call 770-528-4300.

The Marietta/Cobb Career Expo will be held 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 14, at the Cobb County Civic Center. Employers including Atlanta and North Georgia Building Trades Council, Bank of America, Cana Communications, Carmax, Caraustar, Georgia Tech Police, Hooters, Lockheed Credit Union, Omni Hotel, Verizon, Roswell Police Department and Walden Security will be in attendance looking for qualified candidates. The Civic Center is located at 548 South Marietta Parkway, Marietta. 

East Cobb Civic Association gives nod to Taqueria Tsunami site plan proposal

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Taqueria Tsunami East Cobb

A follow-up to the story we reported here Monday about a proposed Taqueria Tsunami in East Cobb going up in the old Caribou Coffee/Einstein Bagel space on Johnson Ferry Road: It’s gotten a recommendation of conditional approval by the East Cobb Civic Association.

During its monthly business meeting Wednesday, the group voted to recommend approval of a site plan amendment being proposed on behalf of Fork U Concepts, the Marietta company that runs the six-restaurant Latin-Asian fusion concept chain, but with some stipulations.

Those recommendations include the district commissioner (Bob Ott) signing off on building renderings for the new restaurant, a landscaping plan for the property and front signage, none of which have been submitted to the Cobb Zoning Department.

The 0.70-acre tract at 1275 Johnson Ferry Road has been vacant since Einstein Bagels left in 2015. The land was first zoned for commercial use in 1978 as a Krystal fast-food restaurant (Caribou replaced it in 1995 and closed in 2013).

Amor Design Group, an architectural design firm submitting the application, wants to revise the site plan to remove the drivethru window used at the former Caribou location, in order to increase parking. The proposal calls for a parking expansion to 42 spaces that would include restriping.

The ECCA, which represents more than 90 homeowners associations and other individuals, is a citizens group that provides advisory opinions to the Cobb Planning Commission and Cobb Board of Commissioners on zoning and land use cases. While it wields no official power, its influence is frequently considered (Ott is a former ECCA president), especially when community opposition arises.

One other thing to note about the Taqueria Tsunami case: It’s considered “other business” in Cobb zoning parlance since it’s a site plan amendment proposal, instead of a pure rezoning matter.

Therefore, this case doesn’t need to go before the Cobb Planning Commission and instead will be heard by the Cobb Board of Commissioners on Sept. 19.

A zoning case that was on next Thursday’s Cobb Planning Commission agenda but that has been continued until October is the proposed redevelopment of the former Mountain View Elementary School (Z-053-2017). The nearly 14-acre tract would be converted into a mixed-use complex of restaurants, grocery, retail, banking and other commercial uses.

According to Jill Flamm of the ECCA, the applicant, Brooks Chadwick Capital LLC, is asking for more time to work with the community.

She also briefed ECCA members on other zoning and land use cases that have no new information to report. They include another high-profile September case, proposed by Lidl Grocery (OB-016-2017) to redevelop the Park 12 Cinema on Gordy Parkway, and a proposal by S & B Investments to add a drivethru window at the Starbucks Coffee location near Paper Mill Village, at 31 Johnson Ferry Road (OB-028-2017).

The ECCA has recommended denial of the Lidl Grocery application and supports the Starbucks addition.

Also on Wednesday, the ECCA voted to hold an application by Blair Waldron to amend a site plan for 1.28 acres on the north side of Roswell Road, just west of East Piedmont Road, to allow for a 16,000-square-foot medical and dental office building.

The land is located between a Bank of America branch and the East Cobb United Methodist Church. The proposed building would house Waldron Dentistry, which is currently located at 3020 Roswell Road, near Old Canton Road.

Flamm said no renderings have been submitted, and there are 34 pages of stipulations to consider. Much of that stems from a litigation settlement in 1999. Here’s the file information on OB-041-2017 from the Cobb Zoning Department, which hasn’t done a staff analysis for the application since it came in after the Aug. 4 commenting deadline.

Sage Woodfire Tavern announces September opening for Windy Hill location

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Sage Woodfire Tavern Windy Hill

More East Cobb restaurant news, following Monday’s posts about Loyal Q/Sugar Benders and a proposed Taqueria Tsunami in the Johnson Ferry corridor: the new Sage Woodfire Tavern location at Windy Hill Road and Powers Ferry Road is opening next week.

The hiring process is underway, and social media accounts have been started (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) for the new restaurant, located in the old Houston’s space at 3050 Windy Hill Road.

According to the office of Cobb Commissioner Bob Ott, a ribbon-cutting and open house reception for invited guests is scheduled for next Thursday, Sept. 7, from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with service to the public starting at 4 p.m.

This will be the third Sage Woodfire Tavern location, along with Alpharetta and Dunwoody. It’s located in restaurant space that has been vacant since Houston’s at Wildwood closed in Jan. 2013.

That’s also in a Powers Ferry corridor that’s been challenging for restaurants in recent years. TGI Friday’s and Sal Grosso are among the more notable casualties, along with Houston’s. An exception is the Rose & Crown Tavern, which opened in 2010 at 1391 Powers Ferry Road, just north of the new Sage Windy Hill.

The opening of nearby SunTrust Park earlier this year has been a magnet for new eateries located in The Battery, adjacent to the new stadium for the Atlanta Braves, and in the surrounding area.

The Infinite Dining Group which runs the Sage Woodfire Tavern also operated the Sage Social Kitchen & Bar in East Cobb, which closed in April after being open for only a few months. Previously the location of Chequer’s and Houlihan’s, that space in the Merchants Festival Shopping Center (1401 Johnson Ferry Road) remains vacant.

Across the parking lot, the Black Swan Tavern is preparing for opening with a date yet to be determined (previous East Cobb News coverage here). A liquor license approval is still pending.

Taqueria Tsunami restaurant eyed for former East Cobb Caribou Coffee location

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Caribou Coffee East Cobb, Taqueria Tsunami

An early check into a really busy September Cobb zoning calendar (especially in East Cobb) revealed this agenda item: the growing, Marietta-based Taqueria Tsunami Latin-Asian fusion restaurant concept may be headed this way.

An application in the “Other Business” section, OB-039-2017, has been filed by Amor Design Studios on behalf of Fork U Concepts, which runs six Taqueria Tsunami locations, including the Marietta Square, Roswell, Woodstock, Athens and soon in Sandy Springs.Caribou Coffee East Cobb, Taqueria Tsunami

The East Cobb location would be at 1275 Johnson Ferry Road, where Caribou Coffee and an Einstein Bros. Bagels operated side-by-side.

Caribou Coffee closed in 2013, and Einstein Bros. Bagels followed in 2015.

The Cobb Planning Commission will hear the application next Thursday, Sept. 7.

Amor Design Studios, an Atlanta architectural design firm, has filed a site plan amendment which states the following intent:

“Fork U Concepts would like to improve the property by deleting the drive-thru [of the former Caribou store] and increasing the number of parking spaces by restriping the parking lot.”

The proposed site plan changes (below, click to see larger image) call for 42 total spaces, 32 of them standard-sized spaces. The total land size for the building and parking is 0.70 acres.

Taqueria Tsunami East Cobb site planThere’s no preliminary staff zoning analysis for the moment since the application was filed on Aug. 15, after the Aug. 4. deadline for comments.

Some major East Cobb redevelopment proposals are also on the September calendar, and we’ll have more in forthcoming posts:

  • Z-053-2017, by Brooks Chadwick Capital, LLC, which would rezone the former Mountain View Elementary School location on Sandy Plains Road for a retail, restaurant, bank and grocery store development;
  • OB-016-2017, by Lidl US Operations, LLC, to tear down the Park 12 Cinema on Gordy Parkway and build a Lidl grocery store, a proposal that’s been delayed several times (see previous East Cobb News story) and has community opposition;
  • Z-012-2017, by SSP Blue Ridge, LLC, to rezone 21 acres northwest intersection of Terrell Mill Road and Powers Ferry Road for a mixed commercial and residential development anchored by a Kroger grocery story. This application also has been continued.

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