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:
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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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.
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.
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.”
Terri Yagadics started her Lula Roe fashion consulting business this spring.
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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);
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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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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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.
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.
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 Newspost);
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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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.
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:
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).
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 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.”
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.
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 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.
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.
The former Sports Authority store is being turned into a Studio Movie Grill location.
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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.
Details about the Marietta-Cobb Career Expo are being distributed to the public by Cobb County Government:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
There’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 Newsstory) 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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Loyal Q and Brew (website; Facebook page) opened Aug. 17 at the Parkaire Landing Shopping Center (4880 Lower Roswell Road, Suite 850, between Sellars Goodyear and Ted’s Montana Grill), once it got a distance waiver from the Cobb BOC to serve alcohol.
The barbecue concept, which specializes in smoked meats, was started by two former Taco Mac executives, ex-CEO Bob Campell and ex-chief operating officer Susie Addo.
Loyal Q is open for dinner only during the week (Mon-Thur 5pm-10pm; Fri 5pm-midnight) and serves lunch on the weekends (Sat 11am-midnight; Sun 11am-10pm). Phone: 678-921-0456.
Down the road at Paper Mill Village, longtime Sugar Benders Bakery owner Veronica Estrada has put up a sign indicating the forthcoming arrival of a Cafe at Pharr location that will share space with her business (255 Village Parkway, Suite 240-A, just around the corner from Camp’s Kitchen).
She’s estimating the new joint location will open in mid-September. Cafe at Pharr, which specializes in gourmet salad and sandwich lunch fare (here’s the menu), has been expanding around metro Atlanta from its original site in Buckhead. This will be its first location in Cobb County.
The Nail Design salon that’s been located at the East Lake Pavilions Shopping Center (2100 Roswell Road) is moving, but staying within the same shopping center.
A sign went up recently at Suite 2176, near the T-Mobile store and the Mezza Luna restaurant, and that’s easily visible to foot and car traffic coming in the Roswell Road entrance.
Know of a business that’s coming or going in East Cobb? Moving? Changing key personnel or making other changes to its business? Let us know, and send photos if you like, to: editor@eastcobbnews.com.
From left, Northeast Cobb elementary school principals Debbie Blake (Kincaid), Kristin Erbskorn (Davis) and Felicia Angelle (Shallowford Falls). Blake and Erbskorn are in their first year at their schools.
Principals from a number of East Cobb and Northeast Cobb public schools were recognized Tuesday at the Northeast Cobb Business Association luncheon at Piedmont Church.
It was the first teach appreciation luncheon since the school year began in the Cobb County School District July 31.
School partnership programs, including a high school senior internship program are a major part of the NCBA’s community outreach efforts.
Robin Lattizori, a Cobb assistant superintendent for elementary schools, serves on the NCBA board.
The NCBA’s upcoming Upbeat event is an appreciation for school volunteers in the Northeast Cobb community. On Oct. 21, NCBA is holding a Casino Night to benefit the STEM initiative in Cobb County schools, and tickets and sponsorships are still available.
The guest speaker was Cobb County Manager Rob Hosack, an East Cobb resident (more about his remarks in a separate post) who succeeded David Hankerson earlier this year.
Littie Brown, left, current president, and Rosan Hall of the East Cobb Business Association present a $250 donation check to Jimmy Gisi, director the Cobb Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department, at Tuesday’s monthly ECBA luncheon at Indian Hills Country Club.
The donation was part of the ECBA’s community outreach project. (East Cobb News photo by Wendy Parker)
Work crews are tearing down the former Chuck E. Cheese location at 4340 Roswell Road. This is the view looking west, with the intersection of Roswell Road and Johnson Ferry in the background.
The building has been vacant since the restaurant closed in 2014. In December, the 1.7-acre parcel of land was rezoned for a Discount Tire location.
The property is located near other light automotive businesses on East Cobb Drive and between a Citgo station and the Pine Straw Village Shopping Center on Roswell Road. (East Cobb News photos by Wendy Parker)
