East Cobb Business

Lockheed presents $1.6B bond proposal to Cobb school board

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Lockheed bond proposals
Tony Frese, vice president of business development, Lockheed-Martin Corp. and a Walton HS graduate.

What could be the largest package of bond and tax incentives in the history of the Development Authority of Cobb County was explained to the Cobb Board of Education Thursday.

There were a lot of “ifs” and “woulds” mentioned by officials from the Development Authority and the Lockheed Martin Corp. during a board work session.

That’s because Lockheed has only bid for a wide range of federal defense contracts that the company said could net Cobb government and schools more than $51 million in additional tax revenue over 26 years.

The proposal is codenamed “Project Mike.” Next week Lockheed will formally request the Development Authority’s approval of $1.6 billion in bonds and tax abatements, contingent upon a decision expected in the next few months by the U.S. Department of Defense.

Proposed tax abatements also come to the school board as a courtesy and don’t require a vote.

During the presentation, Tony Frese, Lockheed’s vice president of business development, told school board members that the federal projects it is seeking entail “next generation air dominance” and include classified high-tech work.

He rattled off some of the aeronautics’ giants current projects, noting that “some day they will come to an end . . . and we have to secure our future.”

Frese boasted of being a graduate of Walton High School, which gave him opportunities to attend Georgia Tech, become an aerospace engineer and work for Lockheed for 37 years.

He said that if Lockheed gets the contracts, it could add between 500 to more than 3,000 jobs by 2042.

When Frese was asked by vice chairman David Banks about the disparity in those figures, he said they depend on how many federal contracts Lockheed may receive.

The contracts would enable Lockheed, he said, “to attract the very best in aerospace engineers and talent and a wide spectrum of other high-tech opportunities.”

These opportunities, Frese said, “have been real for me, and with your support they will be real for many generations to come.”

Lockheed also would be spending more than $400 million to upgrade its Marietta plant on South Cobb Drive to accommodate the new workforce and projects.

When companies seek tax breaks from the Cobb Development Authority, they usually take place over a 10-year period.

Should Lockheed receive the contracts, those breaks would extend over 26 years, authority executive director Nelson Geter told the board.

“It’s beneficial to begin the abatement when the capital investment is to start,” Geter said, referring to the $400 million. “That’s why you’re seeing a 26-year cycle, instead of a 10-year cycle, because the last expenses associated with this project will occur 16 years after the original period [expires].

“It’s not a common but a proper process that we use when major capital investments are made over a period of time instead of one capital investment up front.”

Authority board member Clark Hungerford said the body wants to do “whatever we can do to assist [Lockheed] in setting up the bid to be as competitive as possible.”

Board chairman David Chastain, a proposal analyst for Lockheed, recused himself from the discussion.

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The Music Studio Atlanta to open second location in East Cobb

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The Music Studio Atlanta East Cobb

The Music Studio Atlanta, which offers music lessons to youths and adults, is opening a second location in East Cobb in September.

The new studio is located at the Pavilions of East Lake Shopping Center (2100 Roswell Road Suite 1128) and there will be a continuous open house starting on Monday up until the formal opening.

The business offers lessons in a wide range of instruments and includes a lounge, a professional front desk staff and performance opportunities.

Lessons will be offered seven days a week from fully credentialed musical teachers and the studio is “fully stocked” with instruments and sheet music.

The Music Studio Atlanta opened in Vinings in 2011 as a division of the Courtnay and Rowe in-home music academy.

The open houses will take place Monday-Saturday from 2-6 p.m. until the studio officially opens on Sept. 6.

Phone: 404-630-3886; Facebook and Instagram.

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East Cobb audiologist recognized by Cobb Young Professionals

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East Cobb audiologist Next Generation Award

Dr. Melissa Wikoff, the founder and director of audiology at Peachtree Hearing in East Cobb, has been named a Next Generation Award winner by Cobb Young Professionals.

CYP is the Cobb Chamber of Commerce’s networking and development arm for professionals in their 20s and 30s. Wikoff leads her own practice in addressing issues regarding hearing loss at 4939 Lower Roswell Road and is involved in the field nationally.

According to the Cobb Chamber, “CYP award winners and nominees are all in their 20s or 30s, active within their community, demonstrate leadership ability in the community and in their current role, and offer a unique perspective.”

Wikoff—pictured with fellow NGA recipient Jon Ingram, Director of Corporate Relations at the Woodruff Arts Center—opened Peachtree Hearing in 2016.

She is on the board of directors on the national level for the American Tinnitus Association (ATA) and at the local level for Aloha to Aging, an East Cobb-based non-profit that helps seniors and their caregivers.

Wikoff mentors students at the Washington University School of Medicine, where she earned her Doctor of Audiology degree, and founded a program called Hearing Aids for Holocaust Survivors.

She donates hearing aids and services to survivors in the metro Atlanta area and was recently honored with the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta’s Jewish Abilities Alliance’s Very-Inclusive-Person award for her work with local hard-of-hearing community.

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New East Cobb Christian bookstore to hold Grand Opening

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Back in March All Things Inspiration, a Christian bookstore, opened a second location in Cobb County in Northeast Cobb with a “soft” opening.East Cobb Christian store grand opening

On Wednesday, the store (2745 Sandy Plains Road, Suite 156) will start a four-day official Grand Opening with a ribbon-cutting at 3 p.m.

Owner LaVonya Williams-Tensley said that there will be special savings and prizes through Saturday (see flyer for more).

Like the original location in South Cobb, All Things Inspiration offers a variety of Bibles, Christian books, church supplies, Bible study materials, Christian greeting cards, Christian-themed gifts and more.

Williams-Tensley also said the store, which has meeting space, will host Bible study groups, book clubs, story times, author signings and other events.

“We are so excited to be blessed with the opportunity to make Marietta the home of our second store,” she said. “It is a privilege to serve God by serving the community with an enjoyable shopping experience, great customer service and access to an assortment of life changing resources.”

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East Cobb retail update: J. Crew store coming to Merchants Walk

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J. Crew store Merchants Walk

There hasn’t been an official announcement other than what’s covering up the windows as renovations continue:

A  J. Crew Factory store is coming to Merchants Walk (1311 Johnson Ferry Road).

It’s taking the former Calico Homes space, between the relocated Verizon Wireless spot and the Old Navy store.

Edens, the retail center owner, doesn’t comment on when its tenants are opening, and we’ve reached out to J. Crew for more information.

J. Crew Factory has metro Atlanta locations in Woodstock, Locust Grove, Lenox Square and Perimeter Mall. There’s also a J. Crew men’s store at Ponce City Market.Merchants Walk Marshalls sign

Set to open this month at Merchants Walk is a Perspire Sauna Studio, in the former Bar Method space. It’s a national chain with existing locations in Sandy Springs, Buckhead and Virginia-Highland, with another opening soon in Alpharetta.

Perspire is is providing updates about the East Cobb location on its Instagram page.

Remodeling is continuing for the Marshalls store where Stein Mart used to be, and while there is a Marshalls sign at the Johnson Ferry Road entrance to Merchants Walk, there still hasn’t been an official announcement.

Taking up a portion of the old Stein Mart store is a new Sleep Galleria store, and Cobb records indicate it’s received a business license.

There’s still no signage up over both of those forthcoming retailers.

First Watch update

Just down the road a bit, a former Wells Fargo Bank has been leveled at the Shops at Woodlawn (1062 Johnson Ferry Road) and will be the site for a freestanding First Watch restaurant.

A reader asked about this last week, and we can add that Cobb County has granted the breakfast and lunch restaurant a beer and wine pouring license.

First Watch hasn’t announced an opening date, as the construction of the new building is just getting underway.

Parkaire Landing update

We noted recently the closure of the Earthwise Pet Supply store at Parkaire Landing (4880 Lower Roswell Road), but that’s the only current vacancy there.

Pure Barre, a gym and fitness center, will be opening soon in the space formerly occupied by the Draisen-Edwards Music Center, near McCray’s Tavern.

Pure Barre also is a franchise and its opening will make four fitness-oriented businesses at Parkaire, along with Anytime Fitness, Pro Martial Arts and CycleBar.

Pure Barre is updating its pre-opening events on its Facebook page, including a private class and shopping event on Aug. 21 at the Athleta store at Merchants Walk.

There also two “pop up” Pure Barre events Aug. 13 and Aug. 27 at 9 a.m. in front of the new studio.

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The Avenue East Cobb to hold redevelopment groundbreaking

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The Avenue East Cobb groundbreaking

The Avenue East Cobb (4475 Roswell Road) has announced that it will have a groundbreaking celebration to kick off redevelopment plans on Aug. 25.

The event takes place from 5-7 p.m. on that date in the Central Lot, in front of what had been the Bravura store, with live music, “lite bites” and beverages.

The groundbreaking is free and open to the public and RSVPs can be made by clicking here. Guests may still be able to walk up and receive complimentary entry the day of the event, but they’re encouraged to sign up in advance.

Cobb commissioners in June approved a site plan change at The Avenue, which is being managed by North American Properties, developer of Avalon and redeveloper of Atlantic Station and Colony Square.

The Central Lot area is the focal point of the “jewel box” plans that include a public plaza with a live music and performance stage, restaurant and retail space and concierge service.

Bravura is relocating to the Alpharetta area, and The Avenue has moved its on-site offices there.

As we also reported earlier, a couple of restaurant/food changes are taking place at The Avenue, with Stockyard Burgers & Bones closing, and New York Butcher Shoppe opening in the fall, next to the J. Jill store.

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East Cobb Restaurant Update: Cava Grill gets business license

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East Cobb Cava Grill gets business license

The sign’s been up on what had been Zoës Kitchen for several weeks now, as an East Cobb location of Cava Grill is getting closer to opening.

Last week the new Mediterranean fast casual restaurant received an occupational license from the Cobb Business License Division.

When we checked with Cava earlier this month, they said they didn’t have a specific opening date.

We followed up Monday with another request and here’s what we got back:

“Unfortunately, we don’t have an exact opening time set yet, but we’re aiming for soon. Be sure to follow us at @cava (https://twitter.com/cava) for all of our updates and announcements!”

Cava Group Inc., the parent company of Cava and Zoës, has been replacing the latter with the former concept in a number of locations, including metro Atlanta.

The East Cobb location at Merchants Exchange Shopping Center (4400 Roswell Road, Suite 157) totals nearly 3,000 square feet, according to a directory map of Columbia Properties, the center’s owner.

The Cava chain started in Maryland in 2011 and there are currently 133 locations across the country. There are 15 in metro Atlanta and Athens, including the Cumberland and Town Center mall areas, all of which were former Zoës locations that converted starting last year.

The menu (you can check it out here) includes a variety of “build your own” meal combinations, including salads, grains, dips and spreads, falafel, chicken, lamb, meatballs, roasted vegetables and Mediterranean-style toppings and dressings.

Cava also sells some of its product line at Whole Foods and other food retailers.

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East Cobb produce service evolves from pop-up to delivery

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Holland Botanical East Cobb produce service
“Southern Born…Southern Bred…And today because of you, Janis Holland…I am well and Southern fed! Yum! Thank you…. Holland Botanical!” wrote a customer.

For East Cobb resident Janis Holland, simply delivering fresh, healthy fruits and vegetables to her customers isn’t enough.

She likes to show what they do with the food they get from her mom-and-pop service, Holland Botanical, every week.

Holland also takes photos of meals she’s prepared for herself and her family, including most recently a bowl of peaches and cream oatmeal with grainless granola and honey.

“It really makes you feel good to know you’re doing a good job,” Holland says of the testimonials she’s received from customers.

For nearly nine years, she and her husband Jonathan have been serving the East Cobb, Roswell and Woodstock area, initially in a weekend pop-up format, and since the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, primarily home delivery.

Holland Botanical vegetable basket
A mixed vegetable and fruit basket arranged by Holland Botanical.

They’ve also put their sons, former and current football players at Pope High School, to work in what’s become something of a family business.

“It was a side hustle, but we wanted it to be something bigger,” said Holland, whose husband still runs a landscaping business. “We saw a need in the community for produce.”

Like any such entity, Holland Botanical has had to adapt quickly and in dramatic ways.

She said she switched from Saturday set-ups at the Shallowford Falls Shopping Center because “people here are busy on the weekends and they just couldn’t get here.”

She still does some pop-ups tied to community fundraisers and some seasonal mobile farmers markets at select locations in Atlanta.

But she reflects on the original format now as “a great idea at the wrong time.”

The overhead for a full-time farmers market is prohibitive, so going to an all-delivery format—with free delivery to ZIP Codes 30062, 30066, 30067, 30068, 30075 and part of 30188—has made the work she does more efficient.

“Everything stopped,” Holland said, referring to the onset of the pandemic, “and we rebooted it.”

Now it’s a full-time job for her, serving typically between 75-100 customers a week. They fill out their orders on her website by Monday afternoon, and she delivers Tuesday and Wednesday. 

Holland travels once or twice a week to the State Farmers Market in Forest Park, filling out orders that include separate fruit and vegetable baskets and a combined fruit-veggie basket. She chooses some of the items based on availability and seasonality, and customers can make special requests.

Janis and Jonathan Holland with the Wit’s End Llama at The Bishop apartments in Sandy Springs, where Holland Botanical holds a seasonal mobile farmers market.

Holland Botanical charges $25 for a basket, which contains enough food for a typical family supply for a week. The emphasis is on Georgia-grown products, including items from other suppliers.

“We want to make it affordable to eat healthy,” Holland said.

While her delivery service is free, she does have a place on her order form for customers to add a gasoline tip, which she said is very helpful in times of soaring fuel prices.

While the margins are tight and the nature of a fresh produce delivery service remains fluid, she’s convinced this type of business is viable.

Despite the reality of the pivots she’s had to make, Holland’s passion for what she does hasn’t subsided.

“I don’t think we could sustain an à la carte menu,” she said. “But I believe in getting healthy food into peoples’ hands.”

While some remain careful accepting their food due to COVID concerns, “our customers are just so happy to see us.”

Holland also gives back to the community by donating leftover food to those who need it.

“Just message me,” Holland said.

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Earthwise Pet Supply store in East Cobb closing this week

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Earthwise Pet Supply store closing East Cobb

The Parkaire Landing location of Earthwise Pet Supply store in East Cobb will be closing its doors for good on Saturday.

The store posted a social media notice earlier this month saying that “the odds were against us in this market. Inflation has risen so high, we are unable to keep up with current market rent rates.”

The store has been open for seven years, and in addition to providing wholistic and natural pet supplies and treats also has offered grooming and self-washing services.

Everything in the store is 30 percent off and grooming services also are being offered at a discount. The store is updating those sales on its Facebook page.

“We will be notifying everyone of where our groomers go so those of you who would like to keep your groomer can,” the message stated.

“Thank you so much for being loyal to us all these years. Unfortunately covid & inflation got the best of us. We wish you all the most abundant blessings. God Bless.”

Earthwise is located at 4880 Lower Roswell Road, Suite 10. The hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday. Phone: 678-909-6805.

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Sprayberry Bottle Shop turns 20, surrounded by major changes

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Sprayberry Bottle Shop turns 20
“We just fell in love with the business and the community,” said Sprayberry Bottle Shop marketing manager Brij Patel, left, of his family’s 20-year ownership.

In just a half-hour span on a mid-day afternoon, Brij Patel darts around the Sprayberry Bottle Shop filling a variety of roles, almost seamlessly:

Speaking with vendors as marketing manager, checking out customers intermittently and surveying the merchandise in the store his family has grown into a community favorite.

Now 36, Patel has spent the majority of his life at the small box standalone building at 2692 Sandy Plains Road at Kinjac Drive.

He was a teenager when his parents sent him and his older sister to America from his native Kenya to stay with a family friend while they obtained work visas to follow them.

Like many an immigrants’ path, the Patels saw a familiar opportunity as a gateway into a upwardly mobile life in America:

Buy and build up a small business as a way for their children to have an easier time.

For Patel, however, the Sprayberry Bottle Shop is more than just a place that enabled his family’s aspirations to be realized. After 20 years in business, it’s become a way of life for him, too.Sprayberry bottle shop turns 20

“We just fell in love with the business and the community,” Patel said. “Everyone [who comes to the store] almost knows everyone else now. This is pretty much all we have.”

Two decades later, the store is poised for new opportunities to thrive. It sits at what had been planned as the entrance for the redevelopment of the blighted Sprayberry Crossing Shopping Center.

The shop’s parking lot, in fact, was split by the road leading to the now-razed retail center.

As the zoning case worked its way through Cobb planning circles, Patel retained an attorney, but negotiations broke off with the developer, Atlantic Residential, to create an entrance solution that worked for all parties.

Patel said all he wanted was for the back part of his lot closed off to cut-through traffic.

But grocery chain Lidl, which was to have been the anchor of the new mixed-use development, pulled out, concerned that traffic access would be difficult.

What Cobb commissioners approved last year is a mix instead of senior apartments, townhomes and a small amount of retail and restaurant space.

A fence has gone up at the back of the Sprayberry Bottle Shop as demolition of Sprayberry Crossing is completed. Patel said eventually a permanent barrier will be erected there.

Sprayberry Bottle Shop turns 20
Fencing at the back of the Sprayberry Bottle Shop surrounds the former Sprayberry Crossing Shopping Center.

The tentative entrance to the new development will be right-in and right-out for northbound traffic on Sandy Plains, but Patel said he hasn’t seen any further details.

While he’s glad the cut-through traffic is gone, the construction site also has cut off access from Post Oak Tritt Road and East Piedmont Road.

Patel said those are routes used by a good number of his customers.

“It’s been a bit of a business loss,” he admitted. “It’s gotten slower.”

But he’s optimistic that the redeveloped area behind his store “is going to be awesome for everyone.”

The redevelopment comes after more than two years of business challenges for the Sprayberry Bottle Shop.

While the shop never closed as the COVID-19 pandemic was declared, the stress and strain of labor and supply chain issues eventually took a toll.

Patel’s clever and upbeat updates on the store’s Facebook page (which has nearly 10,000 followers) on occasion included notices of the store closing for a couple of days, just to give everyone some time off.

Sprayberry Bottle Shop turns 20
Josh Stump, a manager at Sprayberry Bottle Shop, confers with a customer.

Social media pushes and word-of-mouth referrals from customers are “100 percent” how the store does its marketing.

Surrounded by five warehouse liquor stores within a small radius, Patel said special events are another way to give the shop some visibility.

Those events include auctioning off a rare bottle of Bourbon for $1,600 for a cancer charity. Patel estimates the store has helped raise $20,000-$30,000 over the years in community give-backs.

As the store marked its 20th anniversary on July 1, Patel penned a heartfelt message, detailing not only his family’s journey, but expressing gratitude. 

“To see how much love our community has shown us over the years, leaves me speechless to this day,” he wrote. “I will keep pushing harder, and give back whenever I can and I will become the best game player on our team.

“I wouldn’t change a thing about anything today as I wouldn’t have 20 years ago. To growth, to positive energy, to great friendships in this beautiful world.”

Sprayberry Bottle Shop turns 20
Brij Patel said his family found “a little gem tucked away in Marietta” and “put everything we had into it over the past 20 years.”

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Cobb Chamber announces Leadership Cobb Class of 2022-23

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Leadership Cobb, a leadership development program of the Cobb Chamber of Commerce, announced on Monday its Class of 2022-23.Cobb Chamber annual golf tournament

They include elected officials and community and business leaders who will spend the next 10 months involved with “leadership training, teambuilding, and educational experiences highlighting our community’s greatest success stories and most significant ongoing challenges,” according to the Cobb Chamber.

The program began in 1983, and the new group includes 54 individuals:

  • Val Akopov, Wellstar Health System
  • Alex Almodovar, City of Acworth
  • Tiffany Barney, Cobb County School District
  • Megan Benvenuto, Northwest Family YMCA
  • Chris Britton, Brasfield & Gorrie
  • Flynn Broady, Cobb District Attorney
  • Daniel Browne, Georgia Tech Research Institute
  • Ann Burris, Georgia Department of Human Services
  • Stacey Chapman, CROFT & Associates,
  • Robin Cheramie, Kennesaw State University
  • Braxton Cotton, Cobb County Sheriff’s Office
  • Stephanie Cox, Cobb Chamber | SelectCobb
  • Michael Cunningham, Deputy Chief, Cobb County Fire & Emergency Services
  • Chad Curry, 41 South Creative
  • Ross Dicken II, Cobb EMC
  • Joy Doss, The Doss Firm, LLC
  • Corey Ferguson, Dallas Smith & Company
  • Lara Ferreira, The Third Door & Temperance Trailers
  • Marla Ferrell, Genuine Parts Company
  • Jordan Fessehaie, Delta Air Lines
  • Lynn Flanders, Cobb-Marietta Coliseum & Exhibit Hall Authority
  • Matt Giddens, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia
  • Joseph Goldstein, Goldstein’s, Inc. and Marietta City Council
  • Michael Gordon, Mauldin & Jenkins
  • Tim Gould, City of Smyrna
  • Christopher Hansard, Superior Court of Cobb County
  • Ashley Jenkins, Gas South
  • Bobby Johnson, Johnson & Alday, LLC
  • Sheree Knowles, HRKS
  • Jessica Lee, Atlanta Braves
  • Joseph Malbrough, The UPS Store Smyrna
  • Taneesha Marshall, Federal Aviation Administration
  • Felicia McDade, Salesforce
  • Tamie Montgomery, Walton Communities
  • Komal Patel, Lockheed Martin
  • Drew Raessler, Director, Cobb County Department of Transportation
  • Taylor Rambo, Sew Dreams Come True
  • Amy Reeves, Wellstar Medical Group Pediatrics at Brookstone
  • Adam Ross, Cumberland CID
  • Mike Schroeder, 1885 Grill
  • Monique Sheffield, Cobb Board of Commissioners
  • Jennifer Stanley, Northside Hospital Cherokee
  • Falecia Stewart, MUST Ministries, Inc.
  • Sean Stewart, Kaiser Permanente
  • Lydia Stinson, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
  • Lisa Sunday, SouthState Bank
  • Andrea TheoJohn, The ADS Agency
  • Chris Thomas, Chick-fil-A, Inc.
  • Dennette Thornton, Arthur M. Blank Sports & Entertainment
  • Hillary Thrower, The Home Depot
  • Aimee Turner, Croy Engineering
  • Michael Urbina, Urbina Law Firm, LLC
  • Bobby Van Buren, The Insurance Gurus
  • Chris Young, Accenture LLP

The theme of the new class, according to the Cobb Chamber, is “Together We Can. . . . In addition to learning about all the great things happening in Cobb County and beyond, Leadership Cobb wants to confront inequities that exist and provide the class opportunities to step up as leaders to address these challenges.”

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Rotary Club of East Cobb seeking sponsors for Dog Days Run

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Dog Days Run
The East Cobb Rotary Dog Days Run raises funds for community organizations, mostly via sponsorships.

The 17th annual Dog Days Run is a little less than a month away, and it’s the largest fundraiser by far for the Rotary Club of East Cobb.

Last year the organization raised nearly $100,000 for a number of local non-profits and drew the interest of more than 800 participants along a course around the McCleskey Family-East Cobb YMCA (1055 East Piedmont Road, between Roswell Road and Sewell Mill Road).

Dog Days Run coordinator Butch Carter, a longtime Rotary member, said the goals this year are to surpass those figures.

“It’s a huge run, but we’d like to get to a thousand,” he said of the number of entries for the 5K event.

But he notes that while “every runner is important,” entry fees comprise only a portion of the money the event raises.

Carter said there’s a real need for more local businesses and organizations to sign up as sponsors, and Rotary members are busy knocking on doors and ringing the phone lines.

“That’s where we need to focus,” said Carter, whose auto repair shop, Honest-1, is among this year’s sponsors. “The vast majority of what we raise comes from some great local companies.”

Other sponsors include the Indian Hills Country Club, the YMCA, Pinnacle Orthopaedics, and the Malon D. Mimms Company.

Sponsorships range from $250 to $10,000, and for $1,000 or more a sponsor will get a table at the race site on the YMCA grounds.

“There’s some great visibility for a company that’s available there,” Carter said; click here for sponsorship details.

Sponsorship levels also include a company’s name on the race shirt and event signage, as well as social media and website mentions and verbal recognition during the event.

A presenting sponsor—at $10,000—not only is the subject of a featured podcast highlighting its organization, but also receives eight complimentary tickets and gets to offer remarks during the Rotary Club’s Give Back Ceremony.

That’s a dinner held in the fall to announce the grant recipients from the Dog Days Run proceeds.

Recent organizations include Aloha to Aging, the Cobb Library Foundation, Family Promise, the MDE School, the Cobb Public Safety Celebration, The Exenstion, YMCA and the AVID program at Wheeler High School.

Carter said organizations must apply every year, and they “have to explain what they’re going to do” with the grant money.

All sponsorships also have at least one free race entry.

For other participants, registration is $30 through July 31, and $35 afterwards and for “phantom” runners, those participating elsewhere.

The Dog Days Run begins at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 6, and race-day registration begins at 6:30 a.m.

There also are cash prizes for category winners, including overall male and female, master male and female, grandmaster male and female and senior male and female.

To register, and for more information, click here. For volunteer information, click here.

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Deadline approaching for Cobb International Festival vendors

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From Cobb County government, the deadline has been extended to apply to the end of business today, and vendor selection will be announced next Monday, July 18:
Cobb International Festival vendors

Cobb’s annual International Festival is accepting applications until this Monday, July 11 for food vendors, artists and community groups for the event at Jim Miller Park Event Center in Marietta on Aug. 27. The festival features food, costumes and cultural performances from around the world.

Click here for the vendor application page.

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Cobb Chamber to hold annual golf outing at Indian Hills C.C.

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Cobb Chamber annual golf outing

Local businesses can sign up now for the 2022 Cobb Chamber Taylor English Golf Classic on Monday, Sept. 19 at Indian Hills Country Club in East Cobb.

The event helps businesses enjoy time with business friends, clients or prospects, and to network with Cobb Chamber leadership and board members.

More from the Chamber on what’s slated, and how to sign up:

“The cost is $265 per golfer or $1,000 per foursome. This annual sell-out event fills up fast, so participants are encouraged to register early to be guaranteed a spot.

“The four-person, Ft. Lauderdale scramble begins with a shotgun start at 11 a.m. Registration and the driving range open at 9 a.m. and the chipping/putting contest is at 9:15 a.m. Box lunches are provided on the cart.

“Businesses can take advantage of the marketing opportunity the tournament presents through several levels of sponsorship. Sponsorship participation allows local businesses to show support for the Cobb Chamber and those participating, along with positive messaging for their company. All sponsorship levels include different forms of signage and advertising at the event and recognition in Chamber communications. The top levels include event tickets.

Registration is now open at https://bit.ly/3ucxOyW. For more information on the 2022 golf classic, contact Emily Walls at 770-859-2325 or ewalls@cobbchamber.org. For sponsorship opportunities, contact Mary Karras at 770-859-2341 or mkarras@cobbchamber.org.

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New York Butcher Shoppe coming to The Avenue East Cobb

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The Avenue East Cobb NY Butcher Shoppe

The space that’s been open next to the J. Jill store at The Avenue East Cobb will be occupied this fall by New York Butcher Shoppe.

North American Properties announced Thursday that the South Carolina-based chain will open its third metro Atlanta location in November.

NAP also said Warby Parker, an eyeglass retailer, and Tempur-Pedic, a sleep products manufacturer, will be opening stores at The Avenue this fall.

New York Butcher Shoppe, which was founded in 1999, has 20 locations in five states, including Milton and Sandy Springs. Most of its locations are in South Carolina and North Carolina. Other locations include Augusta, Birmingham, Ala. and Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., and another is opening soon in Arizona.

In addition to premium Angus steaks, New York Butcher Shoppe offers chicken, pork, veal and lamb entrees, salads, fresh seafood, parmigiana meals and roasts.

Specialty items include cheeses, pastas and “exotic sausages” as wall as “premium” charcoal, “high-quality” vegetables and “international” grocery items.

(Here’s a look at the menu.)

NAP said in a release that The Avenue East Cobb location will also include the first wine bar for New York Butcher Shoppe.

The news comes a few days after Stockyard Burgers and Bones announced it was closing at The Avenue after nearly eight years, due to labor and supply shortages.

Warby Parker will open in November across from Panera Bread and Temper-Pedic will open a showroom between the New York Butcher Shoppe and High Country Outfitters next spring.

NAP, which recently unveiled overhaul plans at The Avenue, said in the release that the permitting process for its “jewel box” concept—with two retail/restaurant buildings and a concierge area with valet parking, a public plaza and live music and events stage—will begin soon, with a groundbreaking event in the fall.

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East Cobb restaurant update: Stockyard closes at The Avenue

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Stoclyard Burgers, East Cobb food scores

Just before the July 4 holiday weekend began, Stockyard Burgers and Bones announced it has closed its restaurant at The Avenue East Cobb.

In a social media message, Stockyard said its last day of business was on Friday:

“It has been an extremely challenging time for restaurants over the last couple years. Unfortunately, we were never able to recover from the effects of the pandemic, continuous cost increases and labor shortages at this location.”

Marietta-based Fork U Concepts opened a gourmet burger location at The Avenue in April 2018 in the former space of Brixx Pizza and Johnny Rockets.

The original Stockyard restaurant on the Marietta Square, which opened in 2014, and another in Vinings remain. There was a Stockyard location in Sandy Springs that closed in 2018.

Stockyard’s closing in East Cobb comes shortly after Cobb commissioners approved redevelopment plans at The Avenue that include the addition of “jewel box” buildings with new restaurants and retail space.

The Simply Mac store at The Avenue closed last month, after the Apple computer seller and service provider announced it was going out of business.

Fork U Concepts also operates eight Taqueria Tsunami restaurants, including one in East Cobb at 1275 Johnson Ferry Road.

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One Medical opens East Cobb location at Merchant’s Walk

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One Medical opens Merchant's Walk

The sixth metro Atlanta location of One Medical has opened in East Cobb at Merchant’s Walk Shopping Center (1311 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 604) in the former Verizon space near Whole Foods.

One Medical also is integrated with the Emory Healthcare Network in the Atlanta area.

One Medical offers same- and next-day in-office visits and 24/7 virtual healthcare via its mobile and web app. Features include full lab services, mental and physical health check-ins, chronic illness management, wellness visits and COVID-19 PCR testing.

Individual memberships cost $199 per year, and One Medical is a benefit sponsored by employers who cover the membership fees.

There are more than 125 One Medical locations across 16 U.S. markets. For information visit https://onemedical.com/.

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East Cobb Biz Notes: Peachtree Computers opens at Woodlawn Square

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Peachtree Computers East Cobb

Aaron Tullar, the owner of Peachtree Computers—which operates two stores in metro Atlanta— sends in the above photo and information about his third store, that’s just opened in East Cobb at Woodlawn Square Shopping Center.

He started the business 14 years ago in Roswell, then expanded to the Cumberland area. The store offers free diagnostics on devices brought in, and has remote and onsite support services, both for PCs and Macs.

Peachtree Computers is located at 1205 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 128. Hours are Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.  Contact: 678-528-0087 or support@peachtreecomputers.net.

Vanderlande, a Dutch international logistics automation company, recently opened 152,612 square-foot facility, located at 3054 Chastain Meadows Parkway with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

It’s part of a 27-acre campus that keeps the company’s U.S. headquarters in Cobb County, employing more than 1,000 people (previous post here).

NuSpine Chiropractic, which recently expanded into the Atlanta area, has opened a clinic in East Cobb at 2960 Shallowford Road, Suite 302, in the Sandy Plains Centre.

It’s a franchise company that launched in 2019 and has more than 200 locations across the country.

Hours at the Sandy Plains Centre clinic are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Friday and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. Contact: 404-492-8199.

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EAST COBBER mazagine sales representative named publisher

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Laren Brown, EAST COBBER magazine
Laren Brown

Laren Brown, the sales representative for the EAST COBBER magazine the last eight years, has been named the new owner and publisher.

Founder and current publisher Cynthia Rozzo made the announcement Friday, a month after she said she was stepping down after a 29-year tenure.

Rozzo said that “after some weeks of getting the legalities worked out, the purchase was made official this week.”

In a message posted to the EAST COBBER website, Brown said that “I want to bring (the magazine) to the next level. I want to enhance what is already here. The EAST COBBER will continue to promote the exceptional people and events that make East Cobb such a great place to live and uphold the value the magazine has built over the years.”

Brown, 46, is a native of Oklahoma who has lived in East Cobb for 22 years.

She said in the message that she plans to revive the EAST COBBER parade and festival, which has not been held since 2019.

Cynthia Rozzo, EAST COBBER magazine publisher retiring
Cynthia Rozzo

Brown said she was drawn to taking over as publisher and owner because of “the brand itself and also the magazine is wanted and needed here . . . There’s nothing else like it in this area.”

Rozzo founded the EAST COBBER in 1993, publishing 11 times a year and peaking with a print circulation of more than 40,000.

The parade and festival began in 1995 but was halted in 2019 due to the COVID pandemic.

Since last year, publication of the EAST COBBER has been reduced to six times a year.

Rozzo, whose retirement is effective next Thursday, said Friday that there will be three more issues this year, and in 2023 the magazine will return to its 11-issue publishing schedule.

“I am thrilled EAST COBBER will continue to embody the vibrant, thriving East Cobb community under Laren’s very capable care,” she said.

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Commissioners OK overhaul plans for The Avenue East Cobb

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The Avenue East Cobb renderings
Optional valet parking at The Avenue East Cobb will be available between the “jewel box” restaurant and retail buildings and near a concierge and public plaza.

The overhaul of The Avenue East Cobb was approved by the Cobb Board of Commissioners Tuesday with only a slight change added.

During a zoning hearing, the site plan change request by North American Properties was passed on the commission’s consent agenda, meaning there was no opposition.

The back portion of the retail center on Roswell Road, just east of Johnson Ferry Road, will be redeveloped to include two “jewel box” buildings with restaurant and retail space, a live music and special event stage, a concierge building, a public plaza and optional valet parking.

The only change from the formal request came from District 2 commissioner Jerica Richardson, who was adding language about traffic queuing in that area to accommodate what she called “multimodal” forms of transportation.

There was no other discussion of the request. Last week, a spokeswoman for NAP told East Cobb News that new tenants for the jewel box buildings could be revealed soon.

The area for redevelopment is what’s being called The Avenue’s “Central Avenue” area, where live music and other events have been taking place since last fall.

Last summer, NAP—which developed the Avalon complex in Alpharetta and overhauled Colony Square and Atlantic Station in Midtown—entered into a joint partnership with present owners PGIM to manage the 23,000-square foot The Avenue, which opened in 1999.

The objective is to create a more dynamic lifestyle destination space, prompting a dramatic conceptual revision.

In an interview with East Cobb News in April, NAP officials said that construction could get underway in August with possible completion in the first quarter of 2023.

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