Powers Ferry Road restaurants

Ribbon-cutting scheduled for Sage Woodfire Tavern Windy Hill

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Sage Woodfire Tavern

The Sage Woodfire Tavern Windy Hill (3050 Windy Hill Road) opened for business last month (previous East Cobb News post here), but an official ribbon-cutting event is slated for Oct. 19 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The ribbon-cutting was rescheduled; the special guests include District 2 Cobb Commissioner Bob Ott, CBS 46 Meteorologist Ella Dorsey and former Georgia Bulldog/Miami Dolphin Randy McMichael.

“Our priority is to insure that our guests feel like an honored visitor in my family’s home,” said James Liakakos, President of Sage Woodfire Tavern restaurants.

After the ribbon-cutting, the restaurant will re-open to the public for normal dinner service at 3:30 p.m.

Sage Woodfire Tavern Windy Hill has a general dining room capacity of 250 and a private dining room that seats 70 for business meetings, family celebrations and other special uses.

Restaurants in the Powers Ferry Road area have had a tough go in recent years. The Sage Woodfire Tavern is located in the former Houston’s Restaurant space that’s been vacant since early 2013.

Down the street, Sal Grosso’s and TGI Friday’s have been closed; only Rose & Crown Tavern, which opened in 2010, remains in that vicinity.

What has changed is the arrival of SunTrust Park, which is drawing restaurants to the area, not just to The Battery complex adjacent to the stadium.

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.