DeathMarch:
Who’s dead or dying in Atlanta’s businesses?
Member:
Dolce Group (Atlantic Station)
Current Status:
Cliff Huger
Update:
Added January 21, 2010
Atlantic Station has undergone more changes than the face of Joan Rivers.
Minus the reconstruction of several areas due to the faulty, initial construction, Atlantic Station is slowly making the move from high end restaurant and retail options to a bunch of empty space.
The overall concept makes sense but is unrealistic in its current state.
Ask an Atlantan how often they visit Atlantic Station and the answer is nearly the same: I go for Ikea, Target and the movies.
The transition from high-end boutiques and expensive restaurants to more affordable options that meet the needs of Atlantic Station’s clientele is becoming more obvious.
The Dolce Group (Dolce, Geisha House and Ten Pin Alley) is next to close:
1. Both Dolce and Geisha House are now offering 50 percent off (Sunday at Dolce and Monday at Geisha House) and the food (considering the quality — chewable to say the least) is still too expensive given the venue.
2. Geisha House and Dolce could only hope for the crowd it attracts with such a heavy discount — too bad nobody dines there.
3. Similar to Straits, the adhesive holding these “restaurant destinations” and the monthly check together, are the celebrity backers who are too stubborn to admit defeat.
15 Responses
It’s a shame that such mediocre restaurants take up the space. Sadly, I’d prefer a Chili’s to either of those places. I went to Dolce on the discount night and the food was (not to use the same adjective) mediocre. And at the discount price, still not a great deal. I would never dine there at full price. I hope they leave and some good replacements show up. It’s a central location with ample parking. They just need something that people WANT. No one cares that these are Ashton Kutcher’s restaurants.
Thank you AJ! These restaurants are dying because they suck, and have from day one and is too expensive to boot. Typical of this site to use the prospects for what happens to be a crappy business to bash Atlantic Station. Bad businesses die wherever they are located.
I love Atlantic Station!
I actually live here. How stupid am I?
I play baseball.
It’s my understanding that many of these restaurants currently pay NO rent, as the A.S. owners feel it’s better to have bad restaurants operating, than boarded-up restaurant spaces. The entire retail/restaurant portion of A.S. was recently put up for sale, and may have now sold. We’ll see what the new owners can do to turn this potential blight around.
I took a look at the menus for both places and didn’t think it was for me. I’m not a foodie, so trying new stuff is not something i do. Thats interesting Michael, no rent sounds like a good deal! Makes me want to test my entrepreneurial skills.
Unfortunately, Atlantic Station became African Station and that scared away the demographic which could have made it a success. Politically Incorrect Comment? Maybe, but you know it’s true.
“The African Station” ?? Really? No… really? Scared away which demographic? Im confused as to whether the issue here is race or social class? Atlantic Station fails for the same reason Faneuil Hall in Boston fails, there is nothing there to keep a consumer frequenting the area besides the summer fairs they have outside. Mediocre food and stores that you’d only shop in for 30 mins max beyond the anchors: Target and Dillards and the movie theatre.
It’s always someone ignorant to pull the race card. It’s deeper than not being PC. Its more about your comment being ignorant. Segregation ended a while ago, baby. Get a grip!
Even another Uncle Julio’s/Casa Grande would be a HOMERUN hit fo AtSt!
The Brookwood location is mobbed most every nite (w/ Piedmont Hospital folks I imagine) — imagine if Home Park and the Midtown flank had easy access to the level of fare at an affordable price!
@ATL Observer: Wow. Are you also one of those folks who claim that MARTA stands for “Moving Africans Rapidly Through Atlanta”? Give me a break.
When I lived in ATL, I barely went to Atlantic Station mainly because the combination of stores and restaurants struck me as just “trying too hard to be cool.” (Geisha House in particular made me roll my eyes. Hello, over-exotification of another culture!) There was just nothing to hold my interest. Atlantic Station should learn from neighborhoods and shopping areas that have thriving communities and draw people in pretty easily. It needs to find a way to bring people in and keep them there, so it can develop its own unique culture and identity, instead of essentially being an outdoor mall.
It is kind of true about there only being black people shopping there in the evenings and going to restaurants, but that hasn’t scared me away haha. i work there in one of the stores, and we get tons of business from all people, but i think @samosamancer is right about having the right restaurants be a draw for a well rounded amount of demographics. I love tin drum because the food is great and very affordable, and doc green’s too but the other ones just seem kind of fake. if they had real ATL restaurants like in VaHi or L5P that might draw people to come there. Also, they dont let the artistic side of atlanta come out to play like musicians on the street for instance. that’s what makes L5P great and new orleans streets for instance. Bring more life to it and people will appreciate it even more.
I am a long time midtown resident, that being said, I am neither afraid of nor dis-like african-americans, or I would move to Kennesaw. However, many people I know now avoid Atlantic Station, as it has been taken over by black teenagers that are are crusing, not shopping, not buying food, but hanging out. That is not the atmosphere that grown adults, black or white, care to spend their time or money.
The recent idea to tie free parking to purchases was a great one! But none the less in our overly PC society, it got shot under the ever present cry of racism. That it wasn’t, it was common sense to attract and keep legitimate shoppers and dinners.
The place will continue to erode until a plan to attract adults of all colors who are there to spend money and enjoy an evening out without being over run with gangs of teenagers.
large developments of this type usually only get deals with certain types of restaurants, either part of bigger restaurant groups (concentrics, etc) or national/regional chains (doc greens, etc). this is because of the initial rent required for the opening. compounding the problem was that most of the high restaurants plain sucked in terms of value for quality food.
down the line AS might be able to attract the one-off local spot as rents decrease for everything (office/retail/housing) and it becomes more of a neighborhood and less of a development. although, without a true transit/pedestrian connection to the other side of 75, it’s going to be a rough road to hoe.
If an area makes people feel not safe, then people will not come regardless of color.
Atlantic Station should heavily police the area much like CNN, Phillips Arena and Georgia Dome area. Furthermore, it needs to bring unique restaurants and shops. For example, why would anyone outside the perimeter want to come here if they already have a Target or movie theater by their house? It makes no sense to travel far when you have a store or theater right by your house.