Viewpoint’s ‘healthy and environmentally sound’ fast food chain dies for a second time in two years.
Evos has closed its Midtown location, again.
The “healthy and environmentally sound” fast food chain located in Viewpoint, at 855 Peachtree Street, posted a sign on its entrance Wednesday announcing it had closed.
“We regretfully inform you that as of February 1, 2012, we will no longer be serving from the Evos Viewpoint location,” according to the sign. “In this tough economic climate the decision to cease operations was not taken lightly.”
This isn’t the first time Evos’ Midtown location has shuttered. The original franchisee closed the restaurant in October, 2010 with similar excuses.
According to Beth Hawks, a spokeswoman for Evos Midtown’s most recent franchisee, David Esmie, Evos closed the first time around “due to a legal situation with the lease during the change in ownership.”
“Everyone wanted to keep it open and have a seamless transition but it just wasn’t possible,” Hawks said in an email to What Now Atlanta when Evos closed for the first time. “The previous franchisee had some family obligations that made it where he needed to get out of a business that was so demanding of his time.”
Evos was not immediately available for comment.
27 Responses
At least we still have Eros.
The streetscape along Viewpoint is perfect for outdoor dining/large patios… imagine what a bunch of little cafes, maybe a bar?, each with outdoor dining patios would do for the streetscape over there? It would go from looking like crap to a vibrant, city street. Sigh, I guess I can dream…
Going to need more people, that aren’t reliant on cars as their only means of travel, before you get that Mike…
Agree with @Mike, outdoor dining would be great along that stretch. The sidewalk there is more than roomy.
@Twinkmess: lol, yes we do.
Caleb,
While you are approving the comments, could you check the required website link? I clicked twinkmess’ name on my work computer and it directed me to porn.
Urbanist, yes, Midtown does need more people… two apartment high-rises are currently under construction, so that will help… but the particular area around Viewpoint is a dead-zone for office space… a lot of restaurants rely on office workers for lunch during the week… there is a good amount of residential over there, which helps with the dinner crowd… however more residential wouldn’t hurt. Plus, Evos wasn’t very good…
Maybe I’m wrong, but until more residential and office space is built around that part of Midtown, it’s going to be hard for anything to survive.
Fresh 2 Order has survived across the street just fine for years. Firehouse Subs also seems to be doing fine (not to mention Vortex which has zero free parking). I think this had more to do with the concept and poor service. The employees who worked in Evos were the most apathetic bunch.
@Urbanist you don’t need people who “aren’t reliant on cars” to have a bunch of cafes along that strip of Peachtree work. First off, there is plenty of parking around there at cheap prices, and there are plenty of restaurants in that area already thriving, from low-end (Five Guys) to high-end (Ecco). The real problem is Novare charges too much for rent and doesn’t work to seek out good restaurant tenants.
“I clicked twinkmess’ name on my work computer and it directed me to porn.”
Well, was it good porn or all nasty? We’re dying to know.
I am curious what everyone thinks would be a good replacement for Evos? I always felt like it wasn’t the right concept for the space.
I’ll hop on this “more residents and offices in Midtown” train.
I think there’d be a better chance for a vibrant urban scene on this block (and other nearby ones) if more of the landscape around was devoted to space that houses people instead of cars. View the horror of Midtown’s parking-facility coverage:
http://humanscalecities.tumblr.com/post/16574177470/cars-kill-cities-red-squares-indicate-land-that
I lived across the street from it for 2 years. I only ate there once. The food was not that good, and if I want a burger 5guys and The vortex are way better choices.
Evos was horrible. We ate there once last summer and it was pretty gross. We certainly never planned to go back. Hopefully something new and good will go in there. Spire’s shops are finally starting to fill out. Vinny’s is great. Hopefully Viewpoint will start filling up soon.
@ Todd – Yes, you do. The idea that you could support a multitude of unique local businesses (i.e. cafes) without a dense enough population of people in close proximity is just downright stupid. There are only a few unique and local businesses in that stretch of Midtown, and there clearly isn’t enough demand for more. Add more people and you’ll see more business creation, otherwise all the business creation will be stale and formulaic like 5 Guys, Firehouse, etc. those aren’t the businesses that make cities special.
Ugh, why do I respond to this guy…?
Cypress Pint and Plate, Mu Lan, Hudson Grill, Baraonda, Publik House, Melting Pot, Vortex, Ecco, Fresh 2 Order, Gordon Biersch, Taco Mac, Empire State South are all within a couple of blocks of Evos and are successful and been there for a long time (Empire State South is the exception but, it isn’t going anywhere). There are a lot of quality, unique, new offerings too…TaKorea, Fifth and Ivory, Escorpion, etc. I live in Viewpoint and there are lots of people out and about who can support restaurants that are worthwhile. Sometimes, I feel like getting a sub from Firehouse or a greasy burger from Five Guys. Lots of people do and I am glad they are here. You think these type places serve no purpose but, the people who live here and can walk out their front door to get a bite to eat, like the options. Everything isn’t for everyone and every establishment isn’t going to be a destination location or groundbreaking.
Midtown Alexander… since you live in Viewpoint, can you tell the HOA to do something about keeping up with the landscaping along Peachtree (it’s from my understanding that the property owners are responsible for maintenance of the tree wells)… and then there’s that corner of the building over near the Starbucks side where one tree is planted around muddy looking dirt (or maybe it’s just ugly mulch)… either way, looks like crap… why not plant some flowers? I mean, the whole streetscape along Viewpoint looks crappy… I’m just saying… it really bothers me.
@Midtown Alexander haven’t you heard? cars are bad! very, very bad! no one would ever open a COOL business anywhere near a place that a car would drive, especially in this city. Now if we only had a streetcar (that no one will ride) to clog up two lanes of traffic on Peachtree Street, people might finally get out of their cars and cool stores would suddenly appear out of thin air. Yes, having people drive into a neighborhood known to have lots of great dining choices clearly stops further restaurants from opening. It’s been weeks since a new place opened up afterall (Vinny’s pizza). The tragedy of not having a hipster place open every day is astonishing! How can people stand to live here?
Thanks Alexander…you exemplified the fact that there are only a few unique places in that stretch of Midtown, like I said. And, by the way, Hudson Grill, Melting Pot, F2O, Gordon Beirsh, and Taco Mac are not unique in any sense of the word. They are stale, boring, soulless places that serve terrible food, have a terrible atmosphere, and are unfortunately characteristic of what much of this city “goes for”.
There’s no doubt that 5 Guys, Firehouse, etc. serve a purpose. Clearly they do. However, in the context of providing something unique and special – something that gives a city a distinctive personality, and makes it an enjoyable place, they offer nothing. If you blindfolded me and plopped me down in the middle of Vancouver, San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago, etc. I would know where I was, almost immediately. If you did the same to me in Atlanta, I’d think i was just in anywhere USA…and yes, I’m aware Atlanta is not Vancouver, SF, etc. but we should certainly try to be a bit more like them, than our suburban counterparts.
I agree with the other commentors, Evos just wasn’t that good. I tried it a couple of times and it was nothing special. I’d rather spend my money at F2O or Firehouse where you get great food at a reasonable price, not to mention excellent service. Matt, the owner/franchisee of Firehouse is super friendly. I also agree the right type of nice, reasonably priced cafe or bar/resto with outdoor seating would do well there. Just not another burger/mexican/hot doggery place! Midtown is getting overrun with those. A Carroll St. Cafe type place would be wonderful!
@Twinkmess, I ROFL’d. 🙂
I went to Evos two weeks ago to pick up some grub for the wife and I while we prepared to move. Milkshakes were above average, and I got a kick out of the four kinds of ketchup available, but the burgers and fries were nothing to write home about. Staff was a big question mark — ringing a bell at the counter to get a cashier is something you see at a hotel, not a fast-food restaurant.
F2O is stale? Wow!
Cosign with Urbanist. Also, the food at EVOs was awful.
“If you blindfolded me and plopped me down in the middle of Vancouver, San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago, etc”
Best. Idea. Ever. What Atlanta really needs is the Narcissist, er, Urbanist to leave.
Or maybe we could send him to Las Vegas, to work on creating his own little walking city utopia with the Zappos CEO? They could feed off their exaggerated sense of how special they are and how much they know what everyone should want. (BTW, I love Zappos…but seriously, Urbanist, you should go. Atlanta will be better off and you can be a legend in the desert. They’ll write books about you. You’ll meet hot women.)
http://www.inc.com/magazine/201202/tony-hsieh-zappos-excellent-las-vegas-adventure.html
I would ride a streetcar…
@ ATLien – Don’t worry, I’m not a permenant fixture here…As noble as it may seem to be, I’m not the “captain who goes down with the ship” type. This city can continue its demise without me…
So many valid comments. I find it hard to compare us to other city’s though due to the poor planning in the ATL. If all the hotel and condo buildings in that oversized suburb called Buckhead had been built between Downtown and Midtown, imagine how fine and urban this city would be, but with 3 distinct “metro” area’s that will never fully connect we are stuck with a driving city that is really nothing more than a stretched out suburban tract mall.
Same result for Urban Flats (Lindbergh)…they both made a go of it twice, and the results turned out to be NOT so nice…
Urbanist made a good point but no one followed through with the obvious next one.
“Going to need more people, that aren’t reliant on cars as their only means of travel”
I agree with that, but the reason people here have to rely on cars is the public transportation is just not to where it needs to be to replace cars. All those cities you mentioned have great public transportation I hear, and I think that’s the backbone of a successful city.