La Tagliatella Italian restaurant to replace Silk at Metropolis

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Photo courtesy of La Tagliatella Alcorcón

Modern-Italian restaurant to open in Midtown, late 2012.

Midtowners are getting another Italian dining option.

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Jamestown, an Atlanta-based real estate investment and management firm, announced Tuesday the signing of modern-Italian restaurant La Tagliatella’s lease at “Shops at Metropolis.”

The Italian restaurant will replace the now-shuttered Silk restaurant on the corner of Peachtree and 8th Streets.

“Jamestown is focused on attracting a distinguished blend of dining concepts and retailers in order to cultivate a unique and progressive atmosphere, particularly at the street level,” Kristen Morris, senior leasing manager for Jamestown, said in the release.

“La Tagliatella will certainly enhance the experience at Shops at Metropolis by opening its U.S. flagship location here.”

La Tagliatella first opened in Madrid, Spain, in 2001 and has grown to more than 110 restaurants throughout Spain and France.

The 5,200-square-foot restaurant will serve modern-Italian cuisine and offer a wine and coffee gar. Its kitchen will house an authentic brick oven.

“We feel Shops at Metropolis is the perfect location for La Tagliatella’s flagship store,” Mike Muldoon, president, U.S. Division of AmRest LLC, owner of La Tagliatella, said in the release. “It is centrally located in Midtown, within a walkable community that thrives on diverse restaurant concepts.”

La Tagliatella is expected to open late 2012, according to the release. David Henzlik with Trinity Development Group, Inc. represented La Tagliatella in the transaction.

Caleb J. Spivak

Caleb J. Spivak

Caleb J. Spivak

Caleb J. Spivak

27 Responses

  1. So what could have been a really high profile location gets scooped up by an Italian chain restaurant from Spain?

  2. Hmm…my first thought when I saw this headline was “I wonder where this chain is based, and how many locations they have?”. Guess it would have been too much to ask to be surprised. I’m not positive, but I also think AmRest is a holding company for a large number of chains, including Applebees. Bravo Atlanta, Bravo. Between the Lime Fresh spot, this POS, Five Guys, another wannabe NYC Pizza joint, F2O, Taco Mac, Hudson Grill, and Firehouse Subs, 2 blocks of Peachtree streetfront have been pretty much destroyed….”But if you don’t like it, Leave!”…wonks.

  3. Agreed – don’t see this one being a success either. Too many good Italian style Pizza places and other good, non-chain restaurants close by. Wrong market for this in my opinion.

  4. I’d rather have a McDonald’s take over that spot. Another blown opportunity for Midtown and Atlanta.

  5. AmRest is a franchisee / operator of Applebee’s (and Starbucks and BK) but they don’t actually own those brands. La Tagliatella is their own concept.

    Now, hopefully it is not Spain’s version of the Olive Garden…

  6. I’m really excited about this concept. I think it will be well received in the market and will be a hit.

  7. Who gives a sh*t if it’s a chain? Metropolis is a chain and I assume most of you probably live there or in one Novarre’s other buildings nearby.

  8. I don’t understand the negativity here. We need a good, mid-priced Italian restaurant in this neighborhood. I think this will do quite well. As a neighborhood resident, I am pleased with this news.

  9. No offense to those complaining, but something is better than nothing… just look at ViewPointless a few blocks south of Metropolis. Novare really hosed the folks who bought condos in that place! The original renderings showed brands like H&M and Sur La Table. What’s there right now? A bloody Sprint store… and a whole lot of nothing.

  10. I think this will be a hit too, STK is a chain and I don’t hear too many people crying about that right now.

    Moan for moanings sake but this is 2012…you should be happy that any business right now is willing to invest in this or any city.

    In an ideal world we’d all shop and eat at boutique independents and they themselves would be rolling in cash but they ain’t so we ain’t……get on with it.

  11. Hey Dan, the reason we aren’t shopping and eating at boutique’s has nothing to do with the balance sheets of boutique retailers. It has to do with the fact that Atlanta isn’t a city that copes well with the unfamiliar, creative, or unique model that boutiques often run. So, it sticks with things that are banal, tried, tested, re-tried, and whittled down to the most plain elements of a business. So yeah, if you’re a person who loves the status quo, you should be delighted about this news. If you’re someone who doesn’t….well, you probably live elsewhere anyhow.

  12. I’m baffled by all the negative posts on here. Most of you all probably don’t even live in Midtown. Upscale, yet casual and affordable Italian (comfort food – pizzas and pastas) that are not Americanized with a hint of European flare sounds great. Residents need a place we can go to several times a week, for lunch or dinner without breaking the bank. I cannot wait!

  13. “I’m baffled by all the negative posts on here.”

    You must be new here. Negativity is all that we have on What Now.

  14. @Johnny

    Because most find it constructive just to bitch then to actually do anything. It is passenger seat driving at its best.

  15. What’s baffling is the settle for anything mentality. Had this project been announced for say Viewpoint, this would be a very welcomed addition to the neighborhood. This location deserves better.

  16. The only people who can afford retail space on Peachtree are credit-worthy chains or companies connected to chains. If you want indy-owned and operated restaurants, there are a ton up and down buford highway and in less expensive parts of the city.

    This is true for the entire city. It’s true in Time Square in New York, as well. Every restaurant in that place is a chain (hard rock, bubba gump shrimp co, TGIF, etc.). Yes, I can go to Queens and find a lot of indy-owned restaurants. But in places with extremely expensive retail, only chains can get the credit to open…

  17. @ DQ – You’re wrong and you’re right. You’re right that businesses on Peachtree are more than likely going to be chains, because of the higher rents. The real issue isn’t the rents (as they’re still pretty low by city standards), but rather the fact that few unique / independent places on Peachtree would get enough foot traffic and sales to justify…that’s just what happens when you’re a small town with zip for walkability.

    I’m not sure what you’re really trying to say with your comment about Times Square either. Times Square is not the most expensive area of NYC, and it’s over-loaded with chains. The more expensive areas of NYC (and SF, Paris, etc.) are the places where you find more independent, less uniform shops, eateries, etc.

    There are two observations to be made here – (i) Times Square has shit restaurants and shops, just like Peachtree does, because they’re ground zero for sky-staring tourists from someplace less interesting. (ii) Times Square (and all similar places, including Peachtree) have banal, chain restaurants, because those areas of the city appeal to banal people….unfortunately for Atlanta, pretty much the entire city appeals to banal people (with a handful of exceptions)…

  18. “The real issue isn’t the rents (as they’re still pretty low by city standards),”

    NO, the real issue is not rents, it is credit-worthyness and banks not lending to independent people and Selig and other retail operators not renting to non-credit worthy tenants. Almost only chains or stores/restaurants backed by investor groups with a lot of other retail experience (like the La Tagliatella group) are considered credit worthy. Try to start a restaurant or boutique on peachtree, and you will find it is near impossible to get anyone to rent to you. Even if there are empty buildings. Pay $20,000 to franchise a Subway and it won’t be so hard. Thats how credit works.

    ” The more expensive areas of NYC (and SF, Paris, etc.) are the places where you find more independent, less uniform shops, eateries, etc.”

    Not that it pertains at all to my point, but LOL. No. Retail shopping on fifth avenue (the most expensive street in NYC):A|X Armani Exchange (chain), Abercrombie & Fitch (chain),American Girl Place(chain),The Apple Store (chain),Baby Gap (chain),Bergdorf Goodman (chain),Best Buy Midtown (chain),Brooks Brothers (chain),Bulgari (chain),Cartier (chain), Cole Hann (chain). I won’t continue past the C’s, but there are very few ‘independent’ shops.

  19. “NO, the real issue is not rents, it is credit-worthyness and banks not lending to independent people and Selig and other retail operators not renting to non-credit worthy tenants”

    Thanks for the amatuer’s guide to consumer credit analysis. However, Drew Lewis, a boutique on Peachtree is a local and independent shop – they managed to make it work. The “Shoes, Shoes, Shoes” boutique on Peachtree also seemed to make it happen. Cafe Agora, and The Vortex – two local restaurants without “deep pockets or large investor groups” have made it work as well. I’m pretty sure that Vinny’s NY Pizza and the Dry Cleaners in Spire (which is on Peachtree) aren’t “deep pocketed chains” either. So, while you’re patting yourself on the back for that GPC worthy discourse, I think it goes without saying that the rents, nor the barriers to leasing, are a very big problem – the fact that there isn’t enough foot traffic or population density to support more independent business is.

    “Not that it pertains at all to my point, but LOL. No.”

    Thanks for the session of “I like talking out of my a$$”. However, many retail spaces in NoLita and W. Village are renting at rents equal to & higher than many 5th ave spaces right now. Since you don’t know your a$$ from your elbow, I’ll point out that those neighborhoods are loaded with smaller independent boutiques and shops.

  20. AHAHAHAH!! Please tell me again how retail rents are more expensive in West Village or NoLita (LOL) than in Fifth Avenue!!!

    Hey, lucky for us there are actually boards that STUDY these things!

    Fifth Avenue between 50th and 59th streets: $2,750 per square foot .
    West Village: $373/square foot

    Source: Real Estate Board of New York, May 18 2012

    ahahahahaha omg it just keeps getting better with you

  21. BTW, have you BEEN to NoLita since 2008? It was hit hard. very hard. But either way, its retail prices were never close to 5th avenue.

    Drew Lewis… Hrmm, was that opened before it became extremely difficult to get credit, or was that opened when it was still extremely easy to get credit? (Hint, since you are an idiot: the answer is when it was extremely easy to get credit) What about the Vortex, do they rent? Or do they own (Hint: since your an idiot, they own and have sinec long before it was impossible to get credit)? Vinny’s is credit worthy and own several other restaurants. I have no idea about the off-peachtree Cafe Agora.

  22. As a resident of Metropolis, I am glad to see someone taking over the space. I would prefer it NOT be a restaurant, as we are still suffering with the nasty smells left over from Silk! But I am more than willing to give this restaurant a shot. If they are not good, then it will not be patronized and will close . I would love a more independent business, but I’m also willing to support a larger chain store, to a degree!

  23. @ DQ – You’re right, retail rents ON 5th Ave are higher than they are in the rest of the city. Step one block off and that changes, but ON 5th Ave you’re correct. I let logic get away from me for a second. Most likely because I was caught up in the overwhelming amount of stupidity that was in your association between 5th Ave and Peachtree. The 5th Ave strip – an infill location with zero available land for development, bordered by huge high density towers on both sides as well as the surrounding neighborhoods – compared to Midtown’s strip of Peachtree – a fractiously developed strip of road with vacant land, empty parking lots, and lower density developments lining much of the space, with significantly lower density development in the surrounding neighborhoods….not even close.

    So, while older buildings do provide for cheaper rents, which typically lure smaller more independent businesses, that’s not really the case in Atlanta. It’s not the case, because rents on that strip of Peachtree are mid $20psf NNN, not $2500. The problem with operating retail in that area of the city is one of demand, not over-priced rents. There aren’t enough people that live in that area of the city to justify opening a neighborhood business that would rely primarily on residents and foot traffic for it’s survival (which is what local businesses do). There are some that have made it, but those may have captured all the demand there is for their product (i.e. would another, similar men’s boutique be able to co-exist with Drew Lewis? probably not).

    And yes, I’ve been to NoLita since 08′. I lived there then, and I live there now. It hasn’t been hit hard. There’s been creative destruction – i.e. a RAG & Bone where Cafe Colonial used to be – but many of the businesses have survived and thrived: Tory Burch is still there, as is Shave, as is Cafe Habana…the list goes on.

  24. “And yes, I’ve been to NoLita since 08′. I lived there then, and I live there now.”

    DQ, you do realize that you are arguing with the resident What Now Atlanta know-it-all, don’t you? She will always get the last diarrheic word. What’s amazing is that she has apparently moved back to New York and still chooses to slum it up in our foul city. Must be one of those sad masochists that you hear about.

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