Landlord Repossesses The Harp In Grant Park, Is Fielding 100+ Suitors To Take Restaurant’s Place

'Near overwhelming demand' from potential restauranteurs for the newly-renovated space is forcing a first-ever open-house-style-showing for Pellerin Real Estate.

Philippe Pellerin and the real estate developer’s company Pellerin Real Estate on Monday repossessed its tenant space housing The Harp, at 350 Memorial Dr. SE.

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Pellerin made the move after filing a lawsuit earlier this year seeking unpaid rents due as far back as January when the Grant Park restaurant first opened, according to the complaint.

It doesn’t look like the space, formerly home to its namesake Harp Transmission, will sit dark long, however.

“We have received over 100 inquiries to see the space” since What Now Atlanta broke the news of the lawsuit, Pellerin Tuesday said in an email.

“So many that there is no way we can schedule enough tours to show everyone wanting to open a restaurant here. In response to this near overwhelming demand and a first for me in 16 years of commercial development, we are hosting an ‘Open House’ this week on Thursday, June 25, and Friday, June 26 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. It is the only way I could feasibly get everyone wanting a tour into the space on short notice.”

Another first for the developer, whose projects focus on redevelopments like The Beacon Atlanta and an incoming East Atlanta Village food hall, will be hosting an “event” amid the novel coronavirus outbreak.

In addition to “following C.D.C. guidelines,” Pellerin will limit attendees to nine at a time and require maks upon entering, among other things.

“We have already had and continue to schedule private tours for many of Atlanta’s most notable and respected restauranteurs,” Pellerin said.

“The response from the restaurant community has been staggering. There are a lot of people looking at space right now.”

Caleb J. Spivak

Caleb J. Spivak

Caleb J. Spivak

Caleb J. Spivak

7 Responses

  1. I think there’s a lot more to this story than what we’ve heard.
    That being said, it’s gut wrenching to think that a small businesss totally built out a
    new restaurant– and now the developer et al are profiting on their loss.
     

    “We have already had and continue to schedule private tours for many of Atlanta’s most notable and respected restauranteurs,” Pellerin said.

     
    Ambulance chasers.

    1. there usually isn’t any more to the story other than “every Tom, Dick, and Harry think they can open a restaurant while having absolutely zero restaurant experience then wonder why they can’t pay the bills.”
       
      also, while they (the small business) surely had some level of investment in the build out, commercial developers typically pick up a large portion of this cost. it does not behoove the developer to see a tenant fail, after all, if a tenant is occupying their space, then the developer is generating income. with that being said, once it becomes apparent a tenant cannot pay, it behooves the developer greatly to move them out and someone else in as fast as possible.
       
      as for the ambulance chasers comment… what? should everyone else just agree to leave the space empty out of sympathy for a restaurant that was never really open??
       
      for what it’s worth, i don’t fully believe this developers comments about the overwhelming hype to fill this space- especially considering the current economic climate.

      1. When I said there must be more to this story…
        I seem to recall that construction took two years, and it sounded like the tenants hadn’t paid rent since the beginning of this year (not C-19 related).
        So were the tenants paying rent for the two years of construction?
        Have they ever paid rent?
        The landlord was suing for back rent– how much back rent was there?
         

        Gray, a Charlotte-based private chef with more than two decades in restaurant

        management, is moving to Atlanta to open The Harp with Prince, a resident of the area for 17 years.

        — That would indicate at least one of them had some experience, although I understand that ‘experience,’ and actually running a business are two different things.
         
        I’m sure the building owner put tons of money into getting that building renovated. But
        typically the tenant does all the interior buildout to suit their needs. Maybe that’s not so in this case. The landlord could have built it out as a restaurant with a kitchen etc. I’d be
        surprised though.
         
        I’m a commercial landlord, and I try to work with good tenants. I’ve had to (willingly)
        restructure my tenant’s rent because of C-19. He’s a great tenant, and I’d rather keep him than lose him.
         
        The developer came off as a bit cocky, hence my snarky ambulance chasers comment.

  2. I’m sad to see they didn’t make it.
    We went right before the world changed. Single best prepared piece of salmon I’ve had. Interesting concept for beer and wine, killer mac and cheese, and super friendly service.

    I hope Pellerin will give consideration to another Black-owned business .

  3. I feel bad for the Harp owners… The landlord is a dick, he promised TI money (Tenant Improvement) then held up disbursements and slowed down the project. The job should have taken 3 or 4 months but it took over a year because of the delays. All while they were paying rent the whole time, the dude is a cheat who I think has done this to other business owners as well. He gets people to invest their money into his properties and then does his best to find a way to get them evicted so he can rent out the improved property to another tenant probably at a higher rate.

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