Is Ansley Mall turning food court?
Midtown’s Ansley Mall is getting several new restaurants.
Panera Bread is first in the line-up, scheduled to take the Hallmark Greeting Cards space, according to Vice President of Retail Leasing for Ansley Mall, Bill Stogner.
Hallmark is closing after 21 years in business (story here).
The Toy Store space will also be home to a new restaurant and Stogner said he’ll share those details next week when a lease is executed.
Creative Loafing reported yesterday that Five Guys Burgers and Fries and California Pizza Kitchen are opening at Ansley Mall in addition to Panera Bread.
Stogner said those reports are false but confirms a burger concept (NOT Five Guys) is negotiating a lease.
Ansley Mall recently underwent renovations. The addition of copper paneling and copper borders comprise most of the mall’s new features.
Our panelists are very disappointed with the remodel and feel Ansley Mall is going from late 80′s to early 80′s and the work being done is of low quality– they don’t know crap from Crisco. (rendering here).
Ansley Mall is located at 1544 Piedmont Rd NE and is owned by Selig Enterprises, Inc.
What are your thoughts on the direction Selig is taking Ansley Mall?
Ansley Mall
1544 Piedmont Rd NE
Atlanta, GA 30324
19 Responses
I give it a fortnight before the homeless that hang out there steal the copper paneling from the roof! Fortnight = Word of the day
Isn’t the Beltline supposed to be right behind Ansley Mall? Do you think any of these new franchise additions are looking to move in before/in case Beltine gets construction rolling?
It has been a long time coming that we get more restaurants in that area… but why do they have to be chains?!
How about a nice wine bar or a Dynamic Dish-like establishment? Anything but more burgers and pizza!
“…but why do they have to be chains?!”
Chains have the $$$ to pay the expensive rent, Dynamic Dish (sadly) does not.
Definitely not a fan of the redesign. It no longer looks like Ansley. I’m not sure what it resembles. A place for duplicate chain establishments, apparently.
I sure hope the CPK rumor is false-ew!
Kinda wish the new Metro Fresh concept (which was supposed to be going in the old AT&T across the street) would have gotten that space.
When everyone in Atlanta groans at the mention of new burger joints, it’s time to move on to a new trend.
remodel is awful and looks worse. The addition of Panera and another burger or CPK do nothing for this property. The draw is the in town neighborhood and old school feel this center has always had. Panera? Noone in Ansley is jumping for that crap.
Chain or not, I think it’s a step in the right direction. We have local favorites nearby, whether we want to sit down for something casual or a little nicer (HobNob, Cowtippers, ONE, Tierra, etc.) But, what’s missing for me is something quick and relatively cheap that I can either pick up on the way home or stop by for while I’m running errands.
I’m all for better, local food, but if Panera does well, then maybe more Atlanta-based restaurants will follow. (Although, I agree with Brenda on the rent/$$$ issue. Can’t deny those facts.)
Without major changes, I wouldn’t think of Ansley Mall as a destination for a nice dinner. But, it’s got the advantages of having plenty of parking, being along a major thoroughfare, and being home to a variety of frequently-shopped retail spots. You can almost always find a good mix of people milling about there, and I can’t help but think more of them feel the way I do. Just my opinion, though!
They need to just tear it all up and build something URBAN… where the stores/restaurants front the street/sidewalk and the parking is in the back. It would make that whole corner look so much better.
The Ansley area is turning into Gwinnett.
That’s absolutely perfect– you take an anchor retail in the most “creative” part of this town and slap a five guys burger and fries inside it. Thats Atlanta at is best.
Folks, I have no idea what you find so appealing about this place and moved here in droves. I can understand it from the rust belt, but not anywhere else.
We are be invaded by YUPPIE SCUM!
I do not mind a Panera at all… better than the Mattress place that replaced book store and the random lamp shop!
Ansley Mall USED TO BE a really unique little intown mall, filled with funky, fun, interesting mom and pop business. it is sad to see them all leaving to be replaced by one tedious, boring chain after another. Way to go Selig. I wonder at what point people will stop supporting all of these chain business, or if it is too far gone to stop the assault?
My thoughts? I hate what has happened to this once really wonderful little Intown mall. I USED TO BE a mall filled with mom & pop business, owned and run by people from WITHIN the neighborhood. Not any longer. it has transitioned into just one more boring place, filled with boring shops which can be found anywhere. I for one will not be found shopping there.
Don’t diss the lampshop – they had the lightbulbs I needed. Lowe’s told me I would have to drive to Marietta to buy those bulbs.