Red Snapper Permanently Closes After Switching Hands in 2019

Restaurant veteran Randy Mercer acquired the 34-year-old seafood restaurant in mid-2019
The Red Snapper Permanently Closes After Switching Hands in 201
Photo: Official

The Red Snapper’s multi-decade tenure on Cheshire Bridge has come to a close. Owner Randy Mercer shuttered the seafood mainstay and the space, at 2100 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE, is now available for lease. Ryan Swartzberg, the leasing rep who holds the listing, confirmed the news in a telephone call with What Now Atlanta Friday.

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“The Red Snapper Restaurant was closed permanently on Friday, Dec 4, 2020,” Mercer later told What Now Atlanta in an email. “COVID-19 destroyed the business of The Red Snapper, with sales performing approximately at 40 percent of previous year sales. A successful business serving Atlanta since 1987 and devastated to the point of no return in a matter of days…”

Mercer — a restaurant veteran of more than 40 years — acquired The Red Snapper in mid-2019 and ran the seafood joint business as usual. It’s unclear what Mercer paid for The Red Snapper, but it hit the market just shy of $300,000.

The 3,000 square-foot space has been listed for $86,400 in annual rent ($28.80/SF/YR), according to the listing, and the term is negotiable. Swartzberg says the space would be “perfect” for a ghost kitchen or “any approved restaurant concept.” The landlord will not consider nightclubs, hookah lounges, or event companies, the listing notes.

[Editor’s note: this article was updated with comments from Mercer.]

Caleb J. Spivak

Caleb J. Spivak

Caleb J. Spivak

Caleb J. Spivak

9 Responses

  1. My hair stylist works in the space above and says that once they closed during the pandemic, they never ventured into take out or delivery, so I guess it was doomed once that happened. The announcement that they were closed for good has been on the door for almost 2 months.

    Very refreshing to see a landlord state they will not accept tenants with hookah lounges, etc. Every single one of those that’s opened around my neighborhood has been a magnet for crime.

  2. Who ate here? The place always looked like a set out of a Quentin Tarantino movie. In the 90s my friends and I used to park in their parking lot and walk over to the Heretic.

    1. The food was absolutely delicious–and always so well prepared. Never had a bad meal there, and all the servers were very kind and gracious. My friends and I will miss this Atlanta landmark so very much, and we’re truly heartbroken that it’s permanently closed.

    2. This was our favorite place for special occasions for the past 35 years! I am sooo sad. Their snapper gourmet was to die for! So sorry the covid got you…

    3. It was a Diamond in the rough. One of ATL’s best kept secrets. It was really nice inside and excellent service.The food was Absolutely Delicious. It was one of my favorite restaurants and I am completely depressed.

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