In addition to our normal news coverage, What Now Atlanta is tracking ways Atlanta’s businesses are adapting to the novel coronavirus and the challenges it brings to brick-and-mortars.
Lucky’s Burger and Brew has permanently shuttered its Emory Village restaurant.
After five years in business, at 1569 N Decatur Road, Owner Ernie Geyer decided not to renew the lease for Lucky’s once nearby Emory University announced it wouldn’t allow students to return until fall 2020 or later.
“A lot of our business is based on Emory being in session,” Geyer told What Now Atlanta in a telephone interview.
“Since our lease was expiring, and Lucky’s was already temporarily closed, it just wasn’t feasible to keep it open.”
As with all of Atlanta’s “non-essential” businesses, Lucky’s was forced to close its doors in early-April as mandated by the state in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Emory University at the time was already on spring break and transitioned its students to remote learning in late-March.
At the end of April, Emory announced it would look at reopening its campus in the fall.
Lucky’s has three other locations that have since reopened dining rooms: Brookhaven, at 305 Brookhaven Ave #1250, Roswell, at 1144 Alpharetta St., and Marietta, at 68 North Marietta Pkwy NW #102.
“I hate closing because we had a really good following,” Geyer said.
“There’s a lot of money sitting on the table there that I’ll never recoup but more importantly, we’re just trying to keep our people employed.”
[Editor’s note: The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is rapidly evolving as is its effect on Atlanta, and the City’s businesses and its residents. Click here for What Now Atlanta’s ongoing coverage of the crisis. For guidance and updates on the pandemic, please visit the C.D.C. website.]
13 Responses
All this for a virus that has a 99.97 percent recovery rate. Of course it didn’t help that Manuel’s stayed completely closed for a very long time and didn’t pivot business operations to take out when other restaurants did or that 75% of their customer base are aging Baby Boomers.
Take you FOX Noise and Trump fake news BS somewhere else
Might as well close, go fund me won’t generate enough to keep it open. Reopen next year.
Who owns Manny’s Grant Park??? Bad fact check.
Jack, we edited the article and issued a correction. Thanks!
The Trump Pandemic and the Trump Great Depression strike again. If only Trump hadn’t lied about the virus, calling it a hoax and the flu because the traitor cared more about the stock market than saving American lives, bars like Manuels wouldn’t be on the brink of collapse. Trump has really destroyed this country in every way
True. We only have to look at the rest of the world to see that Covid was well controlled with minimal casualties in every country that doesn’t have a Trump. /s
The way this administration handled the pandemic is an embarrassment– and literally cost us lives.
Any competent leader would not have peddled conspiracy theories, gone against
scientists/doctors, and further divided this country. He’s a psychopath.
Didn’t the Maloofs own their building and the parking lot across the street until a few years ago?
Now there are million dollar townhouses in that parking lot.
They sold the building and the parking lot next door where the townhomes are. I believe they still own the parking lot across the street adjacent to Buddy’s.
And they’re hurting for money?
Geez…
All for a lie
There are 274,000+ people who would probably disagree with you– except they’re not around to talk about it.