Hudson Grille, a sports bar type concept with plenty of tvs for sports viewing, joins a crowded market downtown which is already home to a number of similar concepts. Atlanta-based Taco Mac operates a location attached to Philips Arena, while next door to it, Dantanna's opened their second location in a former Jocks & Jills. STATS, another sports bar concept, is located at 300 Marietta Street within the Luckie Marietta District, just north of the planned Hudson Grille. STATS was developed and originally operated by Bob Amick of Concentrics Hospitality, although it is currently operated by property owner David Marvin.
The ironic thing about Hudson Grille opening so close to STATS, is that Metrotainment filed a lawsuit against Legacy Property Group, David Marvin's development company. Filed in 2009, the suit alleged that Metrotainment had developed, designed and secured building permits for a 21,000 s/f space that they were to lease from Legacy to open GAME! Downtown Sports Bar & Grill. Metrotainment alleged the space was not delivered on time or as ordered, and that Legacy enlisted the help of Concentrics to open STATS, a concept strikingly similar to their planned GAME!.
The case had been tied up in the court system for years but was heard by the U.S. Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit this past December. In May, Judges Barkett, Pryor and Cox granted Legacy's motion for summary judgment on its counterclaim against Downtown Sports Inc, Jeffrey Landau and Amy Landau ( "Counterclaim Defendants") and owners of Metrotainment Cafes. It's unclear to me what exactly happened during the multi-year legal battle but this is the last information I could find related to the case.
Currently there are four Hudson Grille locations in Atlanta. The restaurant has locations in Alpharetta, Brookhaven, Midtown, and their newest location on Roswell Road in Sandy Springs. Hudson Grille opened in place of another Metrotainment concept, Garrison's Broiler and Tap, at Perimeter mall, but has since closed.
Do you think that all of these similar concepts will survive in such a small area or does someone need to be DeathWatch-ed? Where is your favorite sports bar? Did you patronize Golden Buddha and miss it?