Sembler's The Prado in Sandy Springs will soon welcome a host of new casual dining options. Athens-based Barberitos, Birmingham-based Yogurt Mountain and Burlington, Vermont-based Bruegger's Bagels will all open at the shopping center as part of an expansion underway adjacent to Staples. American Family Care is also opening as part of the expansion.
Barberitos will open their first full-service intown location next week at The Peach Shopping Center on Peachtree Road in Buckhead. The burrito eatery has existing locations in Roswell and Buford and in college towns including Milledgeville and Statesboro. The chain closely resembles Atlanta-based Willy's Mexicana Grill in both appearance and menu. Willy's has been expanding intown as of late with the recent additions of locations at Midtown Place in a former Qdoba and another at Georgia State's new Petit Science Center. Barberitos currently has locations across the state in addition to restaurants in North and South Carolina, Florida and Tennessee. Willy's has numerous locations in the metro area and opened their first out of state location earlier this year in Gainesville, Florida.
Yogurt Mountain is yet another "me too" yogurt shop. Started by David Kahn, a former Blockbuster Video and Subway franchisee, Yogurt Mountain's first location opened in Birmingham in late 2009. Today Birmingham-based Books-A-Million has an equity stake in the business and has added Yogurt Mountain locations to a half dozen of its existing bookstores. Their decision to open in The Prado is a little curious as Yoreka, a similar yogurt shop, opened shortly after the center's grand opening, but has since closed. Unlike Yogurt Mountain, Yoreka featured only a few flavors and it was sold by size. Yogurt Mountain, like its California-based inspiration Yogurtland, features a rotating menu of 16 flavors or so, and is sold by weight.
Bruegger's Bagels is re-entering the Atlanta market and finally opened on Powers Ferry Landing in late May. The bagel chain first signed a lease on the Powers Ferry location in 2009, but it took nearly three years for it to finally open. Bruegger's had five locations in Atlanta in the 90s but all had since closed. Bruegger's, like its rival Einstein Bros. Bagels, has expanded its menu to better compete in the marketplace. The Bruegger's of today features a far wider menu than in their previous Atlanta incarnation. The eatery offers the expected bagels and coffee in additon to a number of soups, salads and sandwiches.
The Prado has seen its fair share of failures including the aforementioned Yoreka (now a Subway), Larry's Giant Subs, and the once closed, now re-opened but doomed to fail, EVOS. The fact that the new restaurants are opening adjacent to Staples, with visibility from busy Roswell Road, will definitely be a plus for them. Fuego Mundo and Genki Sushi are both located near Subway and EVOS and are on the lower level of the center, with limited visibility and scarce upfront parking.
Sources tell me the Publix in the center, once rumored to be closing, is now performing far better. Lifetime Fitness, which opened in the back of the center on a parcel originally set aside for The Home Depot, is credited by many for bringing new patrons to the center and increasing overall business in the center.
Have you made more or less trips to The Prado following the addition of the Lifetime Fitness? Have you been to the new Bruegger's and eagerly anticipating the new location? Do you think Yogurt Mountain will find success at The Prade? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
Follow me on twitter and like me on facebook