New York-based 5 Napkin Burger closed its lone Atlanta area location last night. The chic burger eatery opened last August in midtown at the corner of Piedmont Avenue and 10th Street but after
lowering their prices and trying to make it in Atlanta, the restaurant could no longer justify keeping the doors open.
lowering their prices and trying to make it in Atlanta, the restaurant could no longer justify keeping the doors open.
5 Napkin recently opened a new location in New York's Union Square, it's fourth in the state. The group also added restaurants in Boston and Miami last year, and both apparently have performed better than the Atlanta location.
I question 5 Napkin's choice to open in Atlanta, especially in midtown and listed them as "on the bubble" on my most recent DeathWatch listing. There are just too many good local eateries in and around Atlanta, and especially in midtown for 5 Napkin to find success.
5 Napkin joins a long list of New York and Las Vegas based restaurant groups that have not found the success they had hoped for in the city known for its southern hospitality. Tom Colicchio closed his Craft and Craftbar at the Mansion on Peachtree ( now Mandarin Oriental Atlanta ) in late 2010. Other notable closings had already occured, such as Emeril's at One Alliance Center and Wolfgang Puck Express at Brookwood. More recently, Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten announced his Market eatery the W Buckhead would close.
Las Vegas eatery Aquaknox closed at Terminus in Buckhead as well.
What do you think will open in its place? Why do you think they failed? What advice would you give to any out of town restaurant group looking at opening in Atlanta?