Flatiron’s Flops and Flips
The Flatiron building has certainly seen its share of tenants come and go over the years. The bottom floor restaurant space, once a bank, remained vacant for years before a new location of Jake’s Ice Cream (presumably a franchise) opened up with great hoopla for Georgia State’s most trendy students. But then, something happened.
The bad news: Students returned this Spring semester only to be greeted by an empty storefront where Jake’s downtown location had barely existed. Alas, this Jake’s is dead.
The word on the street: Rumor has it that this Jake’s location didn’t pay its employees. Nobody seems to really have the real scoop. Everybody seems to prefer thinking that this location never really existed.
My personal speculation: The Broad Street market has grown, but not enough for two ice cream shops. One of them had to go, and it was unfortunately the better of the two. Bruster’s, another not-so-local chain, survives in one of the retail spaces in Georgia State’s Aderhold Learning Center.
The good news: The Flatiron building quickly found a new tenant: Fogão Gaucho, a local knockoff of Dallas-based Fogo de Chão Churrascaria. Can they survive?
The new bad news: Fogão Gaucho decided it would be a good idea to cover all their windows with red curtains. When it opens, pedestrians will not get a peek of the inside, and patrons will not be able to see the people outside. This most basic design element of the new restaurant violates Rule 2: “Make the building front ‘permeable’ (i.e., no blank walls).” With the curtains, there is no connection between the neighborhood and the neighbor.
The new speculation: Whereas Fogão Gaucho is geared toward tourists and the upper crust, the business has little choice but to advertise heavily to the local convention business. Given how much support the hotels around Peachtree Center gave to the old downtown Macy’s, I’m cautiously pessimistic about Fogão’s gamble with the Flatiron.
January 21st, 2005 at 2:10 pm
In RE Flatiron…:
Excellent observations.It is clear that no one is in charge of urban retail in Atlanta’s Center City. The various alphabet agencies/organizations all make the appropriate noises and gestures but the results speak for themselves.
The only hope is that Bernie Marcus/Arthur Blank, who have some retail experience, take over and bring in the H&M’s,MEXX’s,et. al of the world and bring order to the situation. Not only for the sake of the Center City but the region as well;the first Southern burgh to have a pedestrian-orientated retail district will win the 21st century “creative class”;global tourism;we are hot”stuff” sweepstakes.
January 22nd, 2005 at 11:02 am
I think the new Theater at Herrens also is driving the demand for an Upscale restaurant.
My worry is that the Flat Iron space is not very large. For the Chariscuria to survive, they need a good sized space.
January 22nd, 2005 at 11:30 am
There’s also a pretty sizable downstairs area, complete with an old bank vault.
January 22nd, 2005 at 4:20 pm
I ate at that Jake’s Ice Cream a couple times, and it was pretty empty both times. I just don’t think that any restaurant can be profitable in that area unless it caters specifically to the business crowd (9-5)
January 31st, 2005 at 7:00 pm
I’ve been to the Windy Hill location, and I actually had a better dining experience there than at Fogo de Chao.
March 20th, 2005 at 2:37 pm
I think you’re right. I don’t have classes in Aderhold this semester so I don’t really wander over there, but Fogao Guacho always looks really uninviting and in a way intimidating. You can’t tell who eats there or if the food looks delicious. I *thought* there was something else there, but after the restaurant got there, I completely forgot.
May 11th, 2005 at 3:20 pm
Fogao Gaucho just opened up their flatiron spot last weekend. It’s pricey, but it’s worth every penny of it! I go to their marietta location quite a bit, and they’ve been real excited about getting the new place opened up.
I know the red curtains are in the way, but y’all should take a look on the inside… it’s real nice without going all froo-froo on you.
August 7th, 2005 at 7:23 pm
Looks like they may have followed your advice… their curtains are wide open now, and it looks pretty nice in there!