Midtown Businesses Opening and Closing

We’re almost halfway through first month of the new year and it’s a good opportunity to take a quick peek at Midtown businesses coming and going. Got a tip on recent business opening or closing in Midtown or on the westside, let us know at midtown@patch.com.

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According to the Georgia Tech online newspaper, Technique, Walmart will be moving into the shuttered Ribs’s n’ Blues space at 68 5th Street in Tech Square.

The college newspaper reports that the Georgia Tech Auxiliary Services and the discount retailer have a signed contractual agreement to bring a “convenience store concept” to the 2,5000 square-foot space. The “Walmart pharmacy” will be the smallest of its kind in the country for the company the campus news source reports.

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In August, Mint3 Thai & Sushi Bar opened in the space that formally housed The Tenth Thai Cuisine and Lounge at 132 10th St. But its doors have been shuttered for numerous weeks. A message left by Patch inquiring about the current status of the restaurant has not been returned.

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Also in August, Cruzado opened in the former Las Palmeras spot at 366 5th St.  Now the Midtown pan-Latin eatery has officially unveiled its new lounge space. Formerly a bodega connected to the old Las Palmeras, the space has been fully renovated and transformed into a cozy lounge and bar that brings a new ambience to Cruzado. Think tropical resort with touches of Moroccan design. Group friendly seating and an open atmosphere also add an element of communal fun to the restaurant.

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As the Atlanta Business Chronicle first reported on Friday, the Colony Square architectural firm Jova/Daniels/Busby Inc., is set to close its doors on Monday. Founded in 1966, it is one of the city’s oldest architectural firms, and was behind Atlanta’s first urban mixed-use project, Colony Square, as well as the Atlanta Botanical Garden.

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As noted by Tomorrow’s News Today, the Church's Chicken at 425 Ponce de Leon Avenue has closed again. The space had been a KFC restaurant until closing in 2009, when the property became a hotspot for vagrants and illegal activity. It reopened in 2011 as a Church’s in the building that sits near the intersection of Parkway Drive and Ponce.

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After opening his Midtown florist and boutique shop TWELVE in 1996, owner John McDonald moved his popular store to 994 Virginia Avenue last year. Now it looks as if a new business is prepping to move into the space at 1000 Piedmont Avenue at the intersection of Piedmont and 10th Street. Workers there told Patch last week that a new nail salon will be opening in the space in the coming weeks.

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Gatsby's, the new 1920s era nightclub and dessert lounge taking over the former 3-Legged Cowboy space at the Midtown Promenade, has been closed since its celebratory grand opening on New Year’s Eve. But it appears ready to soon open for good as posted on it Facebook page Saturday:

“We can't wait for everyone to join us for good times at Gatsby's!!! As updates are available to us we will continue to make them available to all of you! We are keeping our fingers crossed to be open for business any day now!!!