Sembler Killing 5 Seasons Brewhouse in Sandy Springs
Decatur Metro | August 24, 2008I highly recommend traveling outside the city limits for the moment and reading this Creative Loafing article by Scott Freeman about how the clumsy, amoral monster that is the Sembler Company has nearly put 5 Seasons Brewhouse out of business due to their clash at the Prado location in Sandy Springs.
The money quote from 5 Seasons owner Dennis Lange, “Simply put, Five Seasons is worth more to Sembler ‘dead than alive’ because Five Seasons is ‘in the way’ of Sembler maximizing its profits at The Prado.”
Not only do they propagate a perverted version of smart growth around Atlanta, but they also kill local business in the process! What efficiency!
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Sounds familiar.
Only if you’re painting with the broad “all developers are evil” brush.
I was refering to the Decatur Marta station. Developers aren’t evil, just a bit misguided. With love and paper training they can be house broken. Just like government.
Ah yes…one of your fav topics! Sorry, should’ve known better.
This blows. I went to high school with Dennis back in DC and was a big fan of Yakitori Den Chan, his first place down in Buckhead. The guy’s ability to recognize emerging demands and capture them in really creative ways is without question.
As for Sembler, for a company so focused on the bottom line, it really surprises me they don’t recognize Five Seasons’ cache and potential as a long-term anchor. If nothing else, a solid indie like 5S could offset some of the genericrap criticism they invariably receive.
Sembler’s response in a Creative Loafing LTE:
Scott Freeman’s article about the Prado development (“Trouble brewing,” Food & Drink, Aug. 20) was an unbalanced report that simply repeated one-sided and distorted information about the issues between Five Seasons and Sembler. Unfortunately, Sembler did not have a real opportunity to state its side. Very close to his deadline, Freeman left a short voicemail message on one office phone rather than making a serious effort to reach us in a timely basis through the various cell phone numbers he had.
It is true that there are issues between Five Seasons and Sembler, mostly revolving around claims of loss of business due to the major redevelopment of the Prado. Unfortunately, perhaps in an effort to bolster a weak legal case with public misperception, some representatives of Five Seasons have continually misrepresented these issues to the public.
Here are the unvarnished facts. By the time Sembler acquired this property, the once classy and successful Prado had deteriorated significantly and the area around it had serious crime problems. Absent Sembler’s investment, the shopping center’s condition today would probably be a more serious problem for Five Seasons than the temporary difficulties caused by construction. From the start, all the existing tenants were apprised of the redevelopment plans. Five Seasons entered into an amendment to its lease with Sembler that specifically contemplated the redevelopment work.
Clearly, all parties understood the potentially disruptive impact of the redevelopment work, which Sembler has tried to minimize in various ways, including the provision of free valet parking, the posting of signs and banners reminding the public that existing businesses remain open during construction, and the launching of a website (www.ShopPrado.com) to promote weekly restaurants specials.
Sembler values the presence of Five Seasons at the Prado. Five Seasons is a quality restaurant with great reviews and a strong and loyal customer base. We want them to stay at the new Prado and be more successful than ever. The claim that we are trying to drive them away is absolutely false.
Also false is the claim that Sembler has gone back on an agreement reached with Five Seasons. An exchange of drafts, by any definition, is not an agreement. Further, in response to Five Seasons’ claims of losses caused by construction disruption, Sembler simply asked for documentation of such losses and has communicated to them our willingness to reach a settlement based on documented losses. Five Seasons so far has declined to provide any such documentation.
So here is where Sembler stands. We want Five Seasons to stay and succeed at the Prado. We want to settle our differences and will proceed to do so as soon as Five Seasons produces records that substantiate their claim of certain losses. The new Prado is nearing completion with ample parking, landscaping and other amenities that will enhance the shopping and dining experience for all our customers, including those of Five Seasons. Come see for yourselves.
– Angelo Fuster, Sembler Co.
Scott Freeman replies: I called Fuster at the number provided by Sembler’s main office in Atlanta. I left a message that detailed the story I was working on and asked for Sembler’s comment. Fuster never returned the call. I don’t have his cell phone number, although he does have mine.
Sembler is a pack of lying and deceitful thieves. The same is true with the lying no count scoundrel Elaine Bowyer who is bribed to do their dirty work. From the top to the bottom Sembler is corrupt and morally bankrupt. If you want to know the truth just apply the opposite to everything they say. If you want to know the truth from Elaine Boyer …good luck…she cant tell the truth so you will need to figure it out for yourself.
Hey Scott Freeman — Regardless whether Sembler did or didn’t call you back, the fact is you presented an entirely one-sided article. Does that not click?