Voila Market Cafe Closes
Decatur Metro | May 18, 2009
My wife reports this morning that the space that once housed Voila Market Cafe now has an “Available” sign in the window and the interior looks in the midst of disassembly.
I wonder what will happen to Button Cakes Bakery, which just opened inside the Voila a couple of months ago inside the Viola space.
Aw, man– that’s too bad for Voila. Maybe Button Cakes could take over the whole space…but I suppose if they could’ve afforded to do that, they would’ve had their own space in the first place. *sigh* DM, let us know if you hear anything else, willya?
That makes three restaurants in the last few weeks at least- Sage, ABC and now this.
The owner has been having a terrible time with the landlord….She’s tried to negotiate because she is barely breaking even, but he said “he didn’t give a rat’s ass”. She had expressed to him that she did not want her employees out of a job. The landlord’s last name is Beek.
[edited: no personal attacks] In these hard economic times, with such a promising restaurant and dedicated and conscientous owner, we’d like to see Decatur populated with humanistic and supportive landlords.
Very disappointing news all around. Perhaps the City of Decatur needs to provide some kind of stimulus package for restauranteurs and small business owners?
And I suppose if Voila had stayed in business and 5 months from now was raking in huge profits, the “humanisitc” and “supportive” thing would be for the owner to pay more rent, regardless of what the lease says?
I think the other Cathy’s idea is reasonable one in these tough times….
Linking the two currently active threads – would we consider it humanistic and supportive for the county to go ahead and give Sembler the additional tax abatements for their Brookhaven project?
Getting back to Button Cakes Bakery–is it open somewhere today? I need a birthday cake for tonight?
Folks, you can’t be serious! At least do some investigating before you go shooting your mouths off. Firstly, “heartless landlord”? The owner was under a lease requiring him/her to PAY the rent. My understanding is…this hadn’t been done on time/in full for a while. Nevermind that there was a “sanitation/cleanliness” problem which could have jeopardized the connecting restaurant. [edited: no personal attacks] As far as this business owner being concerned with their employees…have you talked to them? I understand that paychecks bounced and they are still waiting on monies owed.
I apologize, but the source(s) requested anonymity. I assure you that these are not false claims. I felt after reading all of the other comments that the other side (there always is one) needed to be represented.
Button Cakes….where are you? COME BACK!
I wouldn’t like to see my tax money used to keep Voila in business.
Over the years Voila was open , I ate there several times for both lunch and brunch. For me, this place just wasn’t appealing. The food was OK but nothing special and the service was sub par . Every time I ate there, at least one order was mixed up or a side dish forgotten . Orders for the table were delivered at different times . In one case an entree came almost 15 minutes after the others with no apology . The brunch prices were as high ( or higher ) than Pastries A Go Go but there was less food and it just wasn’t as good.
I am usually quick to jump on the bandwagon to complain about the high rents charged by Decatur landlords but , based on my personal experiences at this restaurant, I don’t believe high rent was the main problem.
On my daily walk to the post office I saw Viola and realized they had closed. As a resident and supporter of Decatur, it saddens and bothers me to see businesses close but then I started doing some thinking. In the past we, the residents of Decatur, have been partially blamed for not spending enough money and this angers me. To me, the truth is…many of these businesses and restaurants have been mediocre at best and not run very well. On no less than 3 times, I have walked in Viola after stated opening times for lunch just to be asked if I can come back in 30 minutes because they are still setting up. Also once I did eat there I didn’t find it that good. While I am a HUGE supporter of Decatur owned businesses, I will not just support it because it is here…it has to be run smartly and done well. Obviously, if this is done it can work…just look at Leon’s, Java Monkey, Brick Store, Eddies Attic, Little Shop of Stories, etc.
It bothers me that people put their time, heart and money into starting a business and then don’t do it well enough to garner our support.
I loved having a local book store on the square but when it took over 3 weeks for them to place the order I gave them I can’t justify keeping my business there when I could walk over to the library and get the same book for free right then and there. When I go to a pricy steak place on the square and still have not received my dinner 45 minutes after placing (and this happened on 2 different occasions) and have had to leave only to be told the manager will call me and s/he never does…how long am I supposed to keep supporting a business just because they opened in my neighborhood.
On the other hand I have had terrific experience at Cafe Lilly, Sawickis, and the places I mentioned above just to name a few and I will continue to spend my money at these places.
Indeed. We don’t want Decatur to be known as the place to go for a mediocre meal, and propping up floundering businesses just for the sake of having something in the space doesn’t make sense.
But sometimes, a business fails for unknown reasons. Saba, for example, struck me as good, well-priced food. And given the success of their Emory location, I’m not alone. I don’t think there was a substantive difference in the quality or service at their two locations. Why did they fail on the square? I would have thought they were a perfect fit in a good location.
I don’t know if Saba failed so much as Ryan is moving it to Oakhurst- the rent’s not as high and the space is larger.
Oh, but otherwise what lump and darren said
I believe a combination of factors is at work here. Should we support a business just because it’s in Decatur, and it’s mediocre? No. On the other hand, when we want to spend our hard-earned dollars (and I say hard-earned because I’m laid off, so there’s only one wage earner in our family right now) we will go to Decatur rather than a chain, even if we have to pay more. We have enough choice of menu, type and price range in restaurants in Decatur; there is something for everyone. I feel badly for Voila, but I don’t feel guilty. To the person who was looking for a cake — I second Sinful and Sweets, or whatever it is called, in Avondale. The best cake in the region. Period.
I don’t think many people here have ever advocated a “Buy Local Blindly” policy. It’s said more in regards to, when you have the choice, try local. Most of the time, you’ll pay a bit more and get all the benefits that come with a local experience.
Yes, there have been a couple of occasions when its been mentioned that it was the consumers fault that a business was suffering or failed, but most of the time they were by very biased parties that were directly involved.
That said, I think there’s always an interesting tension between customers and business owners. While often times our interests in Decatur complement each other, they haven’t always and I’m sure they will occasionally diverge in the future.
I went to Voila once and was completely underwhelmed – but like almost every local business, I did give it a chance. I even went back to try the cupcakes at button (two of the six I got were superb but the other 4 were sort of dry and mediocre at best) – and while I did enjoy two of the six cupcakes at $2.50 each it was simply not enough to bring me back.
My husband and I are big supporters of local businesses that provide a good product or service – we are even willing to pay more in most cases. The rule is that is has to be something unique or if it’s not it has to be at least as good as we could get somewhere else.
I think it’s strange how much emphasis we put on supporting local business while at the same time the city seems to be encouraging a glut of businesses that could not possibly be supported solely by the local community. I know the parking situation in Decatur has been debated to death but it seems like everyone wants to look at this as a local problem when in fact the real issue here is the expectations of people from outside Decatur who are coming here as patrons – patrons that our local businesses obviously depend on.
Sometimes, a local business going out of business is a good thing. It makes way for something new that might be far better.
Lisa-
I don’t think I was “slamming them anonymously”.If you read what I wrote you would have noticed I said I would love to give them another try. I think I have the right to say I was disappointed in a product on here as much as you have the right to praise it. Anonymously.
I’m not exactly anonymous – and I did not eat six cupcakes while I was standing right there or I might have mentioned something at the time. Two of them were great and if I went back again I would certainly get those two – but I’m not rushing back. I did not mean it to be a bash as much as a comment about why I had not been in there much. People also like different things – I like a cupcake to be very moist and the frosting not too sweet and some people may love them dryer and sweeter. You can’t please everyone and it’s pure folly to try =)
If only Twain’s could get a bakery–I could go downtown and only stop at one place.
By “anonymous” I meant that you were not contacting the business directly. You are posting a random “disappointment” message on a blog about another business that is not even theirs. I have complimented them via email and would do the same if I had a complaint or constructive criticism…giving them a fair shot at correcting any issue or improving.
For all those who have asked…
I’ve confirmed that Button Cakes Bakery is still with us and will continue to cater and bake for special events until she can find another space to sell retail.
I, evermore, see that true democracy is chaos. Get more than one person in a room and opinions differ. Add another and factions begin. There is absolutely nothing wrong with posting opinions both positive and negative. What is wrong is that the next opinion isn’t about the original topic but is, instead, about the previous opiner. Discussing whether or not a business is/was good is like discussing the latest Green Day CD. I can unequivocally state that it is good and the next can truthfully state that it is bad. What the next can’t honestly do is tell me I am wrong. There are very few solid facts that can’t discussed without differing opinions and they are usually very basic math and science. 4-2=2 but is that chair blue? Obama’s Notre Dame speech is a classic example.
I can only ask that people look to some kinder ways to discuss and understand that another opinion may be true for another and not for you. Try in your daily life to stay on point and treat others with some respect. If you feel that there is evidence contrary to another opinion, go quietly and with peace in your own heart. Basically, stop pretending to know and attempt to learn.
My girlfriend and I were just discussing the fact that Voila has closed to our great disappointment. We loved the friendly neighborhood vibe where we could meet for a glass of wine and feel totally welcomed. It was also a place where I (as a single woman) felt equally at ease stopping in alone and having lunch or dinner at the bar and not feeling out of place. Everyone was always friendly and engaging. I, for one, will really miss the Chicken Francise!
Operating a business in an actively involved community does not mean that the simple laws of economics (and law of averages) do not apply. Most (50+%)restaurants will go out of business by the third year. That we have so many that have NOT gone out of business after many years is the bigger Decatur story.
just FYI–2 dozen cupcakes=$54.00 from Button Cakes!
I am not surprised if they are not doing the best business–they were good but $54 good????
One thing that hasn’t been mentioned is that the owner of Voila is a tax-paying Decatur homeowner. We talk much about supporting local businesses, but I guess I see those who actually live and work in the same community as being what Decatur should be all about. Does that make these places superior? Should we go out of our way to support them? I’ll leave that to people to decide for themselves. Obviously we have now have one fewer option in that category.
I’ve heard from multiple female patrons that Voila fulfilled a need for a place they were comfortable going solo for a glass of wine and a bite. (Voila had a following of female elected officials). I have long felt that downtown needs more places like this, which is why I hated to see Crescent Moon (the original version) and Saba depart.
I did not confirm this with Amanda Thompson when I saw her this evening, but my understanding is that the space no longer has the proper zoning to operate as a restaurant. The landlord was apparently relying on a neighboring parking spot being loaned to them, and that has now been taken away by the owner of that spot in protest of the landlord’s handling of the Voila situation.
Remember that Sawicki’s is still very much here to serve your cupcake needs (and plenty more).
Button Cakes Bakery is doing our wedding cupcakes next month. Believe me, I’ve done my research….these are simply the best! The price for our wedding package was unbeatable too!
Button Cakes Bakery cupcakes can now be found at Cliche’, which just opened TODAY! Cliche’ is where Indies (boo hoo, I loved that bookstore/coffeeshop) used to be on West Ponce. It has specialty coffees, ice cream, good pastries and breads, sandwiches, salads, a few books, cards, several tables, some comforable chairs and couches for sitting and talking…..everything a Mom could want in a place. Look for the red umbrella on the outdoor table next to Little Azio’s.
I still find it alarming and sad how many places have closed in the past months, and how many vacant spaces our once extremely thriving downtown now has. While I did give this place a few tries, I didn’t go back because I didn’t care for it.
If you like a Decatur place of business, please support it! I do not leave Decatur unless I have to, to shop or eat. I can find an array of unique, affordable gifts right here at many of the shops which are huge supporters of our community. Plus, we now have a huge choice of restaurants to please our palates. To keep our community in tact and whole during this tough economic time, if you can…please support local businesses.
I gave up on Voila long ago . I never went back to try the Button Cakes cupcakes. After all the glowing reviews here, I headed to Cliche to see what all the fuss is about.
Service at Cliche was attentive and friendly. I hope they do well.
As for the cupcakes expensive but – VERY, VERY good – best I have had in Atlanta. (we tried the vanilla and the coconut) I can see why the baker has such a devoted following.
Agree that coconut cupcakes are AWESOME! They are a little pricey for sending in a couple of dozen to school for undiscriminating first graders. However, the adult lover of fine food will find them to be a signature dessert well worth the cost.
The owners of Cliché, Jeff and Brian, make a good latté. The fruit muffins are very good.
How do we get a feature review of Cliché as new thread?
Thanks W. Gibbets for help with how to make “é”. I have made text look funny in all sorts of curious ways since playing with “Regional and Language Options”, hopefully all survivable.
Cathy,
Please…you cannot be serious.
“Perhaps the City of Decatur needs to provide some kind of stimulus package for restauranteurs and small business owners?”
Wow ! Would that open a can of worms ! Previous discussions here in that vein have come to “what are they doing with MY taxes?”
Yo Snowflake-
Sweet ‘n’ Sinful in Avondale did a deeee-loverly cake for me; I don’t know if they are open today, but I highly recommend.
This blog is like Peyton Place.
Alex, for someone who calls for investigation before shooting your mouth off, you sure made a lot of very serious claims about a business without citing a source.
I’m actually surprised that they made it as long as they did. They hung in there 2-3 years, didn’t they?
[edited: predicting the failure of local businesses is, and always has been, considered a personal attack]
LOL! It certainly can be at times…was not aware of the alleged sanitation problem, but hopefully, all those little cupcakes I consumed from Button Cakes had the germs baked out of them!
Oh, but accusing a restaurant of failing to pay rent and having sanitation problems is fair game. Sometimes, DM, I really wonder where you are coming from. But it is your blog.
Alex’s comment is borderline Lisa (because he didn’t cite a source) and I challenged him on it. He replied and I decided to leave it be (for a number of reasons not least of which is that frequent commenters are less likely to blow smoke). Whether they are true or not, his comment cites specifics, which each of us can interpret as true or not and challenge.
Your comment was too general to even counter and I knew where it would lead us. And how is that helpful to the community? Don’t local businesses have it hard enough as it is? If you want to write a specific, negative review about a business, find an old post and go at it but I don’t want to be responsible for hosting an all-harm, no good “who’s going to fail next” marathon.
God knows there is no perfect system here and it’s ripe with my own human error. But I’m always open to new ideas. How would you do things differently?
That said, I just took out a line from his comment that I believe stepped over the line.
Billy, excellent points, and spot on. High rents notwithstanding, a business that runs a tight ship & pays consistent attention to good customer service will almost always prosper. Even if a business has otherwise terrific products to offer, if service and consistency fall by the wayside, customers will eventually tire of it and go elsewhere.
The bookstore was probably using Amazon’s free shipping option, Billy.
Yeah, this needed to be said, and I’m glad you found a way to say it. I do take some offense at being called out every time a local business fails. Wordsmith’s, SAGE, ABC, and Voila (I’m exempting Button Cakes) failed because they simply did not provide compelling products or services. And the business they did bore that out. Just because it’s a local business doesn’t mean it is automatically worthy of support. The good ones tend to thrive, and the weak ones get culled from the herd. There have been a few instances when places I favored failed, and others that stay in business but I have no idea how. But for the most part, the free market system seems to be working pretty well in our town.
That said, I do think it behooves landlords and business owners to work together to find arrangements that are mutually beneficial and sustainable, especially in this economic climate. We’re seeing more empty properties than we’re used to, and that naturally scares us locals. A dead space with an “Available” sign in the window benefits no one.
Yesterday I was at Barnes & Noble with my family because my wife had a gift card. She used the card to buy a book, and we were going to pick up a couple of books for our kids when we decided to hold off until next time we were by Little Shop of Stories – not because we feel bad for them, or think it’s the right thing to do, or we’re on some crusade against national chains – but because they’ve earned our business by doing a fantastic job. They have great, personal service and what feels like a very sincere commitment to turning their young customers into lifelong book lovers. Ultimately the reason people go to places like Taste or Brick Store is the same reason they go to Nordstrom. I never felt the urge to go to Voila when I could just go to Watershed. A shame, but them’s the breaks.
Amen.
Daren, I think it’s safe to say that no one on Sycamore has been doing particularly well. Raging raised their prices and even started charging sales tax. Saba found someone to take over their lease so they could relocate to Oakhurst and did not wish to continue operating two locations since that would require a separate alcohol permit; by closing and moving, they were able to transfer the license. (Aside: I don’t know anything about the entity that will be replacing them on Sycamore).
I think it’s important to remember that this post is about VOILA going out of business. Button Cakes left way before VOILA was shut down. Seems like it was a good move. I understand that they are looking for space to re-open. I personally am delighted about that. I went in weekly for cupcakes (best Coconut cupcake EVER!) and had a party catered by her (BC). Everything including her customer service was fabulous and I wish her the best. Stacy, I’m sure if you had addressed your complaint with BC directly, you would be have been more than satisfied in the end. You can tell that she takes pride in what she does.
I think she is a nice lady, but I too was disappointed in her cupcakes! I was very upset to be disappointed, I must tell you. I’ve honestly not been as excited about anything since I found out I was pregnant. Hopefully, if the baker has her own space, the product will be a little more consistent! I sure as heck will give it another try.
Why is OK to compliment anonymously but not make reasonable , respectful comments that are less than glowing without signing one’s name address and phone number ?
This seems to be a double standard.
I can’t see that anyone above bashed the cupcakes or the baker. Fan of Buttoncakes – the anonymity thing cuts both ways. Your screen name indicates you have posted specifically to promote this business . For all we know you could be the owner herself.
Glad to hear I’m not the only one who was disappointed with Button Cakes. I was beginning to wonder if my cupcake-tasting skills were out of whack.
On the contrary, I love the cupcakes from Button Cakes Bakery and have heard nothing but positive remarks from others. Why are we talking about this anyway? VOILA CLOSED !!!!! I agree with “Fan of BC”. If you have a valid complaint, go to the business. Do not slam them on a blog anonymously!
I’m probably going to have a “doh!” moment after reading the reply, but someone please tell me what business was “ABC”?
Atlanta Bread Company.
If it really were a “true democracy” there would be a lot more anonymous swearing. Just because this one conversation has really devolved doesn’t mean they all have. We’ve had many a good discussion here.
That said, most of the comments in this thread have been pretty respectful, especially since they are online and anonymous. Giving your opinion is what this comment section is all about. I just ask that it’s done civilly. And for the most part, those above have done that.
I repeat my stance that comments need not stay on point to be good/interesting. Sometimes they go completely off-topic, but that’s just part of blogging.
“Basically, stop pretending to know and attempt to learn.”
So what are we to learn from this off-point post? This blog is where people discuss things, and that means discussing opinions, perceived facts, and–what you mentioned–differing and congruent tastes. DM does a good job keeping it civil and I don’t see where anyone was not treated with respect. However, if I have evidence to the contrary of someone else’s opinion, and we are in a discussion, it is not detrimental to me, or anyone, if I bring it up. It seems that people learn from listening to different points of view or opinions, but if we go quietly then no exchange is made and we are all stuck with our own static ideas.
Discuss.
Hi DM…didn’t mean to make my own blanket statement. I read your blog a lot and you do a great job and a great service to the community. I guess if it were a true democracy, we would be helping pay your ISP bill. I do also know that this isn’t the norm. Staying on point is a good stance and I should have as well. Just that I never ate there and seldom would you start a blog post about blogging etiquette.
Thanks for what you do with such aplomb.
I like Elron.
Did you really eat them all at once? We totally need to hang out.
The cupcakes at Sawicki’s are good. Just like how you described your ideal cupcake.
Oh, wait, I just misread that. I do eat that many all at once (blush)
See?
I guess I just can’t tell which side of the fence the rest of us are on, oh, I’m so confused–maybe I’ll just sit quietly on this post here until I figure it out.
Yay George!
Charlie
What you don’t seem to get from the original post is that Voila went out of business, not Button Cakes. Voila closing should not be a reflection on Button Cakes. It’s unfortunate that people are assuming this. Every time I visited, there were often people in there for ONLY cupcakes, not the restaurant. So, it seems to me that their business was/is doing well. I too, wish they could just rent the entire space for their bakery. As far as prices go, they are very competitive with local cupcakeries in Atlanta. I’ve been to a few. Yah, Sawicki’s has a few which they sell for $2 but often they are not fresh (just my experience). To me Button Cakes prices are fair and when I ordered for my party that price included FREE delivery to the event site! Not to mention that the cupcakes were excellent and she uses organic ingredients. BTW, I was a customer of Voila too and sad to see them go
And WELL worth it! I’m a realtor and use them for client gifts. They are packaged real nice and are a hit. You can’t beat the customer service and quality they deliver.
And Sawicki cupcakes are GREAT! (I’m sure Button Cakes’ are too. Just didn’t get a chance to try them yet.)
Nordstrom’s shoe department…*sigh* I can’t help myself– it’s my own personal crack addiction. Plus, their service is unfailingly polite & attentive without being hovering. There are few places that couldn’t take a note or two from their page!
I think you misunderstood the point or got my posting confused with a nother, but that is not unusual on these blogs. I am indeed a fan and repeat customer of Button Cakes and therefore not anonymous to them. I read this blog regularly and I posted in support of a business I patronize and made a suggestion to someone who has had a different experience.
P.S. How does one make an accent aigu (as they say in French) on DecaturMetro. com?
AWESOME! Thanks for the update– I know where I’ll be headin’ this weekend…
You can change to language set of your keyboard, then you use the right ALT key, I believe it’s under text and input languages on the control panel (for Windows that is). Séé?