Decatur’s Historic Preservation Coordinator Regina Brewer informed me this morning that the owner of the soon-to-be vacant B&L Laboratories building on Decatur Square is currently looking for a new tenant.
What would you like to see move into that space?
Latest from Decaturish
At Home in Decatur
At Home in Decatur
lyn menne
TomL
brianc
smith
GreenTea
Michael
spreak
spreak
DEM
Monty
Bullseye
Jeff of maps and bik…
Isa
Isn’t it next to the soon-to-be-opened Cakes & Ale Restaurant AND Bakery? Maybe they could use the extra room and expand in there?
How about a 24-hour diner? A VD clinic/passport photo place? A pub? Sub shop? Frozen yogurt place? Coffee bar?
Kidding, obviously. My vote is for a Cuban restaurant. Not just Cuban sandwiches, I’m talking a real Miami-type Cuban restaurant.
Your idea certainly gets my vote!
Maybe we can convince the owner of Coco-Loco to open there since they recently had to close their location in Buckhead.
Coco Loco was just okay.
We need real Miami Cuban food. Or at least La Carreta. http://www.lacarreta.com/ Or I would love a fritas restaurant — El Rey de las Fritas.
Mmm, ropa vieja.
Thanks Token, now I have a serious craving
YES! Cuban Restaurant!
It is officially decided. It shall be a Cuban restuarant.
Cubalibre, please contact your leetle frenz and get this party started. I expect to be eating Cuban pork and black beans by September.
Well, you could always just come to my house, and you wouldn’t have to wait till September. You’d have to tip me well, but I wouldn’t charge you for the good.
Seriously, tho– the kinds of Cuban restaurants that everyone would want most likely aren’t going to open up anywhere they’d have to pay rent as high as it would be in Decatur…that’s why we’re all out on Buford Highway!!!
Duh! The “food”…
Which is your favorite restaurant, Cuba?
Well, it used to be the Havana sandwich shop at the corner of N. Druid Hills & Buford Highway. Then, when that burned down, two different family members from that place opened competing shops– so far, I’ve only been to Debbie Hernandez’s place, and I love it…keep meaning to go to Eddie’s, but haven’t. I do NOT care for Papi’s. Blandest frijoles negros & driest tostones EVER…and I gave it three shots. Sadly, lots of people don’t know that it’s mediocre, and think all Cuban food is like that. It ain’t.
Can you straighten out which of the two descendants of the Havana Sandwich Shop are which? I’m eternally confused and always going to the wrong one to meet someone.
Bagels.
A good bagel place would be great but it’s not a good enough in-and-out location for those on the run. I think a bagel place needs that requirement.
Don’t guess it is big enough for a movie theater, huh? Even a small single screen? (I keep hoping…)
ha, one of my first thoughts as well. I hope all movie-lovers in Decatur come out to support DecaturDocs as it gears back up this Saturday at 8pm, DHS gym– 4th & Goal, following some community college football players on to D1 and beyond. Should be interesting!
Truly central Central Office for CSD.
Second choice: Movie theater
Realistic second choice: Fresh bagels
Liquor store/ check cashier.
And don’t forget rim repair.
I would love to have a comic / gaming kind of store – like Oxford 2.
I’d love to see a quality wine bar move into a space around the square – especially one with some outdoor seating.
Not that I don’t love all the restaurants & suchlike already on the Square, but I’d kinda like to see some different retail shops move in– you know, variety up the place a bit. Maybe a paint-your-own pottery shop (since the one that was supposed to open on E. Howard fell through), or a kids’ clothing shop (Wiggle is only online now, & no, I don’t have kids, but lots of Decaturites do– and I love to buy things for my nieces & nephews), or another great shoe/accessories store (I still miss Eviva!). Maybe even…wait for it…a lingerie shop! Not along the lines of a Victoria’s Secret, but maybe one that sells only hemp or bamboo undies. (OK, I’m joking about that last option, but still…)
“Bamboo Undies” would make a great name for a band.
Heh! Yes, it would…
I’ve been advocating for a children’s shoe shop–high quality but practical, not just trendy, with expertise in fitting children, e.g. something like Coggins Shoes in Roswell/Marietta–since my first child with fat feet started walking. Alas, one probably won’t arrive until I have grandchildren with fat feet.
+1 for the “kids with fat feet” store!
There’s a paint-your-own pottery place in Suburban Plaza:
http://www.potteryplacedecatur.com/
Along the same lines of the paint your own pottery place – what about one of those shops where you can create art while drinking wine? Sips-n-Strokes, etc. I know I get way more creative when drinking wine. . .
Sips-and-Strokes? For reals? Did no one vet that name by scanning the pay per view?
Y’all are hilarious
There are actual shops called Sip-N-Strokes where you can drink and paint. Until now, I never thought of the name in a different context. . .
There’s one in Loehmann’s Plaza
LOL! Now that would be a good name for a “gentlemen’s club”…
They seem to be springing up everywhere! There are at least 3 within a mile of my office at Executive Park. I thought they must be complementing the Cheshire Bridge Road gentlemen clubs.
I hate to name another food-oriented business, but my sense is that is what is likely to thrive. So in order of personal preference: 1. Vietnamese 2. good Chinese take-out 3. vegetarian ala Cafe Sunflower
Yeah, Decatur has been in desperate need of a Vietnamese restaurant since Viet Chateau closed up shop (for Cakes & Ale, ironically). A great pho or banh mi stand would be PERFECT here. But Saigon Cafe is passable, and it’s not that much farther to Pho da Loi and the other treasures of BuHi.
More exciting would be a high class ramenya like Umaido, because I’m getting a bit tired of driving to Suwanee for my ramen fix.
Imagine the impending Cakes & Ale bakery providing fresh baguettes for a banh mi shop next door. LET’S MAKE THIS HAPPEN, PEOPLE!!!
Missing Vietnamese too, Lump. Viet Chateau closed shortly after I moved back here so I think I ate there maybe twice. I would love to see another Com location there, my fave. But I’m predicting some kind of foodie version of fast food: hamburgers, hot dogs, or whatever junk food is trendy right now.
A few months ago someone else mentioned an adult jazz club hosted by H. Johnson. I have been dreaming of that ever since.
Keep dreaming. Thank God we have Twain’s on Tuesday. The jazz scene in Atlanta is pathetic. There should be a national act in the ATL weekly. But there ain’t.
H Johnson Fan Club!
He could host the show live out of the club every Friday night. This would not only take care of the Decatur ennui, but also would provide a boost to the local economy on a number of levels:
a) eat dinner locally before attending the show
b) jazz fans from the entire Atlanta area flocking to Decatur
c) babysitters across the entire city rejoicing that they’re booked every Saturday night
Brilliant idea, AnotherRick!
Ugh – Make that Saturday night. I got too excited!
A Chicago style pizza joint that also sells growlers and running gear. Just kidding.
It’s too small for a jazz club, right?
Medical marijuana isn’t legal here yet, is it? I’ve seen some cool shops in Boulder.
I know. A rice pudding store!
If it ever does become legal, my brother will run it for you. He recently moved back after managing a medicinal marijuana dispensary in West Hollywood for several years.
Ooh! Trader Jo….. aw, forget it.
I would LOVE to have a good Korean place in town. Mmmmm bibimbap…
Love the bamboo undies idea!
How big is the space?
How about a safe teen hangout place like in BH 90210?
Thanks for all the great ideas! The space is 2600 sq feet.
High quality toys and games
Salon Red Kids, Little Shop of Stories, and Heliotrope not doing it for ya?
Although Hoopla is missed in this department.
And Inner Child before that.
Greene’s has a small but high quality selection of wooden toys, puzzles, games, crafts now. Blue Caboose has small collection of Melissa and Doug and other high end wooden and other toys for the little ones.
I think that something like The Toy Store in Ansley Mall (is it still there?) or OP Taylors in Brevard (www.optaylors.com), N.C., would be wonderful. It would need really good management because it might take a while to build up a large clientele–Inner Child did great under its first manager/owner but faltered under subsequent manager/owners.
Chicago Dogs!
A combination Chamber of Commerce/Police Precinct/Wi-Fi bar for visitors. This space has a commanding presence on the MARTA Plaza.
Sounds like a strategic idea. But not as good-tasting as some of the other suggestions…
Maybe a good old fashioned head shop.
That will go well with the drug selling to teenagers on the Square. Funny how now I have a whole different view of this kind of store than I did before being a parent (good place to buy patchouli candles and tie-dye t-shirts)
Skate rink with modular (and regularly-changing) challenges.