MM: Decatur Speed Limit Project, Decatur Square Restaurant For Sale, and Is Recycling Sustainable?
Decatur Metro | October 8, 2015 | 10:27 am
- Decatur speed limit pilot project moves forward [Decaturish]
- A Decatur Square restaurant is for sale – which one is it? [Schumacher]
- City development threatens century old trees in Kirkwood [Champion]
- Can New Bike Czar Lead Atlanta to Two-Wheeled Glory? [Curbed]
- Bidding begins for Turner Field [AJC]
- The Reign of Recycling [NYT]
From the description, the restaurant for sale sounds like Parker’s.
Yeah, the only thing that gave me pause was that it says both “frontage and patio” outdoor seating and Parker’s doesn’t have any sidewalk seating (which I’m assuming they meant by “frontage”). It’s still the most reasonable guess, though.
I can’t think of any place on Ponce that has both, much less a 4000 sq ft place, unless Marley counts. The only other thought I have is 246.
Cakes & Ale?
Wow. That would be shocking. But is says in the headline it’s on Ponce.
Can’t remember if they have any patio seating. The “separate space” comment made me think of the cafe.
Raging Burrito has a patio. Does the thai place?
Other than Parker’s, I don’t think anywhere on Ponce has a separate space like the one described. Cakes and Ale would fit the description, but it’s not on Ponce.
The patio at Parkers is also sort of “frontage” too, isn’t it?
I guess. It was just them making a distinction that threw me off.
What about Fresh 2 Order? They’ve been there for about a year (of a five year lease).
Don’t think they have 4000 sq ft.
Maybe if you include the expansive patio and kitchen?
Neither F20 nor Raging Burrito are on Ponce.
Wait. F20 is directly on Ponce. Errr?
Yes, my bad. I was thinking of Cakes and Ale.
F2O is 205 E Ponce de Leon Ave, Decatur, GA 30030. But true that sure doesn’t seem like 4000 sq ft.
Does Parker’s have a 14 seat bar? I don’t remember there being that many.
Somebody needs to call the broker!!
My money is on Parkers — it’s on Ponce, has patio seating, a 14-person-ish bar, and a private room in the back.
I reached out to the broker to confirm, but he wants me to provide my bank account information and my restaurant experience before he’ll identify the restaurant.
Mine too. It doesn’t seem to do as much business as the other places downtown, and the competition is only getting tougher.
I think the sales figures are too low for 246.
I hope it’s not 246, we really like that place. Parker’s is okay but…
Thankfully, Raging Burrito and Siam Thai are both officially on Sycamore St.
Could it be Taco Mac?
There’s no way Taco Mac is a) 4000 sq ft or b) had $2M of buildout..
“Is Recycling Sustainable?”
Reading this made me think that Decatur was going to raise garbage fees (again) to pay for feel good recycling but no. The article, from the New York Times no less, exposes the myth that government recycling was all along. This was never more true for Decatur as we were the first in the state to fall for the “We’re running out of landfill space” hysteria and enacted the program we have now. According to the article, recycling is actually harmful to the environment. Now that this popular idea has been exposed, what’s next, climate change?
But typical Decatur Metro (reader) response. Everyone is all hot and bothered about losing a restautant. Which makes me think of a possible question to be asked at an upcoming candidate forum: “Are you worried about the sustainability of Decatur’s restaurant atmosphere and if so, what will you propose to improve it?”
This might be a first: I agree with Mr. Billingsley about something! (though he sums up the article too broadly). I almost hate to point out that his calls for alcohol location restrictions are as equally (or more) lacking in justifying evidence or logic as the recycling mandates are, but I just did it anyway. 🙂
Personally, I’d rather we put as much or more effort into getting the litter off of our filthy streets as we put into recycling. But for those concerned about where discards end up, the best thing people can do is not buy a bunch of crap they don’t need (which is one of the implications of the article).
Bad for the environment? Exposed? This article, unlike your response to it, presents a nuanced analysis of the costs and benefits of trying to reduce waste. The author clearly concedes that recycling metals and paper has both economic and environmental benefits. He advocates that we should take a common sense approach (stop recycling your damned greasy pizza boxes, people) AND advocates for a pay per ton approach to waste to offset the carbon cost of garbage. This is essentially Decatur’s approach to dealing with trash and one that you recently regarded as racist:
“Another change was the “pay as you throw” garbage bag requirement. I remember the conversation between two black customers at Publix concerning Decatur trash bags. One of them remarked, “In Decatur, you have to buy special trash bags””
I agree with you about the sustainability of the restaurant scene, though. Good question.
The City’s Environmental Sustainability Board has been working with city staff over the past few years to advise on changes to Decatur’s solid waste program (trash + recycling) that make both economic and environmental sense.
That is why, for example, we don’t have a food composting program in the city – there isn’t a facility close enough to the city for it to make any financial or environmental sense (the benefits of composting are blown away by the need to truck compost to a distant facility).
I think what the article points out – and what we wrestle with all the time on the ESB – is that when it comes to environmental issues, there are a lot of nuances to consider which aren’t always captured by (or even aligned with) environmentalist dogma.
My money is on Mac Magee’s. I think you could loosely infer that it is on Ponce, given that the square is on Ponce… Owner died last year.
Doesn’t seem like it’s 4000 sq ft either.
The link didn’t work when I went back to it, but I found this:
http://www.shumacher.com/decatur-square-restaurant-bar-for-sale/
Is this the same place? The “almost 20” beer taps rules out Parker’s, right? I only recall them having about 5.
I shudder to say this out loud, but could it be Leon’s?
That was the listing I read, 3,200 sq ft and ‘in the heart of the square’. My money still on Mac Magees!
Been a while since I’ve been, but isn’t Mac Magees more like 1500sqft?
The earlier listing said patio and frontage seating. Not sure if that’s a good description for the tables out on the square. They don’t have their own patio do they? It does say that relocation is causing the sale — death would be the ultimate relocation. (Sorry for the gallows humor. Condolences to the friends/family of the owner.)
Brad – do you know of some secret room at Mac’s? The listing says the restaurant includes “a separate 1,000 square foot space with a separate kitchen for private dining and event space.”
The listing changed at some point today. Take a look at the link SR posted.
Maybe this is a new brain teaser feature by DM?
price now showing $200k less than earlier.
Leons would fetch way more than that asking price. If the outdoor seating is the sidewalk, then this sounds like it could be Square Pub–except the listing still says on Ponce.
Probably true re: Leon’s. Square Pub, like MacMagees could be construed to be on Ponce. But do they have both the patio and frontage seating?
Could be Colbeh. It’s got a hand-hewn bar, lots of taps, they spent a lot of $$ to renovate it from when it was Zucca, and it’s got a private space in back. My best guess.
Maybe someone could just use it as a house. Isn’t that way cheaper than the going price per square foot?
Sure, if you can handle the $8000 a month homeowner fee, AKA the lease.
How about cafe lily?
It would be a stretch to say it’s a Decatur Square restaurant. I certainly hope it’s not Cafe Lily! Love that place!
How about Big Tex Cantina?
Its marquee is on Ponce. big bar with lots of taps and they have the space adjacent
It’s been closed for almost a year.
Did the ad say it was presently operating?
It would be silly to withhold the name to protect business if it’s talking about a closed business.
Basically. It would be silly to withhold the name to protect business if it’s talking about a closed business.
I know everyone’s fixated on the Ponce address, but this sounds like Raging Burrito. The second space with separate kitchen sounds like Raging Taco, and everything else – # of taps, patio and frontage seating, size – fits the bill.
Yes, that’s true. Maybe the Ponce mention is just to make the identity harder to pinpoint.
I heard definitively that it is NOT Raging Burrito. Which is great. But another place that was thrown out as a possibility was Dos Madres.
Not saying it IS Raging Burrito, but a denial from anyone involved means absolutely nothing. The first rule of selling or closing a restaurant is don’t talk about selling or closing a restaurant!
It doesn’t say the restaurant is closing — the listing mentions a lease with renewal option that is bringing in $8100/month. Whoever buys would be the landlord to the restaurant tenant subject to the existing lease.
I have not seen the ad, so I don’t know if the place is on Ponce or, as someone noted, “the heart of the square.” If the latter, then The Iberian Pig would seem to fit. It had and expensive renovation. It also has the space, the seating outside and a private party area.