Shake Shack is ditching plans to open a prominent Colony Square restaurant. Developer North American Properties (NAP) confirmed the news in an email to What Now Atlanta (WNA) Tuesday, saying another tenant will take the burger chain’s place in the Midtown development.
“We decided to go in a different direction with a new tenant for this space,” a NAP spokesperson said. “We’ll let you know when we’re ready to announce.”
Reps for Shake Shack did not immediately respond to WNA’s request for comment Tuesday. The restaurant chain in late-March started taking construction bids to build out its new Midtown location but “abandoned” the project at the end of June, according to an RFP for the project.
Shake Shack in April made national headlines when its customers learned that the publicly-traded company had taken a $10 million forgivable loan from the U.S. government as part of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) which was allocated for small businesses as a means for keeping employees on payroll during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This is the second time a behind-the-scenes restaurant switcharoo at Colony Square has become public knowledge. Rumi’s Kitchen in mid-2019 announced it would step in to replace the planned Iselle Kitchen and Bar in the “reimagined” Midtown development.
Actually 3rd. The food hall switched operators too.