Sweetgreen could soon finalize a deal to open in Colony Square for what would be its third-planned local restaurant. The Los Angeles-based, billion-dollar salad chain is snatching up prime Atlanta spots as it aggressively expands into the market including in Ponce City Market and in Lenox Square.
When pressed by What Now Atlanta (WNA) about plans to open in the Midtown mixed-use, which is currently being redeveloped by North American Properties (NAP), reps for Sweetgreen did not deny industry rumors that the salad chain would open there. Our sources claim that space once planned for Shake Shack — which went as far as seeking RFPs for construction before pulling the plug — is to be leased to Sweetgreen.
“We are in talks with some exciting [food and beverage] concepts for several spaces at Colony Square and will make announcements after the leases are signed,” a NAP spokesperson told WNA. In July the company said they decided to go in a “different direction” for the space. Last month NAP announced it had rebranded its planned food hall concept Main & Main to Politan Row and just recently welcomed Chicago-based Brown Bag Seafood Co. to its ever-expanding restaurant lineup.
Amy Fingerhut, the broker that represents Sweetgreen locally, would not comment on the company’s intention to take Shake Shack’s space in Colony Square when reached via email by WNA. Fingerhut did, however, earlier this year, tell WNA that she had an “exciting” replacement for Shake Shack in the works.
I think we’re looking at a salad bubble here.