Lenox Square Grill, BOCADO, Bistro Niko, Shula's 347, Pure Taqueria & 57th Fighter Group (((Updated)))

After months of delays, articles and advertisements, some of the most talked about restaurants in Atlanta are finally opening. Maybe they'll flop, maybe they'll become a new favorite, but one thing is for sure -- Bistro Niko is and will be known as Bistro Niko!

Lenox Square Grill in the former The Clubhouse at Lenox Square mall is set to open October 15th.

BOCADO in West Midtown is scheduled to open October 2nd according to owner Brian Lewis.

Bistro Niko, Buckhead Life's new French style eatery in the Sovereign in Buckhead is scheduled to open the third week in November

Shula's 347 in the soon to open Marriott Buckhead Hotel and Conference Center is scheduled to finally open November 15

Pure Taqueria in Inman Park is opening the third week of October

57th Fighter Group Restaurant is set to reopen during the first week in October

Stay tuned to Repeat Atlanta! for more openings and closings as sadly they seem to come hand in hand as of late. Also, which concept above are you most excited is finally nearing its opening? Add a comment below cause we wanna know!

The Dining Room at Ritz-Carlton Buckhead Closing, What's Next?

With hotels fighting for every guest and every dollar possible it's sad to see such an established operator fall victim to the ever worsening economy. Open for 25+ years, The Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton Buckhead will serve its last meal Wednesday October 1st. Having launched the careers of numerous chefs, the Dining Room was in an exclusive crowd of restaurants ranked highly not only by Zagat and Mobil but also by local AJC dinning critic, Meridith Ford Goldman. Repeat Atlanta favorite Gary Mennie as well as Shaun Doty, Guenter Seeger and Joel Antunes all gained notoriety at the dining room before moving on to other eateries or starting their own. Taurus, Shaun's, Seeger's and Joel were all opened after the aforementioned chefs left The Dining Room. With the announcement last week that the Dining Room’s current chef, two-time James Beard nominee Arnaud Berthelier, would be leaving the restaurant October 1st, some Ritz-Carlton insiders wondered if that was it for the restaurant as well, and sadly, their hunch was correct. Repeat Atlanta has learned from insiders within the Ritz-Carlton Buckhead that there has been talk in recent years of turning the Dining Room into additional meeting space, though if history teaches us anything (David Marvin was quoted as saying that Maxim Prime was closing to make way for additional meeting space but it became Concentrics' 30 Tables and 11 Stories) that may just be the story for now. It's safe to say that no replacement will ever be as beloved as and as popular as the Dining Room has been over the years. With RevPAR (Revenue Per Available Room) down in Atlanta and across the country and few diners choosing such high end eateries as The Dining Room, what do you think the Ritz should do. Another more casual restaurant? Additional meeting space as planned, or possibly Atlanta's millionth CVS or Walgreen's? Leave us a comment and tell us what you think should replace The Dining Room. Repeat Atlanta!

Progress Heating Up As Shula's 347 Grill Takes Shape In Buckhead

After months of delays, Atlanta Marriott Buckhead Hotel & Conference Center is finally taking shape, as is its on-site eatery Shula's 347 Grill. The first eatery for famed football coach Don Shula in the Peach State, Shula's 347 Grill is one of the more casual eateries of his four concepts. Originally scheduled to open earlier this Spring, the hotel as well as the restaurant have been plagued by construction delays. Recently work has picked up, with a large new portion currently being erected on Lenox road. While ads in Where Magazine previously announced the Spring '09 opening, the most recent issue proclaims the opening as Fall '09. Having never been to any of his concepts, we will hold judgement till opening, but in Buckhead, Shula's had better bring their "A game" if they are to succeed. Repeat Atlanta!

Timeout! Click here to follow the story from the first Quarter. 

Grooming Lounge Trims Stores, Cutting Buckhead Location

The Grooming Lounge came to Atlanta with high hopes and a great location. Unfortunately it entered the market ahead of one of the worst recessions in America's history. Its abrupt closure last week shocked not only clients and others within Terminus, but even its own staff. A great concept with stellar service, this boutique salon got its start via its hugely popular website and eventually opened locations in Tysons Corner and Washington D.C. Opening in the Terminus 100 project in Buckhead seemed like an ideal location for this chic salon to launch and it very well could have been, just not now. With prices higher than what most men would usually drop on a cut or shave, the experience is definitely a unique one; truly a salon for men, with cocktails and SportsCenter at the same time. The reality is that the Terminus property is aesthetically pleasing but that's about all. Aquaknox is rumored to be closing and its rare to see more than a dozen or so people dining in M.F. Buckhead on any given night. Yogurberry is the best thing at Terminus but is not blessed with Chick-Fil-A like notoriety and is in the breezeway rather than on Peachtree Rd. Cousins Properties might need to adjust its rent if it hopes to avoid the closure of other Terminus tenants. Repeat Atlanta!

Hotel Palomar Voted Best Boutique Hotel on Repeat Atlanta!

Hotel Palomar makes a great first impression in Midtown as Repeat Atlanta readers have voted Palomar best Boutique Hotel in Atlanta. Here are the final results:

1. Hotel Palomar (22%)

2. W Perimeter (19%)

3. W Buckhead (10%)

4. W Downtown (9%)

5. Glenn Hotel (8%)

6. Hotel Indigo (8%)

7. W Midtown (8%)

The custom painting to the left by Steve Penley can be found in Hotel Palomar's restaurant Pacci. Repeat Atlanta!

Georgian Terrace Gala One For The Books

The Georgian Terrace Hotel had its Grand Re-Opening this past Thursday evening with burlesque entertainment Dames Aflame and Kingsized, as well as forties-inspired fashions from Atlanta's own Mychael Knight. (PR maven Liz Lapidus donned a Knight original for the evening.) First opened in 1911, the Georgian Terrace has hosted a wide variety of lavish events, most notably the 1939 "Gone With the Wind" movie premiere party. Currently the hotel is owned by Fremont Realty Capital and managed by Fairfax, Virginia-based Crescent Hotels & Resorts. After an extensive $11 million renovation, this classic hotel has been brought into a new era with the help of San Francisco-based The Puccini Group and boasts both a new signature restaurant , Livingston, and cafe, Mim's, both under the direction of the highly regarded Gary Mennie. Also included in the renovation were the addition of a third ballroom and board room. Although we were previously unaware of it, the hotel features a rooftop pool with spectacular views of downtown and midtown. Noticeably absent from the event were the "Real" Housewives of (the outskirts) of Atlanta, who have become ubiquitous at events in Atlanta. Overall a nice event to make sure this 326-guest room property remains on the mind of Atlantans. Repeat Atlanta!

Artmore Hotel Midtown Atlanta Opens After Extensive Renovation

Formerly the Best Western Granada Suites Hotel, the property recently reopened as the Artmore Hotel, a boutique hotel. Boutique Hospitality Management is still the management behind the property but it is no longer affiliated with the Best Western brand in any way. The hotel had its soft opening May 5th and has stayed below the radar amongst many in Atlanta. The hotel is located on West Peachtree, north of Arts Center MARTA station. Baker Barrios served as the architectural/interior design firm on the project. The boutique property is housed in a Spanish Mediterranean-style building that was originally constructed as luxury apartments in 1924. In an attempt to maintain the properties' individuality, Boutique Hospitality Management maintained a number of the unique features of the property such as archways, balustrades, columns and porticos. Repeat Atlanta!

30 Tables & 11 Stories Opening May 1st

Third times the charm or so hopes Concentrics with their upcoming eatery 30 Tables. Taking the restaurant and bar spaces that most recently housed Jeffrey Chodorow's inaugural Maxim Prime eatery and prior to that B.E.D. No prior concept has lasted long and abruptly closed over the past few years. Concentrics quietly stepped in and took continued operation of the restaurant simply for hotel guests over the past couple months as extensive renovations were completed in the existing spaces. Maxim Prime utilized the rooftop bar for their popular "sky bar" and Concentrics will also utilize the premier rooftop with perfect city views, its new name 11 Stories. Both the restaurant and rooftop bar include numbers in their names in staying with Amick's themes of numerical establishments. Repeat Atlanta!

A Lofty Goal For Starwood Revised

Starwood's aloft chain of hotels has delayed it scheduled opening in Atlanta. Aloft along with sister brand Element were to be built on top of the other. On land that currently houses a Rooms To Go, abandoned Bridgetown Grill restaurant and a parking lot at the corner of Piedmont and Peachtree roads in Buckhead, the hotels were originally scheduled to open June 1, 2010. According to published reports, the new opening is said to be July 1, 2012. Repeat Atlanta!

Something New "Surfaces" at InterContinental Buckhead

The Intercontinental Buckhead Atlanta has scored a gadget few hotels know of and all hotels should one day have. What is it you might ask, it the Microsoft Surface. Technology that can best be described as straight out of the Steven Spielberg thriller Minority Report. The coffee table sized units features multi-touch and object-sensing technology. You can watch the "Concierge Tour", given by Chef Concierge Richard Lara, view a city map, and even play a puzzle. The amazing thing about it all, its touchscreen and the images can be selected, enlarged and dragged by your hand alone. The puzzle maker seemed especially popular with the young guests as you can choose from a variety of pictures, then are given the option of easy, medium and hard to solve the puzzle. Basically, you are given the same picture, just with a smaller or larger number of pieces depending on the difficulty you select. Definitely a cool toy but its usefulness have yet to be proven as it is still in beta testing Repeat Atlanta!

St. Regis and Paces 88 Open In Buckhead

Starwood's St. Regis opened their 16th location in Buckhead yesterday. Located at 88 West Paces Ferry Road, the new hotel features 151 guest rooms and 53 residences. Paces 88 is their signature restaurant and is located on the fourth floor in the hotel. Plans call for Buckhead Life Restaurant Group to relocate their acclaimed Pano's adjacent to the hotel on the lobby level. The hotel feels more like a southern mansion than a hotel but will definitely find it difficult to keep their rates as high as they are now with so many alternatives in the area. The hotel features art from a number of local artists and features marble and mahogany in many public areas. Its likely the hotel will do well the first few months, whether the " if you build it, they will come" mentality will hold true long term is more of a question. Judging from the rate drops as other Buckhead hotels such as the Mansion and Intercontinental should serve as good examples of what luxury hotels are being forced to do to remain competitive in this market, especially in Buckhead. Repeat Atlanta!

Hotel Indigo A Late Check In At Carnegie Building?

Downtown Atlanta was to have its very own Hotel Indigo, but with the economy being what it is, and RevPAR amongst Atlanta hotels being hit just as hard there was talk it may never happen. Destined for the Carnegie Building downtown, this would have been Intercontinental Hotels Group second Hotel Indigo in metro Atlanta. The first ever in the entire chain is just a couple miles down the road across the street from the FOX Theatre. While there had been little talk of late, Repeat Atlanta confirmed this week the Hotel is an Indi-go but from the looks of the interior is far from opening. Whenever it does open it will have a brand new logo to display as just recently the chain tweaked their logo on their website and will implement the change company-wide soon Repeat Atlanta!

Hut 1, Hut 2, Duluth! Shula's America's Steak House Opening By the Arena at Gwinnett Center

After being the first to announce the opening of Shula's 347 Grill at the then Buckhead Hotel, Repeat Atlanta has learned that Shula's will open its signature "Shula's America's Steak House" within the upcoming Embassy Suites in Duluth. Despite the Atlanta Business Chronicle's reporting in this week's edition that it would be a second Shula's 347 Grill, we have confirmed it to be his namesake steakhouse instead. Breaking the mold of most metro area Embassy Suites, they will have Shula's steakhouse rather than Ruth's Chris Steakhouse which is in their Downtown and Buckhead properties. The hotel has yet to break ground, so an opening date is far from being announced. I'd expect for it to open mid-late 2010. Repeat Atlanta!

Chef Mennie's "Livingston" Opening At the Georgian Terrace April 20th

Gary Mennie will be opening "Livingston" April 20th at The Georgian Terrace hotel in midtown according to a hotel representative. Mennie, co-founder of Canoe, recently closed his SoBu eatery Taurus but seems to have found his next great eatery not far away. Well respected in the Atlanta area for his culinary skills, Mennie has been a favorite of mine for years. The restaurant itself gets its name from former Atlanta mayor Livingston Mims and will be run by San Francisco-based Puccini Group. The hotel was built on land that years before was home to Mims original residence. The Livingston restaurant is the crown jewel of the $11 million dollar renovation the historic hotel is now going through. As I know the major challenge at Taurus was its second floor location within a shopping center. I hope that being in such a glamorous hotel across from the FOX will be the winning formula Mennie deserves! Repeat Atlanta!

Palomar Atlanta Finally Has A Restaurant, Pacci Ristorante

The new Palomar Atlanta hotel in Midtown has decided on their signature restaurant. Pacci Ristorante, described as a "Piemontese-style steakhouse" was designed by the Puccini Group, the same firm behind Livingston at The Georgian Terrace. Unlike the Puccini Groups design and management of the Livingston, Kimpton will manage their restaurant themselves. The restaurant will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner and also features a large rooftop patio. The hotel and restaurant are both expected to open by the end of April. Repeat Atlanta!

Whatever / Whenever: WHAT Goes on at the W Buckhead?

Well, in case you were somehow unaware, the slogan at Starwood's W brand of hotels is "Whatever/Whenever". I was told that all requests must be moral and legal, but alas that mandate must have been lost on the Buckhead property management. The AJC reported today that hotel patrons complained to the police that they were being solicited for illegal sex acts. The two female teens were caught in the act by an APD officer and arrested. They were charged with escorting without a permit, according to the police report. With all the noise from Whiskey Blue and now this incident, the only thing coming out of the W Buckhead is unhappy guests. Repeat Atlanta!

The Buckhead Hotel Becoming A Marriott Conference Center

Apparently I'm not crazy! Shula's 347 Grill is not going into The Buckhead Hotel. As with most if not all of their other locations, they will be located within a branded property. I have now received word that the hotel will become the Atlanta Marriott Buckhead Hotel & Conference Center when it reopens later this summer. With the tremendous amount of construction going on, it became obvious to me that there had to be a more significant brand in mind. The change does make sense in a way, as Marriott already owns the land and has plenty of reason to develop the site. Though the site was at one point considered for the W Buckhead, the neighboring Firestone's unwillingness to relocate caused the deal to fall through. The Marriott has apparently found a way to work around that issue. Oh yeah, don't try calling the SIMON Marketplace at Lenox with any questions, they are clueless to all things in and outside of the mall. Repeat Atlanta!

Days Inn Downtown Will Become Courtyard Prototype

While financial markets are in shambles and lenders are not lending, hoteliers are getting creative when it comes to new properties. I have just learned that the Days Inn, downtown Atlanta will be remodeled and re-branded as a new Courtyard by Marriott prototype property. The official announcement has yet to be made, so it's unlikely the process will be completed before early 2010. Judging from what I saw at the newly renovated Holiday Inn close by, the Courtyard had better step up their game. The two properties are within a few blocks of each other, close to Centennial Olympic Park and CNN Center. Repeat Atlanta!

Shula's 347 Grill Scores a Great Buckhead Location

As first reported by Repeat Atlanta last August, Shula's 347 Grill will open in Atlanta late this spring. One of five restaurant concepts by Hall of Fame football coach Don Shula, the restaurant represents the 347 wins he accumulated as the winningest coach in NFL history. Shula's 347 Grill will be located within the renovated Buckhead Hotel on Lenox Road, across from Lenox Square Mall in Buckhead. The Buckhead Hotel was once the Sheraton Buckhead but has been the Buckhead Hotel for the last couple of years. The hotel has been progressing in their extensive renovation and anticipates being completely done by early summer. The restaurant is tentatively scheduled to open in late July. Shula's had been looking at a number of hotels in the Atlanta market but seems to have found the perfect location to in which to touchdown. Repeat Atlanta!

St. Regis Opening Its Own Restaurant, Paces 88

The St. Regis Atlanta will have its own signature restaurant to compliment the relocating Pano's restaurant. Paces 88, an American bistro with a southern flair, which is scheduled to open with the hotel itself on April 14, will be located on the fourth floor of the property and feature a southern influenced farm-to-table menu. The culinary team is made up of both St. Regis transfers and locally hired chefs with past experience at such eateries as Food Studio and Nikolai’s Roof. The 140-seat restaurant will have 2 private dining rooms and a wine lounge. Thankfully the St. Regis was smart enough not to bring yet another bonehead celebrity chef's eatery to Atlanta like so many new hotels have done as of late. Repeat Atlanta!