InTucker Magazine

Business Boom – January 2022

Tucker is undoubtedly one of the fastest-rising business destinations in the Metro Atlanta area.  Each month, the Business Boom will seek to show different examples of how Tucker’s business scene is flourishing. This month’s column is written by our Business Outreach Coordinator, Angela Brooks.

Is it ready yet?

Like waiting for a tasty winter soup simmering on the stove, everyone wants to know when the new Hugh Howell Marketplace will be ready for consumption. Not that it’s been that long, the groundbreaking took place in October of 2020, but the excitement and anticipation of something new has folks in Tucker asking ‘when does it open and what’s going to be there?’

With popular grocer Publix as its anchor tenant and over 90 percent of the available spaces leased, according to developer Branch Properties, the 89,510-square-foot mixed-use development will include these delicious eateries:

• Antico Sporto, a brand new concept for Atlanta-based Antico Pizza Napoletana. The first one is launching at the Marketplace.
• Bite of Korea, a food truck company opening its first brick-and-mortar restaurant.
• Buffalo Wild Wings GO, a smaller format of the national chain designed specifically for takeout and delivery.
• First Watch, a national restaurant chain specializing in breakfast, brunch and lunch.
• gusto!, a local fast-casual restaurant specializing in fresh bowls and wraps.
• Jersey Mike’s Subs, a well-known American sub sandwich chain.

Branch Properties Partner Jesse Shannon said Publix’s new 48,000-square-foot store is scheduled to open this month, “with the remaining tenants opening as they complete their respective build-outs, ready their inventory and fulfill their staffing needs.” So, the decision when to open will be unique to each, but it is expected that  things will reach a critical mass of tenants opening in the April/May timeframe.

“We’re a new city, but we’re growing up, and this is a really great example and of how we are responding to people’s changes in their wants and needs,” said Jackie Moffo, Tucker’s Economic Development Manager. In her newly created role, Moffo is working to attract new businesses and developments to the City. You can read more about her work on page 14.

If you’re unfamiliar with some of the names of the restaurants, that’s no coincidence. Before the Marketplace, none of these eateries called Tucker home.

“When planning a new development for a community, we look for a mix of retailers that are not already in a particular market area,” said Shannon. “We generally do what’s called a ‘tenant void analysis’ to determine what tenants are not there and see if they might be interested in a particular development.”

“The Marketplace continues to build on Tucker’s vision as a place where you can live, work and play. It adds to Tucker’s growing quality of life, and it’s a great opportunity to expand the boundaries of Tucker by bringing in consumers and businesses from outside the community,” said Moffo.

In this case, Publix’s desire to modernize and to expand solidified it as the anchor in this new development.

“That definitely helped drive tenancy interest,” Shannon added. “A lot of times when we announce Publix in planned development, and there’s a cadre of tenants that like to be in the mix because in a shopping center environment they’ve found tremendous benefit to co-locating with a successful grocer especially such as Publix.…On average, they generate higher sales in those locations than they do stand alone or in a strip center or other type of center without a grocery anchor.”

Several service and healthcare-oriented tenants have also signed on to join the Marketplace center, including ATI Physical Therapy, Chase Bank, Piedmont Urgent Care, Scenthound Dog Grooming and The Joint Chiropractic.

“Medical facilities in open-air, surface park centers have been a trend for a few years now,” said Shannon, “and medical providers are finding that being in this type of co-location environment has proven helpful in driving traffic for their type of customer.”

“We are showing development that is up-to-date and addressing the needs of today. This is going to benefit our residents because it is meeting their current needs, and Tucker is ready to evolve and pivot as the times change,” Moffo added.

“Despite challenges and delays associated with the nationwide labor shortages and supply chain issues, we’re pleased to be able to bring this to fruition in under a year,” said Shannon. “Materials and labor shortages is a common thread across all of construction [due to the pandemic], but from a blighted 300,000-foot industrial warehouse to a vibrant shopping center, you can’t underestimate what it can do for the Tucker area, and we’re proud to be a part of that.”

You can follow the progress at www.branchprop.com/property/hugh-howell-marketplace.