The Seafood Academy, 3400 Forest Drive #1014: 6 September 2016 (moving) 27 comments
The Seafood Academy was the follow-on operation to the much lamented (by me, anyway) TGI Friday's in Richland Mall.
Since I'm not a fan of seafood, I never partook of this new incarnation, which, according to their sign, is now relocating to East Point Plaza at 7535 Garners Ferry.
Getting inside the mall for some of these pictures was kind of sad. More than half the doors to the interior were marked as out-of-order-use-next-door. If they can't afford to fix the doors already, losing a front facing store is just adding insult to injury.
(Hat tip to commenter Bobby)
UPDATE 9 August 2017 -- Looks like the new location is finally about ready to open:
27 Responses to 'The Seafood Academy, 3400 Forest Drive #1014: 6 September 2016 (moving)'
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MrBO
26 Sep 16 at 4:55 am
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I'm puzzled how this mall (or any of its stores) remains open. Rent can't be *that* inexpensive.
When I moved here *mumble mumble* years ago, there were actually stores IN the mall. Both sides! Upstairs and downstairs! Hard to believe, right? Now...the place is all but vacant. That particular Belk appears (to me) to be showing its age. The book store looks to be the only draw, if you can honestly say that about it. What financial wizardry manages to keep these places afloat?
No stores generally equals no traffic. No traffic generally equals damn few sales. You see where my logic is going. I realize this creates something of a vicious cycle, but I'm honestly surprised the whole place hasn't been turned into a parking lot or something by now...
One could make the same postulations for Dutch Square.
Lone Wolf
26 Sep 16 at 10:47 am
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I checked the East Pointe Plaza site plan and don't see where they plan on going though my theory is that they'd go where CVS was prior to their move to 7749 Garners Ferry Road several years ago as that is one of two vacancies that East Pointe Plaza currently has (though I don't interact with that stretch of roadway very often).
I totally get what Lone Wolf is saying about Richland Mall. I feel like Richland Mall has less traffic in it than Dutch Square. Dutch Square has managed to land 2 new eating places (with a 3rd one coming soon) that has me more optimistic than I've been about that mall in years but nothing has emerged (despite years of trying on the part of Century Capitol Group and Kahn Development) with much staying power with the exception of changing the name from Midtown at Forest Acres back to Richland Mall. I think some non-retail things like a tennis/ping pong play area, charter school and a children's theater group have filled some of the void.
Last couple of times I've been in Richland Mall's Belk, about half of the upstairs was curtained off which has me suspicious about that Belk being around long-term. Sometimes I wish they'd move Belk down to where Dillard's/Blacklion was and rebuild the whole mall in a format similar to Sparkleberry Square...
Andrew
26 Sep 16 at 2:09 pm
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It's too bad this mall is dead. I have always liked the layout with it being multi-storied with parking on top. Very unique for a mall in the Southeast.
Justin
26 Sep 16 at 3:46 pm
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@LW, there is a call center inside the closed off part of the mall which I expect pays a lot of the bills.
It seems like it would have made sense to move City Hall to the mall after they got flooded out..
ted
26 Sep 16 at 11:56 pm
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Price Waterhouse Cooper is in there.
Sidney
27 Sep 16 at 11:03 am
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Ted....How can you have spent sooooo much time in your life at the beach and you don't like seafood. That's almost like a curse. What did you do in your former life to deserve this? Lol...
palmettoconnection
27 Sep 16 at 1:49 pm
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When I went back to the mall to pick up my glasses, they were not quite ready, so I asked the employee about the food at the restaurant there (Jackson's Southern Kitchen). She said it was fine, and then said she heard they were moving as well. I confirmed they are opening a new location on Sunset Blvd. Not sure if this is a second location or a move. If it is a move, that's another hit to the mall.
Bobby
27 Sep 16 at 5:05 pm
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@PC -- I was a picky kid and only a slightly less picky grownup. I don't like chicken either..
ted
28 Sep 16 at 11:56 pm
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This mall is almost down
Matthew Benjamin
2 Oct 16 at 2:09 am
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Ted - I guess there is always steak and potatoes.
Rick
2 Oct 16 at 3:18 am
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In the U.S. we basically consume only four animal proteins for the most part, beef, poultry, fish and pork.
I've never had snake, possum, squirrel, rabbit, any type of bugs that I'm aware of. I have had lamb, alligator and escargot. Maybe some other I don't recall at the moment.
Geez, people in other countries eat horse, dogs, cats, rats and about anything else that moves.Rick
2 Oct 16 at 8:34 am
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Wrap your head around this: I remember one time going through a book of different insects people ate when I was in Elementary school in a class discussion and the one that stuck out to me was chocolate covered bees (which didn't have any appeal to me (either then or now)).
Andrew
2 Oct 16 at 1:08 pm
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Actually I have eaten ants, but not on purpose! Those were some crunchy raisins..
Pretty sure my mother made me try lamb chops once.
ted
2 Oct 16 at 1:33 pm
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I recall my Grandmother talking about eating squirrel, rabbit and possum. No thanks. I have had alligator, deep fried nuggets, that were pretty tasty. Tried escargot one time, never again. I have never tried chitlins, tripe, kidneys, brains or head cheese either.
If you ever want to be grossed out look at Survivor when they have one of their eating contests.....
Homer
3 Oct 16 at 12:16 am
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BTW - I do want to try one of Arby's pork belly sandwiches!!!
Homer
3 Oct 16 at 12:17 am
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I've had just about everything Rick and Homer listed and I'll just say that there's a reason most folks stick with pork, poultry, beef, and fish. Alligator's really good though, but if that ever takes off I pity the poor wretch who finds life as an industrial-scale alligator farmer.
Chitlins are not good eatin', tripe is just trying too hard to not be wasteful, kidneys taste like what you'd expect a pee filter to taste like, calf brain is not bad if you can get past what you're eating (I never could), sweetbreads are actually pretty tasty, snake tastes like chicken with fish's texture and way too many bones, squirrel is basically wild rabbit except it's a lot harder to get to the meat, possum is something about which the less said the better, and a chocolate coveredl cricket or ant is not at all unlike a tiny crunchy chocolate bar. Head cheese is uncalled for and I will never in my entire life eat it.
Funny thing is, out of that whole list, I'd still rather eat any of it again than lobster. Lobster is, somehow, the least appetizing thing I have ever seen on my plate.
Jason
3 Oct 16 at 9:00 am
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Richland Mall is owned by several different owners. The barber who own's Bobby's Barber Shop upstairs (I think his name is John) moved across the hall a couple of years ago. One of his reasons for doing this was that the landlord of the new space was a local company. The landlord of the previous space was from out of state.
I'm not sure how many different owners there are but I think it could help explain why it hasn't gone under and why some parts of the building are less vacant than others.
Matt
3 Oct 16 at 1:54 pm
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@Jason - that's why I only eat lobster tails and claws and crab legs. I do not eat anything that looks back at me.
A couple of other things to add to the list; pickled pig's feet and frog legs. No to the former, an yes to the latter which tasted a bit like chicken themselves.
Homer
3 Oct 16 at 6:27 pm
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In the 80's I was at Columbia Mall when they still had smoking areas. Two women sitting across from me, did not know each other. Three kids around nine years old running back and forth squealing and yelling, one lady got tired of it and yelled at the kids to stop. Other lady said ” I take it you don't like children " other lady said "Sure I do, they taste like chicken". Whoa...
Rick
3 Oct 16 at 7:34 pm
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I've had bison before. It was okay but not something I would go out of my way to get. The old Steak and Ale had a killer lobster and prime rib dinner. I love lobster and prime rib.
Rick
3 Oct 16 at 7:40 pm
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Oh, I've had venison, of course, as just about anyone in deer country has.
Long ago, when Roadhouse Grill was open, I ordered a slab of prime rib. Don't ask me how the server could confuse rare with well done but he did. What I received looked like a piece of shoe leather. It had the same consistency as well. Needless to say it went back to the kitchen hopefully to be served to some poor, unsuspecting animal that knew no better.
Homer
3 Oct 16 at 11:11 pm
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Crabs, shimp, lobster: sea bugs
ted
4 Oct 16 at 12:48 am
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I've also heard them called the insects of the sea.
Rick
4 Oct 16 at 2:52 am
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For clarification, one of the issues that is hampering the revitalization of Richland Mall (or any large mall) is the fact that multiple owners are involved.
For example, the large department stores typically own their stores. The rest of the mall - common areas, parking, the smaller retail spaces are owned by the "Mall Owner." The outparcels and restaurant "pads" are separately owned as well.
In the case of Richland Mall, Verizon owns the portion where their call center is was (and where PWC runs their call center).
If one wanted to successfully revitalize Richland Mall, you'd either have to buy everyone else out or get all the disparate interests on board with your plans.
Steve
8 Dec 16 at 2:24 pm
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The more modern and most recent open air mall concept that I have seen is called the Avalon here in Alpharetta, GA that is extremely popular. Lots of retail, restaurants, a movie theater and the two biggest draws is the amount of office space and apartment living above the retails and restaurants and throughout. Check it out here. http://www.experienceavalon.com/
This is the concept that I would love to see come to Richland Mall. That parking deck is just an ugly concrete albatross. Relocate the call center until construction is finished and then come back. Hell even purchase the waste land of the outdated reflection windowed eyesore of an office park across Beltline from RM. Join it all by a walking bridge over Beltline, or something.palmettoconnection
9 Dec 16 at 11:13 am
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Regarding their new location in Garner's Ferry Rd. It appears to be closed as well.
Mr BO
9 Jan 23 at 12:17 pm
I ate there once. Had their fried shrimp. It was good, but the portions small, the price high and the service.. meh.
They actually fixed the doors on the second floor on the west side. (They were down to one set and I'm sure they were worried about the fire marshal)