Atlanta Bread Company, 1307 Main Street: December 2016 9 comments
When I heard about this closing, I did a google search for ABC troubles at the corporate level, and surprisingly to me did not turn up anything. Usually when a chain starts closing lots of locations, there will be a story in Forbes or Bloomberg or *somewhere* trying to explain the situation, and the prospects for turnaround.
Since I started this blog, Atlanta Bread Company has closed the locations at Sandhill, Lake Murray Boulevard, Socastee, Charleston and North Myrtle Beach. Now they seem to be leaving the Columbia market entirely with the closing of this store and upcoming closure of the Sunset location. Although there may be something in the Upstate, the Aiken Whiskey Road location is the only SC store left that I know of.
Absent any hard news of what's going on, I can only speculate that Panera took their formula and executed it just a little bit better, and indeed this store closed shortly after the Gervais Panera location opened just a few blocks away.
9 Responses to 'Atlanta Bread Company, 1307 Main Street: December 2016'
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Jack
17 Jan 17 at 7:36 pm
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There's speculation that the West Columbia location is about to get rebranded (but haven't seen anything official yet)
Andrew
17 Jan 17 at 11:09 pm
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The State says:
Atlanta Bread Co. will be closing its West Columbia location at 108 Sunset Ct. across from Lexington Medical Center in February.
In the spring, the location will become home to the second area Charleston-based East Bay Deli. East Bay opened its first area location at 1426 Main St. in Columbia’s The Hub apartment complex downton on Nov. 14.
ted
17 Jan 17 at 11:45 pm
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I found this.....
Last March, Atlanta Bread’s corporate office announced a “major brand revitalization” designed to distinguish it from competitors. The move included a revamped menu and a “welcome” store design.
I guess their major revitalization is permanent closings.
palmettoconnection
18 Jan 17 at 12:13 pm
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Famous Toastery is opeing in this previous ABC spot per the State.
http://www.thestate.com/news/business/biz-columns-blogs/shop-around/article127370694.html
palmettoconnection
19 Jan 17 at 12:49 pm
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Panera Bread is actually older than Atlanta Bread. Panera was founded as St. Louis Bread in 1987 (still has that name in that city, where they have over 100 locations - must be one on every corner). Atlanta Bread was founded in 1993, so I guess they are the copycat that isn't getting it quite right.
Bobby
19 Jan 17 at 4:03 pm
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Interesting, i did not know that!
ted
20 Jan 17 at 12:29 am
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Until Persona Pizza and East Bay Deli opened, this was one of the few meal options open after 3:00 in the afternoon in 1200-1400 blocks of Main Street other than Drip and the Sheraton Starbucks (and Subway/Pizza Hut).
The hours started getting cut back and they would close on random federal holidays or close early.
We called it the Ghetto Atlanta Bread because the food preparation, while not bad, was never more than adequate and the coffee was always cold by 3:00 and they would never brew fresh coffee after 2:00.
Steve
28 Jan 17 at 9:01 pm
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West Columbia location's last day is today (Feb. 16). Ate lunch there and bought 4 cookies for the price of one! Overheard a conversation that the Aiken location is indeed the last one open in the state.
Bobby
16 Feb 17 at 3:06 pm
There's a location in West Cola across from the hospital.