Archived Article By Tom Fitzmorris Originally published April 28, 2008 Buckhead Location Never Did Take Off Atlanta Emeril's Will Close Atlanta has a strange restaurant scene. Its population is enormous, compared with New Orleans. So is the average income of its people. So why is it such a risky place for restaurants other than formulaic, predictable chains to open? The Brennans learned this in the 1970s. Although the Houston Brennan's did very well (still does), the Atlanta location was a loser. Now Emeril Lagasse knows it, too. The Atlanta Emeril's--a very spiffy restaurant, in a town that requires atmosphere before food--will close at the end of this month. I've heard that it never really got off the ground, frustrating New Orleans's best-known chef from start to finish. The downturn in the economy--more observable in Atlanta than it ever is here, where we maintain something like a permanent recession--was the proximate cause. Meanwhile, Emeril's three restaurants here are finally catching fire again, if not at pre-storm levels. The Orlando, Gulfport, and Las Vegas restaurants are also doing well. © 2008 Tom Fitzmorris. All rights reserved. news@nomenu.com