The owners of Sandy Springs’ popular Breadwinner Café & Bakery says they are expanding into neighboring Dunwoody with plans to open a restaurant in the former location of Wright’s Gourmet Sandwich Shoppe.
Breadwinner Café & Bakery co-owner Geoff Melkonian made the announcement via Facebook April 19 with the tease, “Hello, Dunwoody!! Let’s get Loafed and Ladled! We’ll see you late summer 2019! #rumorsaretrue #BreadwinnerDunwoody”
In an interview, Melkonian, who owns Breadwinner Cafe with his wife, Katie, said the opening date for the new restaurant is currently planned for around Labor Day weekend.
The new restaurant will be called the Breadwinner Cafe and Market and will be very much like the original sandwich restaurant in Sandy Springs. This version, though, will include a prepared foods section, he said.
Plans are to enclose the patio with either garage doors or accordion-style windows so the space can be used all year, he said. The current space will soon be getting all new kitchen equipment and a needed update.
Melkonian said he had no plans to open a new restaurant this year. But when Wright’s unexpectedly announced in February it was closing its location in the Shops of Dunwoody, he was overwhelmed by people urging him to look at the space.
“Literally the day they posted they were closing, my phone lit up … from my Dunwoody customers who said, ‘We’d love to have you here,’” he said.
Less than a week later, he had a letter of intent; last week the lease was signed.
Wright’s, an iconic Dunwoody institution for over 30 years, abruptly closed its shop at 5482 Chamblee-Dunwoody Road on Feb. 12. Matt Wright, manager and member of the family that owns the restaurant, posted a farewell message on Facebook, but did not explain the reason for the sudden and unexpected closure.
Melkonian said he’s always had an interest in opening a Breadwinner Cafe in Dunwoody, but doing so would have meant competing with Wright’s.
“Honestly, we stayed away from Dunwoody because how popular Wright’s was and out of respect to them,” he said. “They were doing similar to what we were doing.”
The added appeal of opening in such a well-known spot will be inheriting some of Wright’s customers, he said.
Melkonian also has two other restaurants, both named Farm to Ladle, located in Atlanta’s Ponce City Market and Avalon in Alpharetta.
Last year, Melkonian spoke with the Reporter about the success of his restaurants.
This story has been updated with comments from Geoff Melknonian.