A longtime restaurant featured in a Hollywood movie said it will have to close due to the property owner selling the land to Cobb County, which plans to use the parcel for a roundabout project.
Louise’s Restaurant at 972 Kennesaw Avenue in Marietta has been acquired by the county, said Andrew Sams, the owner of the restaurant who is leasing the property.
Sams told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the restaurant will remain open for the next 60 to 90 days.
Sams revealed the news in a video message posted March 31 on his Facebook profile, and that video was shared to the Facebook page of the restaurant.
Louise's Restaurant was used to film scenes for Robert Redford and Nick Notle's "A Walk in the Woods," which was released in 2015. The property, which is less than an acre, was originally listed for sale in 2017 for $1 million.
Cobb County spokesperson Ross Cavitt said county closed on the property last week for $670,000. The project is part of Cobb’s plans to convert existing intersections on Old Highway 41 from Kennesaw Avenue to Stilesboro Road to roundabouts. The project, estimated to cost $4.3 million, is funded under the county’s current Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax program.
Cavitt said the Board of Commissioners have not approved a design concept for the project for the corridor. The owner had been in talks with a developer to purchase the property, but Cavitt said that deal didn’t go through.
That’s when the owner approached the county about purchasing the property. According to county Tax Assessor’s Office records, the property, owned by Denise Corrente, was appraised at $556,880 in 2018.
“This is viewed as a good deal for both parties,” Cavitt said, adding the county bought the land at fair market value.
The Cobb spokesman also said the project is two to three years away from a groundbreaking.
READ | Marietta restaurant featured in Robert Redford film for sale for $1 million
Sams, who bought Louise’s Restaurant in 2015, said he “put a lot of work” into remodeling the facility. The interior was revamped two years ago, but he hadn’t received the permits needed to update the exterior. Sams said he’s reviewing options to open the restaurant at another location, but nothing has been finalized.
Louise’s Restaurant, which opened in the 1950s, serves breakfast and lunch. Sams, the third-generation owner of the eatery, said he has customers who have eaten at the restaurant everyday for decades. Those loyal patrons are not happy with the news, but Sams said “you got to roll with the punches” as an business owner.
“I was blessed to have the opportunity to own it for four years,” he said.
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