Greenbriar Mall
Atlanta, Georgia - 1965
Aerial shot of Greenbriar, which I'm guessing, was probably taken right around the time it first opened in August of 1965 (or just prior to?), as it certainly looks kind of bare and unfinished to me (not to mention a little messy). Parking lot's pretty empty, too, now that I look at it. Especially for a new mall.
Chick-fil-A restaurant in Greenbriar Mall - 1967
Many folks who frequented this mall in those days, also fondly remember the popular Chick-fil-A restaurant that opened here in 1967. This was not only the very first walk-in Chick-fil-A establishment anywhere (many more would soon follow), but also, one of the very first “front-counter” walk-up type mall restaurants, ushering in the now ubiquitous shopping mall "food court" concept, so common in nearly every mall today. Above is a photo of this very Chick-fil-A in Greenbriar Mall, which is still there today!
Mall history: 1965 - present
Current website: Here.
posted by Keith @ 4/22/2006
16 Comments:
You are KILLIN' me! You found it!
And look, the signage has never changed.
I blame Chick Fil'A for the mispronounciation of "fillet" (instead of "fill-it")
Scott
That is a classic shot of the Chic-Fil-A. Thanks for finding and posting it.
These used to be in many-a-food court here in Wisconsin's malls when the chain was testing other markets outside of their native Southern U.S. region, but they all pulled out in the late 1990s.
Oh, C-F-A ...does it get better than that?? We live in Romania and it is the food thing we miss the most! That sweet tea and those sandwiches. Last time we were in the States, we ate there way too many times. I remmeber McAlister Square in Greenville had one of those like in the photos ....we'd drive 45 minutes just to eat there.
Thanks, guys, glad you enjoyed the shots!
And, Scott: Yep, I thought you'd like that pic. That was for you! :)
I'm being reminded my city's only Chick Fil-A is still at the Westfield Franklin Park. I can remember 20 years all when all four malls in/near Toledo had them, and most were the sit-down establishments than the usual food-court type. The only location left is not a food court tennent at the new food court section Westfield had to build within the past few years.
It's nice to have them, though whenever I'm there on a Sunday, it would be nice not to have one blind spot in a row to see there (you know what I'm talking about).
Like Matt said, the Chick-Fil-As around here are all gone. (Weep. Come back to WI. We miss you.)
I love that their logo is almost the same as it was 40 years ago. I feel this need to find out who designed it.
that's not a mispronunciation.
fillet noun 1 |fiˈlā; ˈfilā| (also filet) a fleshy boneless piece of meat from near the loins or the ribs of an animal : a chicken breast fillet |
According to most dictionaries, the first pronounciation of "fillet" (two L's) is "fill-it."
Some dictionaries state the French-sounding "fee-lay" is an accepted variation.
The French "filet" (one L) can be pronounced "fee-lay" but "fill-it" is also accepted.
From Merriam-Webster:
Main Entry: fil·let
Pronunciation: 'fi-l&t, also fi-'lA, 'fi-(")lA
Variant(s): also fi·let /fi-'lA, 'fi-(")lA/
The same can be found on Dictionary.com, AskOxford.com, YourDictionary.com, the American Heritage Dictionary, Websters Dictionary, and more.
Yessir, the first Chick-Fil-A on what is often considered Atlanta's most notorious ghetto mall (next to Mall at West End). I was down there for photos of the Rich's prior to the changeover in late 2004/early 2005. I was just enjoying the retro trip, and a Rich's sign still is on the marquee next to the mall.
The mall did indeed open in August 1965 and was the second enclosed mall in Georgia (the first now defunct Columbia/Avondale). The photo is taken looking northeast with JCPenney in the foreground and Rich's in the back with the Lakewood Freeway (S.R. 166) under construction behind it.
Interestingly enough, despite the bad rap from the white side of things, the mall has actually done well for a long time and is only starting to decline due to competition from a large strip center known as Camp Creek Marketplace. The Circuit City left recently, JCPenney has long become a Burlington and the Rich's is now barely hanging on as an oversized three-story Macy's. It's quite an attractive mall, though, on the inside.
Greenbriar is one of those places that makes me wish race wasn't an issue in Atlanta. White folks have pretty much avoided it completely since the 1970's. It has that classic mall feel that makes me want to just go explore every corner of it.
The first Chick-Fil-A was actually called the Dwarf House and is in nearby Hapeville. That's the one that opened in 1967. The one pictured at Greenbriar was the 2nd store and opened in the mid 1970s.
Actually, the Dwarf Grill (now called the Dwarf House) was opened in 1946. The picture is from around 1967 when the first Chick-fil-A opened.
http://chick-fil-a.com/History.asp
can anyone tell me if there was a carousel located in one of the theaters? i know that the lynhaven mall here in virginia does. just cross checking :)
Greenbriar brings back memories... I was a 12 years old when the mall opened... it was amazing. We lived in Ben Hill then... My dad worked for J.C. Penney... Me, my mom and cousins spent many a weekend there... very safe, lots of fun, great shopping. Time has taken it's toll it seems... Refurbishing it would be a good thing to do. There's so much history there...
Is it just me...or does it look like the woman holding the child on the right hand side is barefoot?
As a first grader in 1969-70 at Peyton Forest Elementary School, I remember participating in the Dogwood Festival Parade at Greenbriar Mall. We created our own floats. It seemed such a long trip, pushing the float around the road circuling the mall. The dogwood trees that lined the mall road are the most memorable part of that experience. In 1974, we moved to Kings Ridge Apts about 1/2 mile from Greenbriar. It was a monthly treat to eat at the Chik-fil-A and Baskin Robbins Ice Cream.
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