[EXCLUSIVE] MOD Pizza Moving Into Chamblee, Tokyo Belly Not Happening

MOD Pizza, an industry leader in the "create your own pizza" segment, has signed its fifth Atlanta area lease.  MOD Pizza will open in Chamblee at the Whole Foods Market anchored Peachtree Station, at the corner of Johnson Ferry Road and Peachtree Boulevard. The pizza joint will occupy an approximately 2,000 square foot endcap space near Club Pilates.  

Typical MOD interior 

The space was originally leased to Tokyo Belly, a new Japanese eatery from the owners of The One Sushi+in Brookhaven, Katana in Buckhead and Monkey 68 in Roswell, but the Asian eatery reportedly pulled out due to what they saw as too much competition from Whole Foods and its in-store Izakaya from Genji.   

Last summer, ToNeTo Atlanta reported that YEAH! Burger had also pulled out of the project and was promptly replaced with First Watch.    The breakfast-centric eatery is expected to open in the coming weeks.  

MOD, which stands for "made on demand," was founded in Seattle in 2008, and today includes about 200 locations across 20 states and a few in the United Kingdom.   This past January, MOD Pizza announced that it had signed its ninth franchisee: Southern Pie, LLC.   The franchise group, led by Robbie Hill and his daughter Kimberly Hill Hayden, are developing MOD stores in Georgia and Alabama.  Established entrepreneurs, the Hills currently operate a number of Bojangles’ franchises in the southeast.   

Southern Pie's first MOD opened this past June at Kennesaw Marketplace in Kennesaw and was soon followed by additional locations at Decatur Crossing near Decatur and and Dawsonville Marketplace in Dawsonville.  A fourth location is expected to open January 15 at The Plaza at City Springs on Roswell Road in Sandy Springs.   

MOD and Pasadena, California-based Blaze are the two largest players in the "create your own" quick-serve pizza industry, each with about 200 locations.  

Unlike MOD, Blaze has thus far focused on intown locations.  Blaze has opened two locations, one at the corner of North Decatur and Clairmont Roads near Emory University, and another just off Cobb Parkway in Akers Mill Square near Cumberland Mall.  A third Blaze is expected to open later this year in the new Kroger-anchored Fuqua Development project at 17th Street and Northside Drive near Atlantic Station.  

Are you excited for the opening of MOD Pizza in Chamblee? What is your favorite quick serve pizza eatery?  Where else would you like to see MOD Pizza open?  

Please share your thoughts below