The Red Snapper’s multi-decade tenure on Cheshire Bridge has come to a close. Owner Randy Mercer shuttered the seafood mainstay and the space, at 2100 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE, is now available for lease. Ryan Swartzberg, the leasing rep who holds the listing, confirmed the news in a telephone call with What Now Atlanta Friday.
“The Red Snapper Restaurant was closed permanently on Friday, Dec 4, 2020,” Mercer later told What Now Atlanta in an email. “COVID-19 destroyed the business of The Red Snapper, with sales performing approximately at 40 percent of previous year sales. A successful business serving Atlanta since 1987 and devastated to the point of no return in a matter of days…”
Mercer — a restaurant veteran of more than 40 years — acquired The Red Snapper in mid-2019 and ran the seafood joint business as usual. It’s unclear what Mercer paid for The Red Snapper, but it hit the market just shy of $300,000.
The 3,000 square-foot space has been listed for $86,400 in annual rent ($28.80/SF/YR), according to the listing, and the term is negotiable. Swartzberg says the space would be “perfect” for a ghost kitchen or “any approved restaurant concept.” The landlord will not consider nightclubs, hookah lounges, or event companies, the listing notes.
[Editor’s note: this article was updated with comments from Mercer.]
