A mural at the newly-opened ATL Taco in Lenox Square Mall by beloved Atlanta artist Chris Veal is now but a memory captured in photos.
Veal’s work never saw the light of day.
Management of the Buckhead shopping center required ATL Taco owner Shaun Doty to remove the mural ahead of opening because the art was “off-brand” for the “luxury” mall, an insider close to the project this week told What Now Atlanta (WNA) in an email.
“We don’t want to see it go, but [Simon Property Group] said ATL Taco can’t open if [the mural] is there,” they said. “The mural didn’t jive with the mall’s brand/look.”
Simon, Lenox Square’s owner, on several attempts to be reached by WNA did not comment on the report.
“I don’t want to start a war with Lenox or Simon,” the insider who wishes to remain anonymous, said.
“They’ve been mostly very supportive of the changeover. But I was hoping for some positive coverage of the mural. After all, it was an awesome representation of Atlanta and Atliens.”
Doty’s vision for ATL Taco was to honor Atlanta’s “new-found civic pride,” the restaurateur said of the taqueria when WNA first uncovered the concept.
Veal’s mural was meant to do just that.
To view Veal’s work, check out his Instagram by clicking here.
