The home of LGBT beer busts, political stump speeches, sexy car washes and a deck that can hold dozens of drag queens, Cowtippers is a gay Atlanta staple. And like many before, it's facing the pressure of developers swarming around it.
Like some real pressure. The strip next to it – the collection of well-worn places that include the iconic Smith's Olde Bar – is being auctioned off on Aug. 28. Via Tomorrow's News Today:
Marketed as “Morningside Strip Center,” the property that includes the iconic Smith's Olde Bar is due to go to auction August 28th. According to a “property package” I obtained, the center, on Piedmont Avenue in Piedmont Heights, was built in 1925 and has been owned by the Taylor family since 1927, or 88 consecutive years.
Sadly, also included in the “property package” is a line that reads “Smith’s Olde Bar is currently an at will tenant and has received a 60 day notice to vacate, which is in dispute. The Ownership is working to resolve this ongoing issue.” According to a source with knowledge of the situation, Smith's has filed a lawsuit against the trust to challenge the notice.
According to the materials, the property includes 1576-1590 Piedmont Avenue and also includes 25 parking spaces.
With the Beltline nearby, a refurbished Ansley and its delightfully bearish Starbucks, and a massive overhaul of the Cheshire Bridge and Piedmont intersection to its north, how long can Cowtippers withstand a resurgent Atlanta economy and developers with redevelopment dollar signs in their eyes?
A while longer, apparently. Even as “funky” becomes the new “gay” in Midtown.
Not included in the property offering are El-Gant, an alterations business located to the south at 1574 Piedmont, and Cowtippers Steaks & Spirits (former Old Hickory House), located to the north, at 1600 Piedmont Avenue.
Fans of Cowtippers, the steak and spirit joint that is located on the strip’s northern edge, or the El-Gant alterations shop to the south, need not worry — they're not part of the auction. The giant billboard looming over the center is also not included in the deal.
With that settled for now, how about hiring more waiters like this.
[photo via]
