Grand opening set for October 21

The NOW Massage, a growing wellness franchise offering high-quality, affordable massage services in a chic, inspired setting, will open its first Peachtree Corners location on Monday, October 21. The boutique, located in a 2,414-square-foot space at The Forum, is owned and operated by area residents Devin and Amanda Borland, who also own and operate The NOW Massage Roswell. They bring over a decade of sales and customer service experience to their franchising journey with The NOW.

“After building a loyal following of guests and Ritual Members at our Roswell boutique, we look forward to introducing Peachtree Corners to The NOW’s menu of customizable massages, monthly memberships and nourishing products,” said Devin.

Each The NOW Massage location is designed with a minimalist aesthetic that incorporates raw elements and natural materials to create a soothing oasis. Interiors feature natural wood surfaces and exposed beams coupled with sheep skins and rawhides, cactus galleries and crystal grids, setting the tone for a relaxing experience.

Grand opening specials

To celebrate the boutique’s grand opening week from October 21–28, all massage bookings will receive a complimentary enhancement. Guests can choose from two of The NOW’s best-selling signature add-on treatments to amplify their therapeutic massage, including Herbal Heat Therapy, in which heat packs are used on the neck and back during treatment to provide a deeper sense of relaxation or Fresh Eyes, a soothing, hydrating eye mask with vitamins and antioxidants.

For guests who want to make massage a regular part of their monthly or bi-monthly self-care routine, The NOW also offers Ritual Membership packages that include savings on massages, roll over credits, perks and more.

The first 50 guests to join as a Ritual Member at the Peachtree Corners location will receive a complimentary curated gift bag filled with a selection of best-selling products from the company’s Nourish, Scent and Room collections.

With boutiques currently open from coast to coast and steady expansion on the horizon, The NOW Massage is excited to bring its thoughtfully crafted menu, healing products and signature design to The Forum in Peachtree Corners and to other cities across the United States.

For more information or to book a massage, visit thenowmassage.com/peachtree-corners.

Seven new food and retail businesses have been announced for The Forum in Peachtree Corners

The Forum reveals new businesses, guest amenities at carnival-themed soiree

By Arlinda Smith Broady

Ever since North American Properties(NAP) purchased The Forum, a Peachtree Corners retail destination that had suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic, it has delivered on its promise to make the outdoor mall a lifestyle destination. 

The next phase of that plan was showcased Thursday, Aug. 8, as NAP and Nuveen Real Estate (Nuveen) hosted a community celebration unveiling The Forum Peachtree Corners’ newest amenities and announcing the arrival of new businesses.

If that weren’t already cause for celebration, the ticketed event, Celebrate The Forum, raised nearly $7,000 for Neighborhood Cooperative Ministries, a local nonprofit dedicated to providing emergency assistance to families in need.

Highlights included the property’s new central focal point: a 6,650-square-foot turfed plaza, complete with a raised performance stage, a 17-foot by 10-foot LED screen, soft seating and tables and an optional valet service area. 

Now that it’s completed, The Plaza is designed to be The Forum’s main area for the more than 100 events held onsite annually. According to NAP management, visitors can enjoy the open-air greenspace to lounge and mingle with neighbors when it’s not in use. 

A new breezeway with public restrooms (located at the base of the office building near Pottery Barn) was also revealed, creating a more pedestrian-friendly throughway between the parking lot behind the building and the heartbeat of the property.

“[The] celebration was the culmination of many team members’ hard work and the beginning of something really special for the Peachtree Corners community,” said Charlotte Hinton, The Forum’s marketing manager. “We love this city and are ecstatic about introducing a larger, top-notch space for enjoying events and making memories together.”

Although guests received a sneak peek at the new restaurant coming to the space, the official ribbon-cutting took place Friday, Aug. 9, with Peachtree Corners Mayor Mike Mason and several members of the Peachtree Corners City Council on hand, including Weare Gratwick, Phil Sadd, Alex Wright, Joe Sawyer, Eric Christ, and Ora B. Douglass.

Sushi concept Sei Ryu will occupy the standalone jewel box situated in The Plaza.

After gaining 15 years of experience at chef-driven restaurants in Las Vegas and Boston, and locally at MF Bar Avalon and Sushi Mito, Chef Ranno Wuyan has decided to fully demonstrate his understanding and passion for sushi by opening a concept of his own, according to the release. 

Sei Ryu, a high-end Japanese restaurant specializing in appetizers and sushi – including omakase service, available by reservation only – will feature a Zen-like atmosphere with four distinct dining areas: a cocktail bar, a sushi bar, an indoor dining room, and rooftop patio overlooking The Plaza. 

More food, beverage choices

According to the news release, Chef Ranno adheres to the Japanese concept of Ichigo ichie, meaning to cherish each encounter as it may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. His menu will include items such as teppanyaki, premium A5 wagyu, bluefin tuna, seasonal offerings, and vegetarian and gluten-free options. 

All food will be prepared using top-quality ingredients sourced globally, with a particular emphasis on seafood from Toyosu Market in Tokyo, one of the largest fish markets in the world. 

The team also plans to regularly host activities like tuna-cutting shows and sake tastings to enhance the guest experience.

Sei Ryu will serve lunch and dinner. Chef Ranno and his business partner Tai Nguyen aim to open the restaurant by the Chinese New Year in late January 2025. Erica Nguyen with eXp Commercial represented Chef Ranno in the lease transaction.

But wait, there’s more.

According to NAP, Golestan, a new and innovative restaurant from the Naraghi family and Jamshad Jaamy Zarnegar, will also join The Forum’s food and beverage lineup. It embraces the rich traditions of Persian hospitality. 

Golestan, a famous collection of prose and stories from influential 15th-century poet Saadi Shirazi, translates to “flower or rose garden.” Playing off this theme, the restaurant will draw inspiration from ancient Persian architecture and culture in its overall design, creating a casual fine dining ambiance that feels timeless and contemporary. 

Located in the former California Pizza Kitchen, the team plans to transform the 5,175-square-foot space into a trendy, welcoming environment where diners can visit multiple times a week and have a fresh experience every time. 

An open kitchen will allow guests to witness the artistry behind traditional Persian fare, with a special emphasis on high-quality ingredients and a sophisticated presentation of each signature dish. The new establishment also plans to offer an international wine program, carefully curated by Zarnegar to complement the flavorful menu.

New retail, personal services additions 

In addition, NAP has signed new leases with several other brands, including national fashion retailer J.Crew Factory (opening in October)and beauty and personal care studio LaserAway. Sandie Cappai, owner of local home goods store Cappai Designs, has also signed a six-month license agreement to open a pop-up at The Forum in September. Cappai has operated multiple successful pop-ups at Avalon since 2020.

 “We’re aiming to strike the right balance of both familiar and new brands as we continue re-merchandising The Forum into Downtown Peachtree Corners’ go-to spot for shopping, dining, and all the little moments in between,” said Brooke Massey, NAP director of leasing in a written statement.  “It’s exciting to feel that energetic buzz throughout the property, and we have even more on the horizon.” 

Since taking over leasing responsibilities at The Forum in March 2022, NAP has signed 38 deals with new and existing tenants, including still-to-come Nando’s Peri-Peri, Politan Row at The Forum, Sucré, and The NOW Massage.

Information: https://theforumpeachtree.com/

Peachtree Corners will soon lose one of its most iconic, popular and tasty businesses.

Peterbrooke Chocolatier, run by Geoffrey Wilson and Scott Gottuso, has been told by Peachtree Forum landlords, North American Properties and Nuveen Real Estate, that its lease will not be renewed. The last day of business will be July 25.

Meanwhile, Peachtree Forum is getting several new stores. They include Kendra Scott, Sucre, and The NOW Massage. Previously announced were Alloy Personal Training, Cookie Fix, Gallery Anderson Smith, Giulia, Lovesac, Nando’s Peri-Peri and Stretchlab. Wilson adds: “We are not in their big picture.”

Wilson has operated Peterbrooke at the Peachtree Forum for 14 years and Gottuso has been there nine years. They have made the chocolatier profitable and doubled sales. Wilson says: “We turned it around through community involvement and made relationships. We worked with the schools, gave donations, did a lot in the community, and made a difference. We produce most everything we sell in the shop, so it’s labor intensive. We make European-style chocolate treats from scratch from the very best ingredients, package it, make gift baskets, and also sell a lot of gelato.”

Key items include truffles, hand-made caramels, cherry cordials, chocolate-covered cookies and pretzels and strawberries hand-dipped in their own blend of chocolates. (They are all good!) One of Wilson’s and Gottuso’s most iconic products is chocolate popcorn. Once you try it, regular popcorn is tasteless. “We sell a lot of it.” Wilson adds: “Gelato sales have carried us in the summertime, since there are not many chocolate holidays in the summer.”

Peterbrooke now has five employees, and would like to have 10, but it is difficult to hire people with the skills in chocolatiering. A key part of its business is corporate companies, such as Delta Air Lines and Capital Insight. The Peachtree Corners’ Peterbrooke has corporate customers as far away as Cleveland, Ohio.

The operators were surprised when the Forum owners did not renew its five year lease. “The big decisions were made in Charlotte or Cincinnati, not locally,” Wilson feels. “We were no longer in their big picture. They want new and glitzy, shiny, fancy and trendy.”

The operators plan to start their own chocolate company, to be called “Scoffrey,” and initially sell online, plus have pop-up locations during holidays, and possibly have a booth in other merchants’ stores on occasions.

“Whatever we do would look different. We might rent a space somewhere close by so that people can still have the good chocolate experience with us, but we won’t have a regular audience walking by.”

Another element: the price of chocolate futures has spiked this year, with a bad crop production year. Wilson says: “That is key to our business and a huge cost increase. That doesn’t help.”

Wilson adds that the forced closing of the Peterbrooke location “is something like the death of a friend. But you go to the funeral and to the wake, and in six months or a year, It won’t be so bad.”

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Written by Elliott Brack

This material is presented with permission from Elliott Brack’s GwinnettForum, an online site published Tuesdays and Fridays. To become better informed about Gwinnett, subscribe (at no cost) at GwinnettForum