Village Gets ‘Lucky’ With New Burger Joint

Burgers, beer and dogs will fill a vacant space in Emory Village in the form of a new restaurant.

Lucky’s Burger and Brew, a local business primarily known for its famous burgers, wide variety of beers and dog-friendly environment, is expanding to the closed Starbucks location in Emory Village between Slice & Pint and Rise-n-Dine.

Lucky’s first opened in Roswell, Georgia in 2010 and is owned by Ernie and Diane Geyer, whose dog provides the name for the restaurant. Additionally, the restaurant, which opened another location in Brookhaven, aims to combine three ideas of man’s best friends, according to Pete Hussey, partner and manager of Lucky’s.

“While man’s best friend is dog, we also know that man’s best friend is burgers and brew,” Hussey said.

Hussey claims that Lucky’s offers customers the enjoyment of a fresh-certified Black Angus ground chuck burger with the ability to sit outside with their dog, enjoying the nice Atlanta weather.

Lucky’s burgers were voted the best in North Fulton County by the North Atlanta Business Post, and the restaurant offers more than 16 different choices of burgers in addition to a create-your-own burger option, seven different sides, wings, salads and draft and bottled beers according to Hussey.

According to the restaurant’s website, Lucky’s Burger and Brew also offers “The Grim Reaper” eating challenge, which includes a four-pound burger patty, eight slices of American cheese, 12 strips of Applewood smoked bacon, seven fried eggs, onion rings and mayonnaise served on a challah bun.

Hussey said that all of the restaurant’s side items, such as its onion rings, fried pickles, artichoke hearts and mozzarella sticks are all hand-cut and breaded.

“So, it’s not just like we grab a bag of frozen stuff and throw it in a fryer,” Hussey said. “We really are particular about our side items.”

When Starbucks closed its Village location in Sept. 2014 (with a location still open in the Oxford Road Building on Emory’s campus), it took everything, gutting the place of all of its appliances and leaving the building empty, according to Hussey.

“Right now, if you peer in the window, it is an empty shell,” he said. “Starbucks took everything. So the renovation will be extensive. It will look nothing like what the Starbucks looked like.”

Lucky’s Burger and Brew is planning on setting up tables, booths and a bar, in addition to incorporating Lucky’s colors and logo into the design of the restaurant.

When it comes to the type of customer base the restaurant will attract, Hussey said he hopes Lucky’s Burger and Brew will attract Emory students, faculty, hospital employees and members of the Druid Hills community.

Hussey stated that Lucky’s moved into the old Starbucks location due to the great diversity of the area from the University, hospital and local community.

Hussey hopes that Lucky’s will be able to have a partnership with Emory University and the local community through potential sponsorship and support of club or varsity teams at Emory or in the Druid Hills area.

According to Hussey, sponsorships help when it comes to attracting customers, but it “also lets people know that we are part of the community and that we want to sponsor our local schools.”

Hussey says that the company prides itself on being very family-friendly. Additionally, the restaurant offers daily burger specials, which include a burger and fries on Mondays through Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for $8.

When asked about Lucky’s impending arrival at Emory Village, College freshman Marcho Droumev said he was excited.

“It sounds like a very nice opportunity for all Emory students to relax and enjoy new food, especially with no burger places in Emory Village,” Droumev said.

College sophomore Mark Kravitz said he believes that Lucky’s Burger and Brew will be a positive addition to Village, compared to the Starbucks location that closed.

“There is a Starbucks a block away anyways,” he said.

College freshman Cole Margol said he thinks Lucky’s will be good for the Village.

“The closest burger place tends to be [The Vortex Bar & Grill], but they have an age restriction,” Margol said. “As long as [Lucky’s] doesn’t have an age restriction for going inside to eat, it should be a fun place.” Lucky’s Burger and Brew should be open around June, according to Hussey.

— By Bradyn Schiffman, Contributing Writer

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