Atlanta Bread Company in Champaign closes
The Champaign location of Atlanta Bread Company has closed.
![The Atlanta Bread Company in Champaign has closed after nine years at its Neil Street location. The fast-casual restaurant was family-friendly, with kids eat free nights and sometimes special activities. This 2013 photo from its Facebook page is actually of my daughter.](https://www.chambanamoms.com/wp-content/webpc-passthru.php?src=https://www.chambanamoms.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/atlantabreadcloses.jpg&nocache=1)
The fast-casual restaurant announced the closing in a Facebook posting on Saturday, Aug. 6.
“Our owner has retired. We would like to thank our friends and loyal customers for the opportunity to serve them over the last 9 years!”
Champaign’s Atlanta Bread Company was a popular location for families, community groups, and freelancers who used it as a “third space.” It had one of the few regularly-available “conference rooms” that was free of charge for anyone to use.
The store was also family-friendly, from delivering the food to the table to having plenty of high chairs. They ran a popular Kids Eat Free promotion on Wednesday nights. In its heyday, an older gentleman directed traffic in the parking lot at lunch time.
However, the restaurant also had run-ins with the Champaign-Urbana Public Health Department and failed two inspections in 2016. There was also a shut down in 2013.
There was no word on what led to the restaurant’s closing. Competition in south Champaign has increased in recent months with the opening of the new Carriage Center retail development, which includes a Starbucks and a Brixx pizza.