Greenbriar Mall
Retailer / private label
UnclaimedGreenbriar Mall is an enclosed shopping center in Atlanta's Greenbriar neighborhood, known for its long commercial history and for hosting the first Chick-fil-A location.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Greenbriar Mall is an enclosed shopping center in the Greenbriar neighborhood of southwest Atlanta, Georgia. It opened in 1965 as Greenbriar Center and was among the earliest enclosed suburban malls in the Atlanta area. Its opening followed North DeKalb Center and Columbia Mall, making it part of the first wave of large-scale enclosed retail developments around the city. The complex was designed by the Atlanta architectural practice associated with John Portman, Edwards and Portman, using a layout typical of early regional malls: a covered interior concourse connected to major anchor stores at opposite ends. The original anchors were Rich's and JCPenney. Rich's occupied the east end and was reportedly the second-largest suburban location of the Atlanta department-store chain when the center opened. JCPenney operated at the west end for approximately two decades before closing in September 1985. Its former space later housed Uptons, while a Circuit City location opened outside the enclosed mall. Other important tenants over the years included McCrory's, Woolworth's, Record Bar, Camelot Music, Happy Herman's Liquor Store, the Atlanta Public Library, and Cub Foods, which opened on an outlot facing Lakewood Freeway in 1992. Greenbriar Mall has an unusually important place in restaurant history. In 1967, Atlanta businessman S. Truett Cathy opened the first Chick-fil-A restaurant at the mall, adapting the chicken-sandwich concept associated with his Dwarf House restaurant in Hapeville. The Greenbriar location operated for decades and became a notable part of both the mall's identity and Chick-fil-A's corporate history before the company announced its permanent closure in May 2023. The property also became associated with entertainment and Atlanta popular culture. A Magic Johnson Theatres multiplex opened at the mall in 1996. After the theater operation later came under AMC management, the cinema closed in 2009 amid difficulty recovering from the effects of the Great Recession. In 1991, music producer Jermaine Dupri met the performers who would become the hip-hop duo Kris Kross at Greenbriar, adding a cultural connection beyond the mall's retail function. Tenant turnover and changing retail conditions have shaped the mall's later history. Burlington Coat Factory opened there in 1995 but relocated to Camp Creek Parkway in 2019. Macy's, the successor to the department-store tradition represented by earlier anchors, announced in January 2021 that it would close its Greenbriar store as part of a nationwide round of closures; the store shut in April 2021. The departure left the property without a traditional department-store anchor. The mall's identified operating anchors include Beauty Master, Dollar Tree, Greenbriar Furniture, and Citi Trends, while former Burlington and Fallas anchor spaces are vacant according to the referenced account. Greenbriar therefore represents both the durability of an established neighborhood shopping center and the structural changes affecting older American enclosed malls.
History
Greenbriar Center opened in August or September 1965 in Atlanta's Greenbriar neighborhood. It was the city's third enclosed mall, following North DeKalb Center and Columbia Mall earlier that year. The project was designed by Edwards and Portman, the Atlanta firm associated with architect John Portman. Its original plan followed the emerging suburban mall model, with a climate-controlled concourse between anchor stores at each end. Rich's opened on the east side and JCPenney on the west. Rich's was one of the center's principal draws and was described as the second-largest suburban Rich's store when the mall began operation. JCPenney ended its approximately 20-year tenancy on September 28, 1985. Uptons subsequently occupied the former department-store site, while Circuit City opened in an exterior location. Both Uptons and McCrory's later closed in 1992. Cub Foods added a grocery component that same year when it opened on an outlot facing Lakewood Freeway. The mall's tenant history also included Woolworth's, Happy Herman's Liquor Store, Record Bar, Camelot Music, and a branch of the Atlanta Public Library. The property is particularly associated with Chick-fil-A. In 1967, S. Truett Cathy brought the chicken-sandwich concept from his Dwarf House restaurant in nearby Hapeville to Greenbriar Mall, creating the first Chick-fil-A location in a shopping mall. The restaurant remained a landmark tenant for many years, until Chick-fil-A announced its permanent closure for May 20, 2023. Greenbriar also developed a connection to entertainment. Magic Johnson Theatres opened a multiplex at the mall in 1996. The cinema was later managed by AMC Theatres, but it closed in 2009 after failing to recover from the commercial pressures associated with the Great Recession. The mall nevertheless retained cultural relevance in Atlanta: in 1991, music producer Jermaine Dupri met the performers who would later form Kris Kross at the property. Burlington Coat Factory opened at Greenbriar on September 1, 1995. It relocated to Camp Creek Parkway in 2019. Macy's later served as the principal department-store presence, but in January 2021 the company announced that the Greenbriar location would close in April as part of a national program involving 46 stores. After Macy's departure, the mall no longer had a traditional department-store anchor. The referenced account identifies Beauty Master, Dollar Tree, Greenbriar Furniture, and Citi Trends as current anchor tenants, while former Burlington and Fallas spaces are vacant. The site's later history illustrates the transition of an early suburban mall from department-store-led regional retail toward a more value-oriented and locally focused tenant mix.
- 2023
Historic Chick-fil-A closes
[1]The original mall Chick-fil-A location closes permanently on May 20.
- 2021
Macy's closes
[1]Macy's announces in January that its Greenbriar store will close in April as part of a nationwide closure plan.
- 2019
Burlington relocates
[1]Burlington Coat Factory relocates from Greenbriar Mall to Camp Creek Parkway.
- 2009
Mall cinema closes
[1]The multiplex, by then managed by AMC Theatres, closes after failing to recover from the effects of the Great Recession.
- 2002
Magic Johnson attempts to buy the mall
[1]Magic Johnson makes an unsuccessful effort to acquire Greenbriar Mall.
- 1996
Magic Johnson Theatres opens
[1]A Magic Johnson Theatres multiplex opens at Greenbriar Mall.
- 1995
Burlington Coat Factory opens
[1]Burlington Coat Factory opens at the mall on September 1.
- 1992
Cub Foods opens on an outlot
[1]Cub Foods opens a location on an outlot facing Lakewood Freeway; Uptons and McCrory's also close during the year.
- 1991
Jermaine Dupri meets future Kris Kross performers
[1]Music producer Jermaine Dupri meets the duo who would later become Kris Kross at Greenbriar.
- 1987
Uptons and Circuit City enter the property
[1]Uptons takes over the former JCPenney space, and Circuit City opens outside the enclosed mall.
Products and positioning
A long-established neighborhood shopping center serving southwest Atlanta through value-oriented retail, furniture, beauty, apparel, discount merchandise, and community-oriented services. Its historic significance comes from its early role in Atlanta's enclosed-mall development and its connection to Chick-fil-A's first mall restaurant.
Beauty and personal care retail
Beauty Master
A beauty-focused retail anchor identified among the mall's current major tenants. Its presence reflects Greenbriar's later emphasis on accessible specialty and value-oriented shopping rather than traditional department-store retail.
Discount retail
Dollar Tree
A discount retailer identified as an anchor at Greenbriar Mall. The store contributes everyday, low-price merchandise to the center's contemporary tenant mix.
Furniture and home furnishings
Greenbriar Furniture
A furniture-focused anchor serving home-furnishing needs from the mall. Its role illustrates the property's shift toward larger specialty tenants after the departure of department stores.
Apparel and accessories
Citi Trends
An apparel and accessories retailer identified among Greenbriar Mall's anchor tenants, contributing a value-oriented fashion offering to the center.
Quick-service restaurant · 1967
Chick-fil-A at Greenbriar Mall
Opened in 1967 by S. Truett Cathy, this was Chick-fil-A's first location in a shopping mall. It became one of Greenbriar's best-known historical tenants before closing permanently in 2023.
Brand decisions
2023
Historic Chick-fil-A location closesOtherBackground
The restaurant had operated since 1967 and was the first Chick-fil-A location in a shopping mall.
Action taken
Chick-fil-A permanently closed the Greenbriar Mall restaurant on May 20.
Aftermath
The closure ended one of the mall's most distinctive historical retail and restaurant associations.
2021
Macy's closes its Greenbriar storeStrategyBackground
Macy's included the Greenbriar location in a nationwide plan to close 46 stores.
Action taken
Macy's announced the store's closure in January and shut the location in April.
Aftermath
The mall was left without a traditional department-store anchor, with later identified anchors centered on specialty, discount, furniture, beauty, and apparel retail.
2019
Burlington relocates outside the mallStrategyBackground
Burlington Coat Factory had operated at Greenbriar since 1995, making its relocation a significant change to the mall's anchor lineup.
Action taken
Burlington moved its store from Greenbriar Mall to Camp Creek Parkway.
Aftermath
The former Burlington space became one of the mall's vacant former anchor locations.
Sources1 sources
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