Royal Orchid shutters its Midtown location after 18 years

By caleb j. spivak + on February 12, 2012

Thai restaurant closes its Midtown Promenade store Sunday, Feb. 5.

Royal Orchid, a Thai restaurant with corner space at the Midtown Promenade shopping center, has closed.

The Thai restaurant, at 931 Monroe Drive, posted several signs on the entrance and windows of its space announcing it “officially closed its business on Feb. 5, 2012.”

“Dear customers, we regret to inform you that Royal Orchid Thai Cuisine is officially closed its business on Feb. 5, 2012,” according to the posted sign.

“I am writing to thank you for your business with us during the past 18 years. It has been a pleasure to serve you.”

This is the second Asian restaurant to close at Midtown Promenade in the past year. NAM Vietnamese restaurant closed at the Midtown shopping center January, 2011.

Royal Orchid was not immediately available for comment.

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About caleb j. spivak

CJS is the Founder of What Now Atlanta. He was recently featured in The New York Times, Creative Loafing's "20 People to Watch in 2012," named "Lifestyle Blogger You Need To Know" by Rolling Out Magazine and highlighted as Atlanta's Metropolitan Male in fashion magazine, 944. WNA was named "Best of Atlanta" by Creative Loafing and Atlanta Magazine.

8 Comments

adam

February 12, 2012 at 5:01 pm

I wonder if this has anything to do with the horrible parking situation at Midtown Promenade. It is such a zoo to park there, especially on weekend nights. I avoid parking there unless it’s a Sunday morning. You’d think someone would have done something to alleviate the parking issue by now. I find myself stalking people as they head back to their cars because it’s the only way you’ll get a parking spot.

Reply
- caleb j. spivak
  
  February 12, 2012 at 5:06 pm
  
  hi adam, you raise a great point. the owner of midtown promenade was reportedly working to fix the parking issues there:
  
  http://whatnowatlanta.com/2011/06/27/midtown-promenade-shopping-center-is-getting-more-parking/
  
  –cjs
  
  Reply
Jay G.

February 12, 2012 at 9:43 pm

No, I think the issue was Royal Orchid’s consistently average to mediocre food. Over the years I’ve eaten there on various occasions as a precursor to a movie. It’s never been good enough to be a destination unto itself, and due to that, even as a convenient option for pre-movie eats, it was nearly the least desirable of the several options in the Promenade (Rice Box being the scariest).

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Blurbanist

February 13, 2012 at 8:51 am

I cannot believe this awful place lasted so long. It just shows what dreadful taste the yokels in this squalid $hithole have. I can’t wait to leave.

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Anti-Blurbanist

February 13, 2012 at 10:49 am

Blurbanist,

I will contribute a $1 to your toll out of town – one less car on the road! No one is making you leave – but now I have made it profitable for you to go!

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Sammy

February 13, 2012 at 1:29 pm

Parking is terrible at that shopping center. I know that the developers/city didn’t want to put a connection between Midtown Promenade and the Midtown Place shopping center originally, but couldn’t they at least come up with some sort of agreement to share the spaces in front of the Home Depot with moviegoers? The parking mess needs to be addressed! A simple staircase/ramp to formalize all the foot traffic that’s already taking place along the embankment that separates the two would be great. People who are going to see a movie occupy a parking spot for at least two hours, so if the turnover rate for the parking lot could be improved by even 50 extra dedicated spaces, more people would be inclined to give the shops, restaurants, and the cinema a try.

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FoodLuvah

February 14, 2012 at 10:55 am

The last visit to this place was really gross. I was SO disappointed. Sounds like the chef got tired of cooking and didn’t care anymore.
There was a hair in my boyfriend’s food, we had to send it back and even after still giving it a chance with our entrees, it was BLAH. Thai food should be spicy, and bursting with flavor. This was worse than a frozen Wal-Mart brand of thai food. (Yes, I know it probably doesn’t even exist…) LOL

Oh well.

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Allan

February 14, 2012 at 9:04 pm

Sorry, but this was a great resaturant. We never has an average meal here, it was always great. The Thai Chicken Coconut soup was the best in all of Atlanta. Chino, the Owner, was always attentive, and he was always so good to us. The service was always top notch. FoodLuvah, they probably did serve you wall mart food and left hair in your boyfriend’s food, because you suck and they didn’t like you. Blurbanist, you sound miserable. Please leave. Thanks

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