Folks Southern Kitchen has closed its longstanding restaurant at the corner of Windy Hill Road and Cobb Parkway in Marietta. The restaurant, which Cobb county records indicate opened in 1982, closed as of December 26, according to signage on the restaurant's door. The approximately 5,400 square foot restaurant is labeled as "Folks Inc #10" in county records, indicating that it was the fledgling chain's tenth unit.

As the Folks website tells it:

"Folks, Inc.® was started in 1978 by Richard J. Pratt and Richard W. King with our first restaurant being in Chamblee, Georgia. Folks opened its doors December 2nd, 1978 and has been selling Atlanta's "Best Fried Chicken & Iced Tea" ever since."

In reality, that origin story is only half the actual story.

The first Po’ Folks restaurant opened in Anderson, South Carolina in 1975. The restaurant's name was inspired by the 1961 country music hit Po'Folks by artist Bill Anderson. Entrepreneurs Richard Pratt and Richard King became franchisees of the budding chain in 1978 when they opened in Chamblee.

In 1988, after peaking at more than 100 restaurants, the parent company filed for bankruptcy. Pratt and King's Atlanta area restaurants were thriving, so they rebranded as Folks [eventually adding Southern Kitchen], and continued to operate.

The Atlanta area operators once had a dozen or so units. Among the early locations were those on South Cobb Drive in Smyrna, Alpharetta Highway in Roswell, Buford Highway in what is now Brookhaven, and in Chamblee on Peachtree Industrial, where an Advance Auto Parts operates today.

In 2018, ToNeTo Atlanta reported that RaceTrac was looking to build a new convenience store and fuel center in place of the Marietta Folks and two adjacent parcels. The plans were tabled indefinitely [before being heard by Cobb County] and could be dead entirely with the roughly one acre Folks parcel currently being marketed for sale by real estate firm Norton.

This past August , Folks closed its restaurant on Douglas Boulevard in Douglasville after 40 years in business. The restaurant, not far from Arbor Place Mall, closed as of August 19, according to signage on the restaurant's front door. Folks closed their McDonough location in 2018 and their Gainesville location in 2016. The Gainesville Folks, located at the corner of Browns Bridge Road and Pearl Nix Parkway, resembled the Windy Hill restaurant, but was torn down, reopening earlier this year as a new Golden Corral.

Following the closure of the Marietta location, Folks will operate just three locations: Woodstock, Hiram and Tucker.

According to the Folks website, however:

"Folks®, Inc. currently operates 7 Folks Southern Kitchens® in 7 counties in the metro-Atlanta and North Georgia area. Our commitment to consistent operations and aggressive marketing has enabled us to be successful in this highly competitive market. We expect to continue to grow our concept to outlying communities in the upcoming years."

Although sad, changes in tastes and preferences among diners and an inability for established "old school" eateries to adapt have caused many classic southern eateries to close.

Piccadilly Cafeteria, another restaurant specializing in southern fare, has closed, or will soon close, several locations in the greater metro Atlanta area. A Piccadilly Cafeteria on North Druid Hills Road in Brookhaven closed in early 2016 and was recently demolished to make way for a huge Children's Healthcare of Atlanta expansion. Another, just off Howell Mill Road in Atlanta, closed in 2018 and will soon reopen as The Juicy Crab , a growing Cajun seafood franchise. ToNeTo Atlanta reported December 27 that another Piccadilly in Conyers will likely close in 2020 to make way for a relocating Chick-fil-A.

Despite their struggles, there is one local community where both Piccadilly Cafeteria and Folks (and the last Old Hickory House ) continue to operate: Tucker. Here, Piccadilly operates just off Northlake Parkway and a few seconds away, Folks operates along LaVista Road. Immediate access off of I-285 likely helps both restaurants, but one has to wonder how long they can continue to hang on.

Did you grow up eating at [Po]Folks? What is your favorite Southern eatery? What would you like to see open in place of Folks in Marietta?