At 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 20, the tree goes up at Avenue East Cobb. The lighting runs from 5 to 7 at The Plaza, and Santa arrives at 6:45, fifteen minutes before the switch is flipped. Merchant's Exchange sits across Roswell Road, and there Casabella is running its holiday season under a sign its owner never expected to post. Cathy Linton told customers this will be the store's "last Christmas in this location."
The two holiday seasons are unfolding across the same road at the same time. One center is gearing up its yearly programming. The other is losing three of its four largest tenants. If you shop East Cobb's independents this December, you'll be shopping in the space between them.
What Casabella announced, in its owner's words
East Cobb News reported on Oct. 20 that the home store's lease at Merchant's Exchange will not be renewed when it expires in September 2027. Casabella has rented the space for 24 years. In a video on the store's Facebook page, Linton said the landlord is "looking to put a national chain in our location."
Her statement on what comes next was candid. "At this time we do not know when we will close this location, if we will move to a new location or if someone wants to buy and relocate the business," she said, as quoted by East Cobb News. "We are exploring all options. What we do know is WE ARE STILL OPEN with lots of new merchandise!"
The store moved its holiday sales up this year, across lamps, art, mirrors, furniture, clothing, jewelry, collegiate gear, mahjong sets and gifts. Every sale has been final since Nov. 1, so it pays to be sure about a size or a color before checkout. Linton told the outlet she had been "blown away" by the response once word spread. Her plan for now is simple: "We're going to get through Christmas and then we'll figure out what's next."
The center Casabella anchors, measured in square feet
Casabella's news is part of a larger change at Merchant's Exchange. The center sits at Roswell Road and East Cobb Drive, was renovated in 2021, and covers just over 130,000 square feet of leasable space, according to its leasing brochure. The same brochure lists the four biggest suites, and three of the four are turning over.
| Suite | Tenant | Square feet | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 126 | LA Fitness | 48,420 | Closed July 20, 2026; lease runs to June 2027 |
| 110 | Picture Show | 19,768 | Listed as a current tenant |
| 128 | Casabella | 13,004 | Lease ends September 2027 |
| 127 | Dance Stop Studios | 12,875 | Closed in May 2026 |
Taken together, the LA Fitness, Casabella and Dance Stop suites total about 74,300 square feet, or more than half the center. Dance Stop Studios closed in May after more than 50 years in business because its owners retired. LA Fitness closed its anchor gym on July 20 without giving a reason. In June, Tomorrow's News Today reported that a replacement tenant for the former gym was in the works and that it would not be Harris Teeter.
The landlord has reasons to aim high. The brochure puts traffic on Roswell Road at 31,100 vehicles a day eastbound and 38,600 westbound past the center, and it pitches Avenue East Cobb across the street as a selling point. Its suite list already shows Casabella's 13,004 square feet as "Available" and carries the note "Anchor Space Coming Soon."
The rest of the center's tenant roster in that brochure is mostly quick meals and services: CAVA, Jersey Mike's, Katana Sushi & Hibachi, J'mz Bowls, Fluffy Fluffy Dessert Café, Salon Dekko, Big Liquor & Wine and Mattress Warehouse. In the center's two biggest store spaces, Casabella was the one place to browse for gifts. That's why the next six weeks there are different from a typical December.
Where East Cobb's makers sell in December
Most of East Cobb's independent sellers show up at events held in buildings without retail leases. The holiday guide East Cobb Today updated on Nov. 6 lists the artisan markets in a church, a county civic center and a cultural center. Below are the dates still ahead as of this week, in order, with Roswell Road as the spine.
- Friday, Nov. 20, 5 to 7 p.m. The Lighting of Avenue East Cobb at The Plaza, with Santa at 6:45 and the tree at 7.
- Nov. 21 to Dec. 24. Photos with Santa at Avenue East Cobb.
- Friday, Nov. 27. Black Friday. Avenue East Cobb had not posted its holiday hours as of Nov. 6.
- Saturday, Nov. 28. Small Business Saturday, the most natural day on the calendar for a stop at Casabella.
- Dec. 2, 9 and 16. Story Time with Santa at Barnes & Noble, Avenue East Cobb.
- Friday and Saturday, Dec. 4 and 5. The Apple Annie Arts & Crafts Show at the Catholic Church of St. Ann, 4905 Roswell Road.
- Friday to Sunday, Dec. 4 to 6. The Cobb PARKS Holiday Artisan Market at the Cobb County Civic Center, 548 S. Marietta Parkway.
- Sunday, Dec. 6, 5 p.m. Holiday Lights at East Cobb Park, 3322 Roswell Road.
- Sunday, Dec. 6, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. The Menorah lighting at The Plaza, Avenue East Cobb, with Chabad of Cobb.
- Saturday, Dec. 12. The Winter Festival with local artisans at Sewell Mill Cultural Center, 2051 Lower Roswell Road.
Three weekends to plan around
The calendar bunches up. The first weekend of December is the busiest stretch of the season, with three events on Roswell Road and one more in Marietta.
- Friday, Dec. 4. Both artisan markets open the same day, Apple Annie at St. Ann's and the Cobb PARKS market at the Civic Center. If you want the widest selection at either one, Friday is the day to go.
- Saturday, Dec. 5. This is the last day of Apple Annie. St. Ann's is on Roswell Road, so it pairs easily with a stop at Merchant's Exchange for Casabella's final holiday inventory.
- Sunday, Dec. 6. Two lightings run half an hour apart. Holiday Lights at East Cobb Park starts at 5 p.m., and the Menorah lighting at Avenue East Cobb begins at 5:30.
The weekend before, Small Business Saturday on Nov. 28 is quieter, and it's the better day for a long visit to a single shop. The following weekend, Sewell Mill's Winter Festival on Dec. 12 is the last artisan event on the guide's list and the only one on Lower Roswell Road.
What's coming to the other side of the road
Avenue East Cobb is adding tenants while Merchant's Exchange loses them. East Cobb News reported in September that Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams is headed for the former Press Waffle Co. space at 4475 Roswell Road, Suite 1810. Its listing in the center's directory still reads "Coming Soon."
Casabella's last day at 4400 Roswell Road hasn't been set. Its lease runs until September 2027, and Linton has said she will decide what's next after the holidays. For this season, the store is open, its sales are final, and it's across the street from the Avenue East Cobb tree.
Shopping center turnover on a busy stretch of Roswell Road can affect how buyers see the homes nearby. If you own a home near Merchant's Exchange or Avenue East Cobb and want to know how the area's changes show up in your home's value, Jennifer Henley can walk you through it over coffee, after the holidays or before. Get My Valuation to start that conversation.
