Gwinnett's restaurant and retail map moved a lot in 2026, and the biggest names headed north. Here is the list we check each week, so you do not have to.
The openings
Fogo de Chão opened its first Gwinnett location on Buford Drive in March 2026, next to Mall of Georgia, and the reservation app filled fast. On the other end of the square footage, Primark chose Sugarloaf Mills in Lawrenceville for its first Georgia store, a 26,000-square-foot opening that landed in September.
Restaurants carried the year's local news too. A modern Chick-fil-A opened on Highway 53 in Braselton in January. Buford added two names: Cuzin' Southern Soul Bistro on Ridge Road in August 2025, and a Chicks N Boba concept announced for downtown's Main Street. Alma Mexico took over the old La Cazuela room on Lawrenceville's historic square.
On the way
- MINISO coming to Sugarloaf Mills, right behind Primark.
- Bloom Room and Suwanee Social, a dual-concept breakfast-by-day, cocktail-bar-by-night venue on Suwanee's Town Center Avenue.
- More downtown Buford leases on Main Street that we are tracking.
This page updates weekly as leases are signed and doors open. If you have a tip from your area, send it to cityguidega@gmail.com and we will verify it before publishing.
Written by
Rob Dietrich