A co-worker from Chamblee came up to me the other week and asked, "Hey, do you know when Dreamland is coming back?" I didn't know the answer at that moment, but discovered it a few days later when it was announced that Dreamland BBQ would not be rebuilding at the Peachtree Parkway location. Like many in the immediate area, I was disheartened, but not surprised. Judging from online comments and the fact that there hasn't been activity in rebuilding at the Peachtree Parkway location, it has been true that Dreamland's return was not going to happen.
A few of the reasons for canceling Dreamland's rebuilding have been cited on this website and perhaps other online outlets. Some supporters of the business say that so-called draconian local government rules and/or guidelines drove Dreamland out of the location. Certain critics of the restaurant say that Dreamland was a source polluter often leaving the back of the unit in an unsightly condition. Who knew barbecue could cause such a schism? Isn't barbecue supposed to bring folks together? Just look at the annual Wild Hog Supper held in near the Georgia State Capitol marking the start of each legislative session. It is there were politicians, lobbyists and political onlookers of all stripes gather together in the spirit of comity just before the partisan cat-fights begin under the Gold Dome. Still, the one thing that brings them all together is the barbeque.
In Peachtree Corners, we all ought to band together and support Dreamland BBQ to rebuild in a new location. From what the Birmingham-based company has said in the past, they seem to like having a unit in the Peachtree Corners area. Yes, the new unit should be located in a place where the public cannot see its back entrance. As for its pollution, perhaps there is a way to measure it and bring it under control? After all, a new location is going to have to build a new barbeque pit. Is pollution a problem at Dreamland's other locations throughout Alabama and nearby in Roswell?
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Even though Dreamland is a Birmingham-based concern with seven other operating locations, it always felt like a local restaurant in the area. I think it's important to support the local entrepreneurs who wish to make Peachtree Corners their home. The locals give this new city its own bold identity. A city with its own character inspires folks near and far away to come and spend their dollars here. I would extend that thought to all types of local businesses operating in Peachtree Corners.
As for my Chamblee co-worker, he'll have to trek over to Dreamland's Roswell location or visit other types of barbecue joints like J.R.'s Log House at the corner of Peachtree Industrial Boulevard and Peachtree Corners Circle. J.R.'s has been operating since 1983. It was the first barbeque joint I visited when I moved to Peachtree Corners in summer 1989.