This story has been updated.

Decatur, GA — Bench Warmers, a local sports grill chain, has announced plans to open a third location in Decatur inside the former Taco Mac space.

Taco Mac abruptly closed without explanation in September after 22 years in business, saying only the restaurant’s lease was expiring.

The company’s Clairmont Road location made an announcement about the move in a Facebook post on Oct. 25.

“It’s official, we will be opening an additional location in the old Taco Mac space in downtown Decatur,” the Facebook page wrote in the comments of a post that promised “exciting news” about a new location.

An employee of the Clairmont location who answered the phone, who identified himself as Mark, said the “tentative opening date is the Superbowl” which is being played on Feb. 11, 2024.

One of the owners, Jim Hancock, told Decaturish, “We are super excited about coming to Decatur!”

“I grew up close by so I have seen all the growth and changes in Decatur over the years; thus I have wanted to come to Decatur for a while but never found a spot I wanted until now,” Hancock said. “Also, I have many friends in Decatur which makes it even better.”

Bench Warmers opened in 2000 at the corner of Briarcliff Road and Clairmont Road, and he said the original location will “eventually … become a victim of redevelopment.”

“But we plan to keep that location going also, at least until they redevelop the property,” Hancock said. “We also have a location in Stockbridge which opened in 2005.”

The owners are Jim Hancock, his wife Janet Hancock, and Dave Murray.

The menu is standard sports bar fare, similar to what Taco Mac offers. To see the restaurant’s menu, click here. To see the restaurant’s reviews on Yelp, click here.

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