Peachtree Street sinkhole: Buckhead eatery upset warnings about water leak went unheard

ATLANTA - The general manager of Sufi's Kitchen along Peachtree Street in Buckhead is more than just upset that the restaurant’s sign got swallowed by a giant sinkhole. She is mad that it ever got to that point.

The sinkhole, which is also causing a headache for motorists, was formed by a water main break in front of the Buckhead eatery on Monday afternoon, but Christy Buice, the general manager of the Persian restaurant, had been trying to warn the city of Atlanta for weeks about the running water under a manhole along Peachtree Street.

Three lanes of traffic along Peachtree Street NW from Palisades Road NE to 26th Street NW will be closed while repairs are underway. In addition, a large section of the sidewalk will need to be replaced.

"I was more worried about the cars and the pedestrians," said Buice. "People were trying to drive in the street where it was caving in, so we were trying to direct traffic and keep them away."

Atlanta Watershed Management crews have been working around the clock to make repairs.

"It was just gushing a lot of water," Buice said.

She says she and her staff watched just feet away at the slow progression of the hole that swallowed their business’s street sign and ultimately left them without running water.

"We called Watershed…on a Saturday like three times before somebody even came out. She opened it, looked in it, she said she couldn’t turn the water off. They said they would be sending somebody out here," Buice said.

She says no one came back to try to fix the problem before the collapse on Monday.

Neighboring R. Thomas Deluxe Grill posted photos on its Facebook page that show water gushing into the massive hole on Monday.

The post reads:

"Unfortunately, for the past 40 days water has been leaking in front of our neighbor’s restaurant, or should I say gushing, now there is a 15-foot sinkhole on Peachtree Street. Unfortunately, R Thomas will close tonight and see what kind of remedies the city of Atlanta will give us to fix the water issues, hope to see you again soon."

They posted on Tuesday that there was no way they could be back open before the weekend at the earliest due to the concrete repairs.

Watershed Management officials tell FOX 5 their department is investigating the circumstances around the call earlier this month that Buice says would’ve saved everyone time and money.

"I know I canceled at least seven reservations yesterday for at least 40 people totaling, so," said Buice. "It’s a hard hit…we lose a lot of money, especially without Door Dash or delivery."

Traffic cameras on Tuesday evening showed heavy congestion as crews made repairs. 

Watershed officials apologized for the inconvenience and told FOX 5 it’s "committed to protecting and safeguarding the health and safety of our customers throughout the City of Atlanta."

Water service was restored to businesses and apartments in the area earlier Tuesday evening. It’s still unclear how long it will take to fix the sinkhole, so drivers who take Peachtree Street as part of their daily commute should expect some delays or plan to take a different route.