“Hi, I’m Abbadabba. Our Story is about our passion for providing people footwear that makes sense, done through a business organization grounded in principles of fairness and genuine concern for our customers and each other. Welcome to our story!” |
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Janice "Abbadabba" Abernethy & the beginnings of Abbadabba's
Abbadabba’s was founded by Janice Abernethy (a high school nickname) while her husband-to-be, Bill Carmichael, was completing his studies at Emory University. What began as a small craft shop near Emory’s law school evolved into a booth at the Atlanta Flea Market. Unfortunately, this market was displaced by Marta’s rail station on Piedmont Road. After exploring other flea markets, Janice opened her first dedicated store in Little 5 Points in 1981, an eclectic neighborhood known for its blend of Berkeley, Greenwich Village, Coconut Grove, and Tara influences.
The original Little 5 Points store was a vibrant marketplace featuring toys, cards, gifts, jewelry, and an assortment of unique shoes. By 1986, Bill transitioned from his career at Georgia-Pacific to join Janice full-time. The focus shifted predominantly to footwear, which quickly became the primary revenue source. As Little 5 Points and its surrounding areas underwent revitalization by urban pioneers, Abbadabba’s grew in popularity, gaining a reputation for offering practical and stylish shoes. In 1988, Janice and Bill welcomed their daughter, Abba Charice Carmichael, on September 8th, further enriching the Abbadabba’s family story.
Encouraged by enthusiastic customer support, Abbadabba’s opened a second location in Buckhead in 1990. The new store, featuring a distinctive checkerboard parking lot, successfully expanded the Little 5 Points experience into a new area, winning over many customers and converting high heels into comfortable footwear.
In 1994, responding to customer feedback, Abbadabba’s ventured into the suburbs with a new store in Roswell. The positive reception validated the expansion, leading to the opening of a fourth store in Gwinnett in 1996, situated with a view of the Gwinnett Place Mall. The continued support from suburban customers reaffirmed the company’s growth strategy.
The spring of 1998 marked a significant milestone with the transformation of half of the Buckhead location into Georgia’s first Birkenstock specialty store. This achievement set Abbadabba’s apart from other dealers and affirmed its commitment to exceptional customer service and a diverse product selection.
In 2003, Abbadabba’s expanded further into Kennesaw, opening a store near Town Center Mall. Despite its smaller size compared to other locations, the Kennesaw store maintained the high standards of footwear and service. Two years later, in 2005, the Little 5 Points store underwent a significant expansion and renovation, doubling its size and enhancing its interior to better serve the growing customer base.
The year 2007 brought a challenge when the Buckhead store’s location was sold for redevelopment. Abbadabba’s relocated a few miles north, next to Fresh Market at Wieuca and Roswell Road, where a new Buckhead store was established with an updated design. The new location quickly became a flagship store, receiving a warm reception from both loyal and new customers.
In the early 2010s, attention turned to Roswell. After 18 years at the East side location, a new opportunity arose to relocate. Collaborating with Muntzing-Satelle, the landlord of the Kennesaw store, Abbadabba’s found a new space on the West side of Roswell in East Cobb, near Merchants Walk. The newly designed store, which opened in March 2012, is the largest and most visually stunning location yet, and has been met with enthusiastic support from the East Cobb community.
As we continue into the future, Abbadabba’s remains committed to our mission of being Atlanta's Premier source for innovative, healthful footwear.
The original Little 5 Points store was a vibrant marketplace featuring toys, cards, gifts, jewelry, and an assortment of unique shoes. By 1986, Bill transitioned from his career at Georgia-Pacific to join Janice full-time. The focus shifted predominantly to footwear, which quickly became the primary revenue source. As Little 5 Points and its surrounding areas underwent revitalization by urban pioneers, Abbadabba’s grew in popularity, gaining a reputation for offering practical and stylish shoes. In 1988, Janice and Bill welcomed their daughter, Abba Charice Carmichael, on September 8th, further enriching the Abbadabba’s family story.
Encouraged by enthusiastic customer support, Abbadabba’s opened a second location in Buckhead in 1990. The new store, featuring a distinctive checkerboard parking lot, successfully expanded the Little 5 Points experience into a new area, winning over many customers and converting high heels into comfortable footwear.
In 1994, responding to customer feedback, Abbadabba’s ventured into the suburbs with a new store in Roswell. The positive reception validated the expansion, leading to the opening of a fourth store in Gwinnett in 1996, situated with a view of the Gwinnett Place Mall. The continued support from suburban customers reaffirmed the company’s growth strategy.
The spring of 1998 marked a significant milestone with the transformation of half of the Buckhead location into Georgia’s first Birkenstock specialty store. This achievement set Abbadabba’s apart from other dealers and affirmed its commitment to exceptional customer service and a diverse product selection.
In 2003, Abbadabba’s expanded further into Kennesaw, opening a store near Town Center Mall. Despite its smaller size compared to other locations, the Kennesaw store maintained the high standards of footwear and service. Two years later, in 2005, the Little 5 Points store underwent a significant expansion and renovation, doubling its size and enhancing its interior to better serve the growing customer base.
The year 2007 brought a challenge when the Buckhead store’s location was sold for redevelopment. Abbadabba’s relocated a few miles north, next to Fresh Market at Wieuca and Roswell Road, where a new Buckhead store was established with an updated design. The new location quickly became a flagship store, receiving a warm reception from both loyal and new customers.
In the early 2010s, attention turned to Roswell. After 18 years at the East side location, a new opportunity arose to relocate. Collaborating with Muntzing-Satelle, the landlord of the Kennesaw store, Abbadabba’s found a new space on the West side of Roswell in East Cobb, near Merchants Walk. The newly designed store, which opened in March 2012, is the largest and most visually stunning location yet, and has been met with enthusiastic support from the East Cobb community.
As we continue into the future, Abbadabba’s remains committed to our mission of being Atlanta's Premier source for innovative, healthful footwear.
Our Story is all about discovering, evolving and achieving our mission: to be Atlanta’s Premier Source for Innovative Healthful Footwear. It is a story about people: the people who make up our little home-grown company, and the people who make up the broad array of customers we serve. It is a story flavored with the passion for footwear that our team shares with our customers. A story with a plot that changes with each new person we hire, and each new customer we earn. Thank you for being a part of our story!
