Atlanta rappers T.I. and Killer Mike have partnered up to bring back Bankhead Seafood: a historic Black-owned restaurant in Atlanta that closed in 2018 after serving its community for 50 years.
Located at 1651 Donald Lee Hollowell Pkwy NW, the restaurant was previously owned and managed by Helen Brown Harden until it closed its doors last January.
When the community found out about its closing, both artists were quick to step in.
“We’ve been around the world, we’ve had a lot of fun, but essentially we’re two kids from the Westside,” Mike told local television station WSB-TV. “We grew up seeing black ownership in our community, and we felt like if the city was going to develop, we should have some ownership stake.”
The two officially purchased the business about a year ago, including the name, trademark, and recipes, and plan to reopen around the restaurant around this time next year.
Killer Mike said he plans to reveal “surprises” next month that he said the community will be excited about.
Most recently, they held a food tasting and unveiled the rendering of what the restaurant will look like.
In addition to adding more parking, the partners said they have a plan to completely renovate the property and turning it into more of a sit-down restaurant with about 130 seats and a rooftop dining area.