T.I. and Killer Mike are finally restoring the Bankhead Seafood restaurant they purchased in 2019 and announced they would open in 2020.
This week, the two rappers filed to receive a building permit to rebuild Helen Harden’s eatery, which opened in 1968.
The Run the Jewels artist made the announcement on his Instagram.
“Me and @troubleman31 working hard! Salutes @shaybigga & @krystal_dynasty for getting the deal done! Ya’ll some real leaders!
#WhyRapperHatersNeverMentionThisStuff #WestSidePride it takes a TEAM! #TeamWorkMakeADreamWork Thank @chakacooks & All The Crew from The @bankheadseafood Truck Too. Ya’ll Grunt work has not been overlooked. Ya’ll are appreciated.”
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The restaurant, one of the most notable businesses on the city’s Westside for half a century, closed its doors in 2018, causing the chart-toppers to swing into full action with their community re-investment model that they have been promoting for years.
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Helen Harden shared that despite meaning so much to the community, the business did not have the resources to continue with the same level of quality that it was used to providing.
“I felt like I wasn’t doing my customers a good service when they wait a little longer than they used to have,” Ms. Harden shared with 11 Alive.
It makes sense that customer service and quality were at the front of her mind, especially considering that Bankhead Seafood was the longest-running business in Bankhead and the witness of generations of Atlantans.
“They brought the children here, and they’re eating here,” she said. “That’s grandchildren, children, and parents. So, I must be doing something right.”
One of those families was Killer Mike.
“It’s been a part of my life as long as I’ve been on earth,” the “Reagan” artist said. “If you’re writing a show or a book about Michael Render and his family, (Bankhead Seafood) would definitely be one of the characters.”
According to WSB-TV 2, the childhood friends did not only obtain the building when they acquired the property. They also became the owners of the name, trademark, and the restaurant’s classic recipes (fried fish, hush puppies, etc.).
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The pair have plans to add some things to the menu like grilled and steamed options aimed to offer healthy plates to the dinners. Mike’s aunt and grandmother’s biscuit recipes will be a new side and T.I.’s sweet potato pie will be a plus to their already scrumptious dessert menu.
The Atlanta Business Chronicle reports that the building permit was filed on December 7th with the City of Atlanta.
Originally, they two had hoped to start the structural rehaul in January of 2020.
As reported by AllHipHop.com, Killer Mike took to social media to announce the move on January 15th, “Proud to bring back an Atlanta Landmark with my brother.”
The coronavirus global pandemic halted those plans. Now that the world is moving with more freedom, their plans are back in action.
