Atlanta’s Bankhead Seafood gets a facelift and a grand re-opening…
Famous rappers and Atlanta natives Killer Mike and T.I. officially re-opened Bankhead Seafood on Sunday — a legendary Atlanta restaurant that was open for more than 50 years before it closed in 2018.
The rappers purchased the property in 2018 with plans of reopening it in 2020 — then COVID hit. Last year, they secured a million-dollar loan to re-open the famous eatery.
While much has been revamped, Bankhead’s mission is the same;
“To serve the community, with the same love, tradition, and flavor that has made us legendary,” the website says.
“Me and T.I. grew up in this neighborhood. We grew up on the Westside of Atlanta,” Killer Mike told 11Alive. “Your mom brings ya here; your grandma brings you here. You grow up. You find success and ventures. And you’re taught to re-invest in your neighborhood.”
“Finger-licking good! That’s how good this fish was,” longtime customer Vickie Turner said. “We searched and tried to go to different restaurants and tried fish and seafood and nothing has measured up.”
“We still have to keep a thread of the past, and that past should be some of those cooks who were in that kitchen. I hope they are still living and they putting that finger in that food,” Turner said.
The business’s reopening is just the beginning. Killer Mike said they’re just getting started with the original recipes and some expansions.
“We went from a full-year process of some pushback — some people who didn’t think that two rappers singing and dancing took the restaurant game seriously, and here we are,” he said. “We have the best of the best. We’ve brought it to Bankhead. We don’t want you to have to drive 20 minutes south or 20 minutes north. You can get it five minutes from your home.”
“We decided that a 50-year-old legacy should go to 100 years,” the rapper added.
DJR Construction Group co-owners Derrick and Johnnie Cannon assisted in bringing back the neighborhood staple; “It definitely was a labor of love,” Derrick Cannon said about the project. “It just feels like a sense of accomplishment. Not only for us but more so for the community. ”
“I’m challenging athletes and entertainers to let’s do this more and not less,” Killer Mike said. “Let’s form some groups. Let’s reinvest into our communities. Let’s make sure that this stays one of the most progressive Southern cities.”
Watch the video below:
