Editor’s note: The following article is an op-ed, and the views expressed are the author’s own. Read more opinions on theGrio.
I must admit, I wasn’t familiar with Keith Lee until a few days ago when I came across his now viral Milk and Honey post on TikTok. I immediately thought, “This brotha is spot on.” I’m an Atlanta native. Born right downtown at then-Georgia Baptist Hospital. Both sides of my family are still here, and I wouldn’t want to claim any other city as my permanent home. I will usually defend Atlanta to the nine when it comes to the criticism we often get.
However, I have to agree with Keith and Cardi B: Many of the Black-owned restaurants here will test your patience and oftentimes the celebrity-owned restaurants are the biggest offenders. I, for one, was excited to visit Kandi Burruss’ Old Lady Gang Restaurant despite many of the mishaps I heard about in the media over the last few years. And I hear you, Kandi, about not having the bandwidth for to-go orders on weekends at your current locations. What your post didn’t address is your staff prioritizing certain patrons over others. Not cool. We’re paying AND posting so don’t forget about the little people. Much like OLG, there are great restaurants in Atlanta with good concepts, but there are some recurring themes that should be addressed. Here are a few that made my list.
1. Are you open or nah?
Most of these establishments follow rules when it comes to posting their business hours online and on the front doors. But when it’s time to open, you are usually left waiting until someone decides to show up to work, clock in and unlock the door. I’ve sat in parking lots waiting for upwards of 30 minutes until businesses decided they were open. And forget about getting anyone on the phone. If you call, most times you’re met with an answering service that’s full or placed on hold by someone…
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