ATLANTA — An Atlanta community staple that has been around for decades officially re-opened on Sunday with the help of two famous Atlanta natives.
Bankhead Seafood was a legendary Atlanta restaurant for over 50 years before it closed in 2018. That is until rappers T.I. and Killer Mike, along with other community members, got to work on a mission to bring it back.
"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."
The rappers purchased the property in 2018 and initially announced plans to rebuild it in January 2020 — just months before the COVID-19 pandemic forced a shutdown across the country. The Atlanta natives then secured a million-dollar loan in 2023 to revive the restaurant.
Sunday's grand re-opening gave the restaurant a revamped look as the business looks to carry its legacy into the future. But as its website states, the business' mission remains the same: "To serve the community, with the same love, tradition and flavor that has made us legendary."
Longtime customer Vickie Turner said she was a regular customer before it closed. She said despite searching, nothing could ever come close to the food at Bankhead Seafood.
"Finger-licking good! That's how good this fish was," Turner said. "We searched and tried to go to different restaurants and tried fish and seafood and nothing has measured up."
The grand reopening showed how beloved the iconic restaurant is in the community as people lined up on Sunday to get a taste of its famous fried fish and hush puppies.
“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."
Killer Mike said the goal is to make sure a once-in-and-out fish spot that people love is now a sit-down restaurant along with still being a quick spot for delicious seafood.
"We decided that a 50-year-old legacy should go to 100 years," the rapper said.
Killer Mike added that the revamped Bankhead Seafood was possible due to multiple people in the community helping, such as DJR Construction Group co-owners Derrick and Johnnie Cannon. They said they were excited to collaborate and recalled growing up eating at the restaurant. They said a big addition to the restaurant is the rooftop dining element.
"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. "
He added that it's great to bring a landmark back that's nostalgic to the community as well as enhancing it. Killer Mike also said that this was mainly a Black endeavor with an allyship with others who aren't Black.
And as Bankhead Seafood's legacy continues, the rapper is encouraging others to pour into their communities and help make them thrive.
"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."