What Now Atlanta’s DeathMarch claims another victim.
Christopher Brian Bridges, better known by his stage name Ludacris, made a “huge announcement” on Twitter last night: that he’ll open a restaurant at the world’s busiest airport named after his third album released in 2003 entitled “Chicken n’ Beer.”
What the American rapper and actor neglected to mention is he’ll be closing Straits, his first Atlanta restaurant, located on Juniper Street in Midtown, according to a press release Wednesday.
“As I continue to learn and evolve as a businessman, I am extremely excited to put my restaurateur footprint into a new venture inside the busiest international airport in the United States, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport,” Ludacris said in a release. “Straits was a great segue into the industry and with Chicken N Beer I can create my own concept. I look forward to expanding my creativity and driving to a much higher plane.”
Straits has been on What Now Atlanta’s DeathMarch since January 2010.
Creative Loafing’s Besha Rodell has some interesting theory on Ludacris’ connections with the Mayor, a possible reason behind securing a highly sought-after spot at the airport for his new restaurant.
12 Responses
A restaurant called STRAITS failed in Midtown Atlanta. When I heard that I dropped my emery board.
The Creative Loafing story by Besha Rodell linked in this story says it all. In Atlanta, and especially the airport, it’s not what you know, as long as you know the Jackson family.
That mafia-style family and it’s group of hangers-on (see Kasim Reed and Shirley Franklin) have had their tentacles wrapped around the coffers of this city for decades now.
And the majority turn a blind eye or blithely accept that this is the way it has to be.
We missed our chance with Mary Norwood a few years ago.
Clicker – Ditto! Mary would have cleaned house!
Well the good news is the vote was very very close… hopefully next time more people will have moved into the city and we can finally put an end to this crap.
Over the years I’ve heard plenty of accusations from the losers of contracts at the airport but has anyone come up with any actual evidence of wrong doing? The Republicans use to talk a lot about it, promising to take over the airport should they win a majority in the legislature but once they won both houses, they seemed to forget that air travel even exists.
Having worked as a consultant in both private industry and government, I know corruption is everywhere but with the airport it seems to be 90% sour grapes. Of course there could be actual evidence out there but I’d like to actually see it rather than the rather loose strings being tossed at each other in the Creative Loafing article.
You hear this Mary? Try again in (what) 2013 is it?
Bunch of crooks
Jason,
You want evidence of wrong doing at the airport? Try this first:
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/federal-jury-finds-city-of-atlanta-clear-channel-and-barbara-fouch-conspirators-in-multi-million-dollar-bid-rigging-case-99347879.html
Now this: lack of transparency is the least discrepancy.
http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/airport-contracts-still-stirring-1289481.html
And this:
http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/airport-contracts-send-city-1288059.html
This crap has been going on for years. the entire Jackson clan and their cronies are raking it in over there. The Hartsfield-JACKSON Airport has become their personal fiefdom.
winning not wining
Mary Norwood is a moron. Did any of you actually see her in any of the debates? She showed up late to a transit debate because her Suburban was stuck in traffic…it was across the street from a MARTA station…AND she had no idea how much a one-way ticket on MARTA even cost. There’s a person in touch with the city…
Now to get back on topic, hopefully we can get something for the Midtown community in the soon to be vacant space at 5th and Juniper. And also someone that will take care of the exterior of the restaurant (pickup trash, close the dumpsters, dead plants, and bad smell all summer long). The front of the building looks beter now.
@Tim; Luda owns the building. Next stop, Chicken N Forties.