Sean “Diddy” Combs’ Buckhead restaurant, Justin’s shutters

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Photo courtesy of Kimoracochran.com

Manager lies to the AJC, claiming the restaurant only closed for renovations.

“It’s closed for renovations,” is an excuse Atlanta is becoming all too familiar with among restauranteurs hiding the imminent closure of their restaurants.

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Justin’s, a 14-year old restaurant in Buckhead, is the latest perpetrator.

The restaurant, at 2200 Peachtree Road, closed its doors permanently Saturday, June 9, after its manager told the AJC it was slated for renovations and would eventually reopen.

So, the AJC went all old-school on us and decided to speak with a spokesperson for Bad Boy Worldwide Entertainment Group (BBWEG), Saturday.

The entertainment group, founded by Combs, confirmed with the AJC the restaurant will not reopen.

For the rest of the AJC’s thoughtful report, click here.

 

Caleb J. Spivak

Caleb J. Spivak

Caleb J. Spivak

Caleb J. Spivak

26 Responses

  1. Am I losing my mind or is it really Saturday?

    Funny how the AJC had to close it’s comments section. Kessler closes so many I don’t even know why they continue to use that feature.

    Anyhow, I never ate there but it stayed open for a good while. Sorry but there is only so much I’m going to pay for fried chicken or meatloaf. It will be interesting to see how long that V103 place stays open.

  2. No “crass generalizations” or “racist remarks” here…only facts. Cold HARD facts. I used to live behind the restaurant in question and I can tell you with all assurance, that our quality of life went down after this place opened. Loud, rude behavior became the norm on the weekends…car break-ins increased (check the APD crime reports for reference). For Kessler to even suggest that we are somehow picking on Justin’s because of some evil, prejudiced inclinations is utterly absurd, and the standard response from people who don’t live anywhere near trouble spots but who love to take some moral high ground. He should be ashamed of himself if he and the AJC are trying to repress the truth.

    As for Justin’s…good riddance!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  3. Not sure why Kessler closed the comments at AJC, claiming racist remarks when I did not see anything racist about it. As someone who lives just a few blocks from the restaurant, I commented that I was glad to see it closed because it is a fact that many weekend nights saw swarms of police, shootings, fights, etc. Is it racist to state a fact of that nature?

    The new restaurant up the street, Frank Ski’s, seems to be doing well and has turned an empty building into a thriving business, it seems.

  4. Y’all are full of it name one shooting that took place at Justin’s,it was a stabbing back in 2005 that’s probably it and if you hear noise DUH you moved by a restaurant which was probably there BEFORE you chose to move to it,they have fights,noise,and other problems at white majority establishments you closet rascist please tell me why you chose to move within a city that’s majority black if you have such a problem with people who have a different culture,lifestyle and way of life than you do? Why not move to dawsonvile,Milton,Newnan,or Forsyth county if you just want to be around people who are just like you, I moved next to a church and a park so should I complain that they have cars parked everywhere 3xs a week or that people go to the park and make noise or play music? You people are something else it seems like the people who live in the city now are more racists than the people back in the 60s

  5. There’s no way this place has been around for 14 years as every story at every media outlet keeps repeating. I remember when it opened, and I’ve only lived in Atlanta for 13 years. Was there another incarnation of it before this location?

  6. So “David Duke”, you seem to be saying that being loud and rude and disruptive to the point of requiring swarms of police nearly every weekend night is just part of the black lifestyle that the rest of us should just learn to accept? You make yourself out to be a joke, and not a funny one. Next door at Houston’s, which also has a large number of patrons of color, there are none of the issues that plagued Justin’s. Down the street at Georgia Grill or Restaurant Eugene or Holeman & Finch: no issues.

    So, if you are tired of being stereotyped, I suggest not confirming the stereotype.

  7. @ David – it was within the past 2-3 years but there were two men sitting in a car outside of the front of the restaurant and a gunman jumped in the backseat and opened fire on them. I think the gunman had an automatic / semi-automatic weapon too.

    A quick Google search will pull it up

  8. Please examine the restaurant-club phenomenon that was popular in Atlanta to better understand why so many of these places fail over time. It should also give you insight into the problems it creates for the communities that surround the restaurant. The census 2010 doesn’t support the majority-minority claim in this city as well.

  9. I guess they should shut down north side hospital too because they had a random act of violence? Real thugs don’t even hang out at Justin’s and the ” cool” people havent packed that place out in at least 4 years,I think Justin’s was more of a lounge at night than Houston’s was and anytime anywhere you mix drinks and people at night something can happen, but amongst African Americans Justin’s was never known as a hood spot that you guys are over exaggerating it to be that’s all I’m saying.

  10. “Real thugs don’t even hang out at Justin’s…”

    Only the fake ones do?

    …”and anytime anywhere you mix drinks and people at night something can happen…”

    Especially if those people happen to be fake thugs.

  11. I never had the desire to visit Justin’s late night, when it was more a nightclub atmosphere. However, I enjoyed the southern and Caribbean flavor. The Shrimp and Crab Wellington and Cornish hen Jambalaya were awesome. The rack of Lamb was always my father’s favorite, when he visited Atlanta. I think the expansion to Atlanta began in 1997, so that is where the 14 year number comes from. You could always ask Chef Rob of Chef Rob’s Cafe. He was the original executive chef.

  12. Smh…..can’t win with you right wingers you are only gonna see what you want to see even if the facts don’t show what you are saying you will always go by your racist perception of how you feel and not what actually is because you are afraid of what’s different than you or what does not conform to your belief system.

  13. David Duke, you’re not making it any better for yourself. There *ARE* other clubs in the same neighborhood, Shelter is just a block up the street. No neighborhood problems. Just a mile or so away, police aren’t being called to Burkhart’s or Oscar’s and they serve a lot of alcohol and later than Justin’s did.

  14. Sorry to disappoint Mr. Duke, but you won’t find a lot of right-wingers on What Now. Those are the voices in your over-shaken head talking to you.

  15. @ David – what constitutes a “right winger”? Just curious since you are throwing stereotypes around for apparently no good reason. I didn’t see a single political view mentioned in this thread.

  16. Right winger to me really is a conservative but what I really mean is prejudice white people to be real and exact you hide behind your sarcasm and your judgements of what is different from you or does not conform to what YOU feel they should act like and that they hang out in YOUR neighborhood but it’s funny I dont recall to many instances of violence taking place at Justin’s I dont think any of you can name more than 5 in their 14 year existence

  17. “Too many….I had to add that didn’t wanna be judged”

    I think you should more likely be judged on your disrespect of periods.

  18. So David, you think 5 instances of violence in 14 years is a good track record? That’s ok in your book? Every single one of the bars and restaurants I go to in Atlanta, and many that have been around that long have never had 1 instance of violence. And that’s the way it should be.

  19. Didn’t know this was an English class essay,report or paper….just like I said hide behind your sarcasm behind your computer screen but you would NEVER say none of this bs to the face of a black man in person coward…..just continue to deny blacks of loans and jobs like you probably do for a living….coward…

  20. @ David – so you’re saying all conservatives are racist and “right winger” or that just white people are racist?

    I’m white and I vote republican yet I’m not racist and I’m not a “right winger”. I guess based on your numerous comments I could throw all sorts of stereotypes your way but I’ll be the bigger man here and not do that.

    I also refuse to see the connection between people having a problem with violence at a certain location that makes them racist or “right wingers.” You throw out these buzzwords/stereotypes like you know what they actually mean yet you yourself is the one who appears to be the bigot. Best to take a look in the mirror before running your mouth.

  21. “…hide behind your sarcasm behind your computer screen but you would NEVER say none of this bs to the face of a black man in person coward…”

    A sociological question about our subject David:
    Is one born with the propensity towards violence or is that a learned behavior?

    Discuss.

  22. Diddy, Puffy, Whoever was sued over the 2010 shooting at Justin’s. Part of the lawsuit stated:

    “the proprietors of Justin’s were aware of “dangerous and hazardous conditions” at the establishment, but failed to provide accurate warning or security protection.”

    It does not matter if you are black, white, gay, straight, purple, blue or whatever. Crime is crime and Justin’s was a haven for it. Just look at some of the videos and artist Diddy promotes. He attracts a culture of thugs, “$30,000 Millionaires” (granted he made millions off of these idiots), guns, etc.

    David Duke:

    Your comment “Didn’t know this was an English class essay,report or paper” is pure gold! Teachers didn’t have you write English papers because they were looking for something to read. It was so you could learn the correct way to communicate and not present yourself as an uneducated idiot.

  23. The issues at Justin’s were not race based, but based on the content of character. That could be said to any man or woman of any race.

    It’s time to move the larger conversation in this city past race and color. This clearly had to do with people’s behaviors and actions. You can’t hide behind a racism defense, nor suggest that race was the offense. And if the issue was the “NBA culture,” that’s a broader scope than just color. The issues that have hurt A-station, Buckhead, and other spots are based on behavior and actions, not race. That race argument is played and dead.

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