DeathMarch:
Who’s dead or dying in Atlanta’s businesses?
Member:
Straits
Current Status:
Cliff Jumper
Update:
Added January 14, 2010; Closed January 4, 2012.
A renovated exterior and a celebrity backer with mullah do not top shelf pan-Asian eateries make.
Entertainer Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, owner of Straits located on Juniper in Midtown, should be experiencing buyers remorse. Considering the lack of attendance at this wanna be hot spot restaurant destination, Straits Midtown has already undergone a major exterior facelift.
Run by his mother Roberta Shields, Straits and its Singaporean cuisine have not been met with the success the original Straits enjoyed and still enjoy in San Francisco under Chef Chris Yeo.
Its name is a running joke with numerous midtown residents (even considering the origin and spelling) and many diners have said Straits is a tourist attraction and a magnet for single women hoping to meet Ludacris.
After speaking with Roberta Shields at an event held at Straits, a What Now Atlanta panelist reports that according to Shields, Straits is financially embarrassed. Though the consensus from our panelists is that the food is good, the location was poorly chosen. Suited for a restaurant destination such as Buckhead, Straits might have received the success it had hoped for when it originally opened in 2008.
The question that remains is when will Ludacris decide to pull out from this money pit and stop writing checks to keep his mothers’ hobby alive? Having money does not automatically make you a restaurateur. Just ask Usher and check out The Grape.
9 Responses
OMG, I hope that not true, I love this restaurant! The chicken lollipops are Ludu’s favorite and mine too!
Straits is a fabulous eatery! I’m a regular who lives nearby & I always find the atmosphere, food, and service to absoultely great! I don’t think this is true, there’s always a nice crowd….I saw Ludacris there and he was engaged and friendly!
This blog sucks! That is so NOT true! The food is amazing and the vibe is awesome!
Grow up! “Straits” in San Francisco is not a problem! I live in Mid-Town, I am openly gay, and I’ve been into Straits in Atlanta to eat/drink…not sure where you’re getting your info, but I think this spot is going to continue to thrive
what are you talking bout? Did you speak to Ludacris himself or is this just a gossip blog? Who spoke to ludacris mom, and I’m so sure she said that the restaraunt is “financially embarassed” – who the hell believes she’d say that in public even if it were true…LoL Dude cite a source other than some random person.
ps. And yes Chad those chicken lollipops are bomb!!!
Can you guys READ? He said he likes the restaurant for God’s sakes, but that it’s going down in flames because nobody’s going to it. I live in the neighborhood and I go by it like every other night. You could go bowling in it and never hit a customer. Personally, I like the food there but it’s a little off-putting to be like one of four customers in the place so I end up not going. I won’t pretend to know how you get customers into a place that’s serving good food, but THAT’S their problem–a lack of customers, not the quality of the food.
@mike: yes, we can read, bro. So your saying you like the food, but because there aren’t enough ppl in it, you don’t go? You sound like a follower, dude.
I think my question was pertaining to the hearsay in this post and whether or not he/she got a direct quote from anybody in the restaruant. Hell, I could tell you I’m 6’4 w/ 8million in the bank and write a blog about my life & if it sounds good enough, ppl will believe that nonsense. That is the problem w/ bloggers today nobody needs to cite a source – they just run with gossip & hearsay and post it on twitter, wordpress, and facebook and ppl buy it.
I live accross the street and the place is packed. True, there’s a steady stream of young things hoping to get a glance at Ludacrus, but others go there and the food is excellent. Great location.
Two problems – 1) the residents of Midtown do not go out to eat in their own neighborhood, as evidenced by the empty restaurants everywhere, with just a few established exceptions and 2) apparently one block is too far off Peachtree to be worth the journey.