Killer Mike, T.I. get loan to boost job opportunities near reopened historic restaurant

ATLANTA — Plans to reopen a closed, historic seafood restaurant in northwest Atlanta took another step forward the week before Christmas.

Bankhead Seafood, a more than 50-year-old Atlanta fixture, announced it was closing in January 2018.

As previously reported by Channel 2 Action News and reporting partner the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, rappers Mike “Killer Mike” Render and Clifford “T.I.” Harris chose to save the restaurant, citing its history and place in their lives as they grew up.

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Channel 2 Action News reported the rappers had purchased the business in 2019, including its name, trademark and recipes.

When the restaurant owner, Brown Harden, announced it would be closing, the community turned to Render and Harris to save it, but the pair had already been planning on trying to buy the business, according to the AJC.

Two years later, the pair of rappers released renderings of what the reopened seafood spot would look like. In 2021, they filed building permits to revive the historic restaurant and rebuild and reopen it.

On Dec. 20, a joint statement from Greenwood, a banking platform, and both T.I. and Killer Mike said they’d secured a loan to boost job opportunities around the restaurant location and invest in the community as an accompaniment to the expected reopening in the second quarter of 2024.

The loan was backed by the Georgia Banking Company, and described as marking a “pivotal moment in the growth of Bankhead Seafood, a restaurant deeply rooted in the local community.”

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Speaking about the loan announcement, both rappers expressed enthusiasm and gratitude for the opportunity.

“Today’s investment serves as a profound testament to the broader vision we’ve cultivated at Bankhead Seafood,” T.I. said. “It’s exciting to join forces with leaders like Greenwood—whose commitment to uplifting the community echoes our same ethos. This is an exciting moment in our community’s work to foster a legacy of mutual prosperity and support.”

Greenwood CEO Ryan Glover said he’s known the two for more than 25 years and was proud to support their growth and commitment to improving the community.

Discussing the investment, Killer Mike thanked his partners and the community for their support.

“This is a transformational milestone for our business, and the broader Southwest Atlanta community,” Killer Mike said in the announcement. “I extend my deepest appreciation to Greenwood and GBC, whose partnership today provided us with the resources we need to kickstart Bankhead’s future and re-build a community gem. Ryan Glover and Paul Judge continue to exemplify the important role that Black entrepreneurial collaboration has in our economic empowerment and unity.”

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