gladys knight chicken and waffles downtown atlanta

Knight’s son, Shanga Hankerson, is the owner of the three Atlanta-area restaurants and he’s been accused of stealing over $650,000 in sales taxes and withholding taxes owed to the state of Georgia.Īccording to CNN, the agency released a statement detailing the accusations, stating: Now, all 3 ‘Chicken and Waffles’ locations were shut down and raided by the feds after Georgia’s Department of Revenue accused Knight’s son, Shanga Hankerson, of theft and tax evasion.įor the record, ‘Gladys Knight’s Chicken and Waffles’, an Atlanta dining institution that features Southern favorites, is named after the famed singer but she’s not actually the owner of the business. Gladys Knight’s Chicken and Waffles is just barely recovering from it’s last media pounding after it’s downtown location failed health inspections ealier this year ( click here if you missed that). March 3, 2017: The AJC reports Knight won her bid to sever ties to the business Hankerson must phase out all uses of Knight's name, likeness and memorabilia by April 26, 2017.A popular Atlanta area eatery is facing more bad news in the press this week. 23, 2017: The DOR shuts down the restaurant over tax issues. 13, 2017: A worker tells the AJC the restaurant is now called The World Famous Chicken & Waffles, but no signage or branding has visibly changed.įeb. 17, 2016: The restaurant passes an inspection with a B.įeb. 3, 2016: The last remaining restaurant flunks a third inspection after an inspector observed dead roaches. At some point this month, the Cascade area location closes. 20, 2016: The AJC reports that a consultant concluded the owner should consider closing permanently because of the restaurants' 'grave' financial position and 'unappealing' conditions.

10, 2016: A theft of an estimated $9,000 from the safe of the Peachtree Street location is reported, but no locks are broken, a video camera at the business isn't operating and there is no burglar alarm. 6, 2016: The Peachtreet Street location fails a surprise health inspection, scoring a 44 after dead and live roaches were seen in the kitchen. She then accuses her son of trying to 'extort' and 'blackmail' her by threatening to falsely claim she has dementia and Alzheimer's Disease. September 2016: Hankerson responds to Knight's suit by saying her 'lack of mental capacity' bars her from removing her name. 26, 2016: Gladys Knight, an Atlanta native, files suit to take her name off the restaurant, saying it's hurting her reputation. (The eateries had been operating under state receivership, and the receiver says it isn't supporting itself.)Īug. 21, 2016: The Lithonia locationis closed again, seemingly for good.

July 2016: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Hankerson's employees told investigators he used the money for sex parties and marijuana.Īug. June 22, 2016: Hankerson is released on $20,000 bond from Clayton County jail. June 21, 2016: The Georgia Department of Revenue shuts down all three locations due to theft charges against Hankerson. Hankerson is accused of taking $650,000 in state sales and withholding taxes, which after penalties and interest totals more than $1 million. Here’s an approximate timeline of the trouble:įebruary 2016: The Peachtree Street location, one of three around metro Atlanta, fails a health inspection with a score of 56 after Fulton County inspectors found 15 violations.

Gladys knight chicken and waffles downtown atlanta