Former NBA player Kevin Johnson is surveying towns for his restaurants in pretty much the same way he used to look over the basketball court as a point guard during his playing years.
According to Basketball Insiders, Johnson is expanding his Fixins Soul Kitchen restaurant after initially debuting the first location in Sacramento in 2019.
Last month, BLACK ENTERPRISE reported that the former Phoenix Suns point guard will open one in downtown Detroit. The soul food eatery will be located at 1435 Randolph Street. There are already locations in Sacramento, Los Angeles, and Tulsa.
Johnson and his wife, Michelle Rhee, are planning to open additional Fixins Soul Kitchen locations in Denver and Oakland within the next year.
Colorado should have its opening in early 2024. The Fixins Soul Kitchen that will open in Denver will be located at 2600 Welton Street, inside the Hooper Building.
The restaurant’s menu has traditional soul food entrees. You can find items like fried chicken and waffles, oxtails, and shrimp and grits. Their “fixins” include peach cobbler, collard greens, and fried green tomatoes. Side items include catfish nuggets, red beans, and mac and cheese, to name a few.
Vegan options include blackened tofu with corn succotash, a romaine-arugula salad, and a grilled portobello burger.
Erik Rhee, the company’s national director of real estate and development for about a year, is a Denver resident who has been there for 30 years. He commented that Johnson aims to revive smaller, historically Black neighborhoods.
“[Kevin Johnson is] all about promoting Black-owned businesses,” Rhee said.
The company also stated that the Oakland restaurant is slated to open in March 2024 near Lake Merritt.
The first Fixins Soul Kitchen opened in Sacramento in 2019. After his sports career was over, Johnson became the city’s 55th mayor and the first Black man to be elected to that position. He served in office from 2008 to 2016.
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