Former NBA player Kevin Johnson is adding “restaurant owner” to his already impressive resume while doing something special for Tulsa, OK.
Johnson is opening Fixins Soul Kitchen in Tulsa on June 13, KTUL reports.
Located in the Greenwood District, Fixins will serve traditional food mixed with a modern vibe. The menu is fully inspired by soul food spots Johnson traveled to while playing in the
NBA and from his grandmother’s recipes. Originally slated to open in Sacramento, where Johnson served as mayor, he decided to move the restaurant to Tulsa, his grandfather and grandmother’s hometown.With so much Black history in the city, the restaurant is located in the former Black Wall Street community, a community that was once thriving in Black excellence until the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.
Survivors of
the massacre, Hughes Van Ellis, Viola Fletcher, and Lessie Randle, joined Johnson at the private ribbon cutting on May 31—the anniversary of the historic event —and were the first to eat at the restaurant.“Fixins has become an extension of my family’s legacy, and I’m so excited to bring our new location to Tulsa, my grandparents’ hometown,” Johnson said, according to AfroTech. “I’m so honored to be joined by the remaining Tulsa Massacre survivors, descendants, and community leaders on this important day as we give back to the Tulsa community.”
Other celebrities and elite in attendance included Tulsa Mayor GT Bynum and former MTV personality and talk show host Ananda Lewis.
The restaurant will open for a short time June 6 before its full opening with proceeds going toward the Greenwood Rising and
the Thunder Fellows Program. Fixins General Manager Derek Allen told News on 6 looks at the partnership as a way to uplift the youth.“One way we do it is we keep them out of the streets, keep them working, give them a job, skillset,” Allen said.
The restaurant will provide 85 new jobs for the community and will host a Juneteenth celebration on June 16.