The Busy Bee Café
| The Busy Bee Café | |
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 Front entrance of the Busy Bee Café | |
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The Busy Bee Café is a restaurant in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It is a well-known location in the history of the U.S. civil rights movement. In 2022 it was named one of America's Classics by the James Beard Foundation.
Description
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The restaurant specializes in southern and soul food specialties such as catfish, fried chicken, ham hocks, macaroni and cheese, collard greens, and cornbread.[1] Country Living said it was best known for its fried chicken.[2]
History
[edit]The restaurant was opened by Lucy Jackson, a self-taught cook from Carrollton, Georgia, in 1947 on what was at the time called Hunter Street, now Martin Luther King Drive.[1][3] At that time Hunter Street was one of only two streets in Atlanta where Black entrepreneurs were allowed to open businesses and where Black diners were welcome in restaurants.[1][4]
The Busy Bee and Paschal's became meeting places for civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Hosea Williams.[1][4][5][3][6] According to Unique Eats and Eateries of Atlanta, the restaurant is "as well known for its role in the civil rights movement as it is for its fried chicken."[3]
In 1968 Jackson sold the restaurant to two local businessmen.[3] In 1981 Milton Gates bought it.[3]
As of 2022 the restaurant is owned by Tracy Gates, who took over from her father in 1987.[1][4][7]
Reception
[edit]In 2022 the restaurant was named one of America's Classics by the James Beard Foundation.[1] Roadfood called them "the best Southern restaurant in Atlanta. Period."[8]
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f "Announcing the 2022 America's Classics Winners | James Beard Foundation". www.jamesbeard.org. Archived from the original on January 24, 2023. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
- ^ "Here's Everything You Should Do, See, and Eat in Atlanta". Country Living. February 9, 2023. Archived from the original on February 27, 2023. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Plumb, Amanda (May 15, 2021). Unique Eats and Eateries of Atlanta. Reedy Press LLC. ISBN 978-1-68106-314-0.
- ^ a b c King, Michael (February 6, 2023). "Atlanta history and Black history are intertwined in many ways". www.cbsnews.com. Archived from the original on February 27, 2023. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
- ^ Douglas, Deborah D. (January 12, 2021). Moon U.S. Civil Rights Trail: A Traveler's Guide to the People, Places, and Events that Made the Movement. Avalon Publishing. ISBN 978-1-64049-916-4. Archived from the original on February 27, 2023. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
- ^ "The Restaurants that Fueled the Civil Rights Movement". Atlanta History Center. January 10, 2022. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
- ^ Brock, Wendell. "How Busy Bee is fighting to feed the soul food faithful". Archived from the original on February 27, 2023. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
- ^ "Busy Bee Cafe". Roadfood.com. Retrieved February 28, 2023.