Stay Connected
Atlanta Black Star/Business
BusinessEntertainmentLocal

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Closes His Atlanta Restaurant, Justin’s

Posted byBy ABS Contributor | Published on: CommentsComments (7)

Add Sean “Diddy” Combs to the list of entertainers whose restaurant ventures in Atlanta eventually failed. The Bad Boy Entertainment mogul, through his parent company, confirmed that Justin’s — the one-time super hot restaurant in south Buckhead — has closed.

There was speculation that Justin’s was shut down for renovations and would reopen. Not. Once known for “Martini Mondays” and celebrity-filled weekend nights, Justin’s fell off in recent years and was unable to relocate its early magic.

Combs’ first Justin’s restaurant, in New York, closed after 10 years in 2007. His Atlanta location lasted 14 years.

Bad Boy Worldwide Entertainment Group (BBWEG), founded by Combs, said in a statement that Justin’s was closed in order to pursue “other business ventures in music, television, fashion, fragrance and spirits.” It added that is is “actively exploring business opportunities in Atlanta” and promises “to have a strong presence in the region.”

Atlanta-based entertainers Usher, Ludacris and Jermaine Dupri all have also closed their restaurants in Atlanta in the last few years.  Dupri’s Cafe Dupri shut down in 2008, three years after he opened it.  The space is now home to La Fourchette.  Usher’s The Grape, a wine bistro in Inman Park, closed near the end of 2009 and is now PURE Taqueria.  Ludacris opened Straits in Midtown 2008; it closed in January. Ludacris announced  he had won a contract to open Chicken N Beer at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Only Gladys Knight’s and Ron Winan’s Chicken And Waffles remain among entertainers in the restaurant industry in Atlanta.

Independent journalism doesn't fund itself.

We hope this story was worth your time. For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed Black-owned and independently run. We didn't get here by waiting on ad budgets that were never built to prioritize us. Our readers did that.

Corporate support for Black media has always been thin. Outlets like ours get roughly 1% of the $170 billion spent on U.S. advertising each year, and that margin is shrinking further as advertisers walk back the DEI-linked commitments they made in 2020. That's the backdrop. It's not why we're asking.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Give once Give monthly Support another way

Related Stories

Back to top