All three Atlanta-area locations of Gladys Knight’s Chicken And Waffles were abruptly shut down Tuesday, June 21 in a Georgia tax raid.
Gladys Knight’s son, Shanga Hankerson, runs the restaurant operation is at the center of an Georgia Department of Revenue investigation involving $1 million. He is being accused of stealing over $650,000 in sales taxes and withholding taxes owed to the state. When you add the penalties, that’s where it hits the $1 million mark. He is also being accused of using the funds for personal use. Revenue officials seized Hankerson’s bank accounts and three luxury vehicles,
CNN reports that Hankerson has been in over two dozen payment plans since 2013 with the agency and has defaulted on all of them.
The restaurants could open as soon as Thursday, but under state control.
“We are working with Mr. Hankerson’s attorney to have the business up and running again as soon as possible. As soon as a receivership agreement is reached between the state and Hankerson, the restaurant should reopen for business,” says special investigation director, Josh Waites to CNN.
Hankerson was in Florida at the time of the raid and is currently negotiating his surrender.
Knight herself is not involved in the restaurant business. She allowed Hankerson to use her name just like any other celebrity does when endorsing products or services.
Gladys Knight’s Chicken And Waffles opened in Atlanta in 1997 and has been a cultural staple in the city ever since. Many celebrities have been spotted there or hosted events at the downtown location. To this day there are long lines on weekends.
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Photo: Screenshot
