Chubby Chicks, a Black-owned brunch spot in Center City, will close its doors in the coming weeks.
Chef and owner Shakeira Turner announced the move on Instagram Monday, and said the restaurant at 1113 Walnut St. would be shuttered "by next month," although she did not provide a specific date. The decision follows a public controversy that went viral in February in which Turner said that she experienced harassment from nearby residents.
"Unfortunately, we have to move out of this location," Turned said in the post. "This the most devastating thing, I think, that ever happened to me in my life."
Turner said that she has to move because of a large number of violation claims made against the restaurant, which meant that she was in violation of her lease. She's looking at new spaces for the eatery, but also considering moving her business to Atlanta, instead.
Turner opened the restaurant in December, moving from her original spot in Blackwood, New Jersey to the larger one in Philadelphia. But she alleged that she had issues with neighbors that started before she opened, including signs stolen, dead rats being left on her door and people entering the space after-hours to flood the restroom. The condo association also fined the building's landlord for noise complaints for the restaurants karaoke events, and those costs were passed on to Turner, the Inquirer reported.
The incident gained attention after a post from creator Dr. Afia on Feb. 16. which said that the owners were experiencing racial discrimination. But despite support from the community and City Council members, Turner said in the video that she and her children continually received hateful messages on social media.
"The harassment had never stopped, I think that's been misconstrued," Turner said. "I just stopped talking about it on social media because it's hurtful. This is our real life."