This black-owned soul food restaurant in Charlotte is closing

40 years have passed, and this black-owned soul food restaurant in Charlotte will be closing its doors. Floyd’s Restaurant on North Graham Street plans to serve its last meal on June 29.

That’s not the news that diehard regulars like George Wallace and Jackie Perry want to hear. They’ve been going to Floyd’s regularly since the restaurant opened in 1971. Jackie says it was the place where families went to enjoy an old-fashioned meal. She says she and her family hosted “fish night” at their house every Friday night. They ordered takeout from Floyd’s – fried fish, mac and cheese and George’s favorite, candied yams. “It was the closest we got to my mother’s home cooking,” Jackie recalls. “Every time we went there, we felt like we were at home.”

The story of Floyd’s Soul Food Restaurant

Otis Floyd opened the first location on Tuckaseegee Road nearly 40 years ago.

And he built the restaurant into the place it is today. His son Tyrone now runs the business. He took over in 2014 after the elder Floyd died suddenly.

Tyrone says it was never his plan to run the restaurant. He was a successful engineer who loved his job. But he told WSOC-TV that with his father’s death, he didn’t want the family legacy to die as well. He says his father died two weeks before he was scheduled to retire.

Tyrone says he’s been frying chicken ever since and has put his whole self into the business. And he’s got the combat experience to prove it. Since taking over the business, he’s suffered two heart attacks. Tyrone believes his health scare reminded him that life is short.

He says he doesn’t want to repeat his father’s fate. He wants to be around one day to enjoy his grandchildren and family. It’s a sobering truth, but a bitter pill to swallow for the Perrys, who recognize the irony of it all. While the Floyds are closing their store for the sake of the family, they say it was Floyd’s restaurant that gave their family a sense of unity.

Janine “JD” Davis: JD The Diva is the fiery, bold and super-energetic radio and television personality you hear every weekday as the midday shift host (10am-3pm) on V 101.9. An award-winning radio and news journalist with 30 years of professional experience, Janine brings entertainment, news and inspiration to the air with her unique style. From her quick-witted “dirty” celebrity news to the live Facebook Mix Show with JD and her best dance moves to JD’s Inspirational Moments where she shares personal struggles and triumphs, JD keeps her listeners captivated and entertained. When she’s not on air, JD is involved in the community and advocates for black businesses and stories online. She enjoys writing about small black businesses, our HBCUs as a graduate, and all things supporting women.