A short-lived restaurant operated by DeKalb County Commissioner Lorraine Cochran-Johnson and her aunt closed down due to difficulties finding enough staff.
Annie’s Crab Kingdom was a family affair for Cochran-Johnson and her aunt Annie Page, for whom the restaurant is named. Several of their family members were involved in the business, which opened in August 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but they announced this past weekend that they were permanently closing.
“My Aunt has been offered an opportunity to pursue retail distribution of her sauces and spices in grocery chains,” Cochran-Johnson said in an email to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for her because it removes the stress associated with staffing that many small businesses face at this time.”
She said the building, located at 6768 Browns Mill Road in Stonecrest, has new owners who plan to open a Hibachi restaurant. Cochran-Johnson said the new owner will be the chief cook, so she expects the new venture to be successful.
Despite closing, Cochran-Johnson said it might not be the last time locals get a chance to eat her aunt’s cooking, which focused on seafood and southern staples.
“We plan to work alongside (the new owners) as they open the doors and possibly hold Annie’s Crab Kingdom pop-ups one Sunday each month at the location, since they will be closed on Sundays.”
Annie’s Crab Kingdom was among the 138 small businesses that received pandemic relief funds from Stonecrest — a program mired in scandal following a bombshell report alleging financial misuse and mismanagement by elected officials and city staff members. The restaurant received $25,000. No questions have been raised about Annie’s grant and Acting City Manager Janice Allen Jackson previously told the AJC that recipients — most of whom are not implicated in the report — will not be asked to return their awards.
Cochran-Johnson, who previously said she trusted investigators would parse out what took place regarding the relief program, said the restaurant was a worthwhile endeavor for her family.
“The restaurant was a great experience and the relationships that were made mean everything to us,” she said. “Both Annie and I love the community and not seeing many of the customers weekly will be hard for us all.”
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