If you lived in or visited Atlanta between the late nineties and the mid-2010s, you knew the drill. You headed to Peachtree Street, stood in a line that snaked around the corner, and waited—sometimes for over an hour—just for a taste of the "Midnight Train." It was more than a meal. It was a cultural landmark.
Gladys Knight Chicken and Waffles wasn't just another celebrity-backed vanity project. It was the place where you’d see locals in their Sunday best rubbing elbows with tourists who had just hopped off a plane at Hartsfield-Jackson. The air smelled like maple syrup and deep-fryer oil, and the walls were lined with photos of the "Empress of Soul" herself.
But then, the music stopped.
Today, the neon signs are gone. The Peachtree location is now something else entirely, and the name "Gladys Knight" is legally scrubbed from the windows. Honestly, the downfall of this mini-empire is a messy mix of tax raids, family betrayal, and a very public legal battle that pitted a mother against her own son. It’s a story that still leaves a bad taste in the mouths of many Atlanta foodies.
The Rise of an Atlanta Institution
The restaurant launched in 1997. It was actually a collaboration between Gladys Knight and Ron Winans, another gospel legend. People often forget that part—Winans was a huge piece of the puzzle early on. They wanted a spot that captured the Harlem Renaissance vibe of the 1930s, specifically that late-night "breakfast-meets-dinner" energy.
It worked. Like, really worked.
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The menu was basically a love letter to Southern comfort. You had the Midnight Train, which featured four fried chicken wings (perfectly seasoned, never too greasy) and a giant, fluffy waffle. Then there were the sides: mac and cheese that actually had soul, collard greens with just the right amount of "pot liquor," and sweet potato pie that people would drive across state lines for.
For almost two decades, it was the "it" spot. But behind the scenes, the foundation was rotting. While Gladys Knight lent her name, her image, and her recipes to the business, she wasn't the one running the day-to-day. That job fell to her son, Shanga Hankerson.
The 2016 Raid: When the "Midnight Train" Derailed
The end didn't happen slowly. It happened all at once on a Tuesday in June 2016.
Imagine you’re sitting there, midway through a waffle, and the Georgia Department of Revenue walks in with search warrants. They didn’t just close the doors; they raided the corporate headquarters in Riverdale and all three restaurant locations.
Shanga Hankerson was at the center of it.
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The allegations were heavy. The state claimed he had collected sales tax from customers and withheld taxes from employees' paychecks but never actually sent that money to the government. We’re talking about over $650,000 in principal alone. Once you tacked on the interest and penalties, the bill was well over $1 million.
The investigators didn't hold back on the details, either. There were reports that the money meant for the state was instead being spent on "sex parties and marijuana." Whether that was sensationalized or not, the financial reality was undeniable: the business was being bled dry from the inside.
Why the "Empress of Soul" Had to Sue Her Own Son
The most heartbreaking part of the Gladys Knight Chicken and Waffles saga wasn't the tax bill; it was the family fallout.
Gladys was never a suspect. She had nothing to do with the accounting or the alleged theft. But her name was on the door. Her face was on the menus. As the scandal blew up, her reputation—built over sixty years in show business—was being dragged through the mud.
By September 2016, she’d had enough. She filed a lawsuit in federal court to officially remove her name, likeness, and memorabilia from the restaurants.
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- She wanted her photos off the walls.
- She wanted her name off the sign.
- She even wanted her "Intellectual Property" (the recipes) back.
The lawsuit was brutal. It described the restaurants as being in a "free fall," citing failing health inspections (at one point, the downtown location scored a 56) and a lack of basic supplies. Basically, the places were being run so poorly that they were "damaging the Knight brand."
Hankerson fought back, at one point making the wild claim in court documents that his mother was "mentally incompetent" and being manipulated by her husband. It was a low blow that didn't hold up. Eventually, they settled. By early 2017, the restaurants were ordered to stop using her name. They briefly tried to survive as "World Famous Chicken & Waffles," but without the Gladys magic, the spark was gone.
The Final Curtain Call
If you go to 529 Peachtree St NE today, you won't find Gladys. After the legal battle and the receivership, the locations eventually shuttered for good. The downtown spot was replaced by a different soul food concept, but the vibe shifted.
Shanga Hankerson eventually faced the music. In 2021, he was sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to pay back over $1 million in restitution. It was a definitive, albeit tragic, end to a legendary era.
So, where do you go now? If you're looking for that specific Gladys Knight Chicken and Waffles experience, it technically doesn't exist anymore. However, the legacy of that "Midnight Train" dish still influences the Atlanta food scene.
If you want to find the "next" iconic spot or just satisfy that craving, here is what you need to do:
- Check out The Busy Bee Cafe: If you want authentic, high-quality soul food that has stood the test of time (since 1947) without the drama, this is the gold standard in Atlanta.
- Visit Nana’s Chicken-N-Waffles: Located in Conyers, this spot captures that family-run, high-quality comfort food feel that Gladys’ place originally promised.
- Look for "Receivership" Red Flags: When dining at celebrity-owned spots, check recent health scores. A sudden drop in a score (like the 56 Gladys’ spot received) is often the first sign of management issues behind the scenes.
- Keep the Recipes Alive: Gladys Knight actually has a cookbook titled At Home with Gladys Knight. If you really miss those specific flavors, the recipes are out there for you to recreate in your own kitchen.
The story of Gladys Knight Chicken and Waffles is a cautionary tale about the dangers of mixing family with a high-stakes business. It serves as a reminder that a brand is only as strong as its operations, no matter how famous the person on the sign is.