Owner And Head Chef
Amos N Andys
Acquired in 1987, Amos 'n Andys was a Durham, NC established eatery started in the late 1920's. After Johnny, the sole owner and only survivor died, the reastaurant was left to the employee who had been there the longest and over the course of five yeras, this person was able to acquire a sizeable debt as a result of his even greater drug habit. I purchased the property and completed a full renovation and makeover. To brag, with my menu revamping, we had lunch lines out the door and standing room only. We added dinner, and as chef/cook, if you will, it was fun and exciting. Not to mention a great deal of work with even greater hours. My partner had the genius idea to add live music and the band Mofoco from California came to headline and play as house band, joined by Phil Lee. Too many directions, too much work, too much fun, too many long hours. Too busy! My other business was suffering so I proposed a buyout to my partner:it's you or me. He won. Or I did, depending on how you look at it, and he "bought me out." Sadly, under his care and direction, Amos n Andys closed sometime in the 1990's. By the way, the restaurant was originally called Johnny's after the owner but was later changed to Amos 'n Andys after Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll, the original Amos 'n Andy of radio fame and later producers of the TV show from the 1950's of the same name. Gosden and Correll were regulars at Johnnys and often rehearsed for their radio show at the establishment.
