A ceremony announcing the opening of the Detroit location of Fixins Soul Kitchen, a full-service soul food restaurant, took place Wednesday, at its future location at 1435 Randolph St., in Detroit’s historic Paradise Valley neighborhood.
The restaurant is scheduled to open in mid-December.
Fixins was founded by Oak Park native, former NBA All-Star, and 55th mayor of Sacramento, Calif., Kevin Johnson (KJ) and his wife, Michelle. He was joined at the opening by Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, landlord and architect Rainy Hamilton Jr., and guests from Detroit’s business community.
There currently are three other Fixins restaurants — in Sacramento, Los Angeles, and Tulsa, Okla. The new location in Detroit’s Paradise Valley neighborhood, formerly Harmonie Park, was a booming business district and entertainment center in the 1920s through the 1950s that was originally built by the German community.
Fixins was founded in 2019 and combines the Johnson family’s appreciation of Black culture with their love of food. The restaurant’s menu pays homage to the soul food Kevin Johnson grew up with and includes family favorite recipes made from scratch.
Dishes include signature chicken and waffles, oxtails, shrimp and grits, and deep-fried deviled eggs. Fixins Detroit will be an 8,400-square-foot restaurant with a total of 325 seats. The space was formerly home to Intermezzo, followed by the Detroit Seafood Market.
