This is one of the hardest messages I’ve ever had to write, because it’s not just about a business—it’s about a home for a community that I love.
Bakaris Pizza & Kava has been more than just a restaurant in Atlanta’s West End for over a decade; it has been a gathering place for conversation, culture, and connection. We’ve hosted open mics, community meetings, film screenings, celebrations, and quiet nights where people simply needed a safe, welcoming place to be themselves.
In the middle of trying to sustain that space, life hit hard. I was in a serious car accident that left me sidelined and incapacitated for about three and a half months, unable to be present in the way a small, community-centered business needs its owner to be. During that time, operations suffered, revenue dropped, and the financial strain that was already building became much harder to manage.
Now, because of rising costs and the fallout from that setback, Bakaris is several months behind on rent and facing possible closure. Before making any final decisions, I want to give the community a real say in what happens next: does this space still matter enough to fight for, or is it time to let it go?
The funds raised will be used to buy approximately 90 days of breathing room—nothing more and nothing less. That means covering back rent and related fees to prevent eviction, paying critical utilities like power, water, and internet, and securing basic inventory and relaunch costs so we can host focused “Support Bakari’s” nights and community events during this window.
This isn’t a request for endless support. It’s a request for time: time to stabilize after an unexpected personal crisis, to gather community input, and to either relaunch Bakaris on a stronger, more sustainable footing or, if that’s what the community decides, to close this chapter with honesty and dignity instead of disappearing quietly.
If you’ve ever eaten here, attended an event, sent a friend our way, or simply believe that spaces like this matter in changing neighborhoods, your support—whether it’s donating, sharing this campaign, or showing up to our Support Bakari’s by simply coming back to shop—genuinely makes a difference. You’re helping answer a real and difficult question about what we choose to preserve and what we allow to disappear.
Thank you for being part of the Bakaris' story, through the good seasons and the hard ones, and for walking with us as we decide what this next chapter will be.
— Haji Bakari Sillah & the Bakaris Team
Organizer
