Today we’d like to introduce you to Gregory Johnson.
Hi Gregory, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
In December of 2020, I was set to open an upscale casual Restaurant and adjacent Dessert Bar in the two adjacent buildings on the corner of Edgewood and Boulevard called Edgewood Dynasty and Cake Social Bar.
My name is Dr. Gregory Johnson. Originally from NYC. US Air Force Disabled Veteran, former Major and Director of Chest Imaging at David Grant Medical Center, Travis Air Force Base. Trained at Johns Hopkins, where I served as Chief Resident in the Dept of Radiology. I am a Black Belt in Brazilian Jiujitsu, having trained for over 15 years.
I was offered to purchase a restaurant, formerly The Sound Table, located in the MLK Jr Historic District in Oct 2020.
Three days before my Grand opening, the trajectory of my life completely changed forever.
My new employees were inside the building filling out their W-4’s when the western wall of the building began to collapse. The employees had to run into the street in fear for their lives. No one was injured, thankfully but it took two years to rebuild.
The cause of the collapse was due to 2 nearby construction projects.
A construction crew was beginning construction of a new building in an open lot directly next to my restaurant. They excavated the dirt next to the wall so that they could create their subfloor.
They excavated all of the lands next to the western wall and had plans to reinforce the wall the next day.
Unfortunately, there was a construction project one lot over that started to perform Pile Driving that morning before the wall was reinforced.
The seismic activity was very strong, shaking the ground, and the combination of those things caused the wall to collapse.
Neither company has taken responsibility for the collapse, leaving me to shoulder the cost of the rebuild entirely on my own.
The building landlord rebuilt the wall, and I had to rebuild the inside of the restaurant.
We were interviewed after the wall collapsed two years ago.
https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/partial-collapse-of-atlanta-building-forces-businesses-to-close
I had never done anything like this before. This was a Commercial Rebuild. I had to hire architects, pull permits, General Contractors and subcontractors and bring the entire building to the current code.
It took all of my personal finances to rebuild the space, but I was able to rebuild.
The restaurant is now open and ready to serve customers.
Two years of no revenue and having to pay rent completely divested my finances.
It was a dream of mine to open a Supper Club, to provide a space for people to come together to enjoy fine dining, handcrafted spirits, listen to music and enjoy brunch and dinner.
My goal is to feature local artists, live music, DJ’s and combine this in a historic district to create a welcoming atmosphere for guests to come and enjoy a meal in the company of others in a 120-year-old building.
We are one block from the MLK Birth home, Memorial and Ebenezer Baptist Church.
6 blocks from the Beltline.
Along a restaurant row on Edgewood Ave.
I have truly lost so much during the rebuild, my marriage suffered, and my children suffered.
I have two daughters.
One lives here in ATL.
She is a Shriner’s kid.
Born with one arm and one leg, she wears a prosthetic leg.
She had a dream of being a Personal Chef and a Gamer.
Part of the reason I bought the restaurant was so that she could learn to become a chef and live her dreams.
I want to inspire others to pursue their dreams and overcome insurmountable obstacles.
Hopefully, this is the beginning of a story of redemption and perseverance with a positive ending.
This entire ordeal has been overwhelming.
To be completely transparent, I almost didn’t get to write this to be honest. I was discharged from the hospital a few days ago for ‘stress’.
I hope to be able to share my story and find community support to help me make the business a success.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The cost and challenges of rebuilding
During covid
As a Chest Radiologist
In my primary profession, I am an Emergency Tele-Radiologist specializing in Chest radiology. I interpret Imaging Exams including CT scans, x-ray, ultrasounds, MRIs and nuclear medicine studies for hospitals from Hawaii to Maine. My group covers 150 hospitals in 15 different states.
So during the rebuild, I was diagnosing Covid, in addition to the other patients that go to the ER. Motor vehicle collisions, stroke, gunshot victims, etc.
I caught Covid twice.
The contractors caught covid as well.
There were supply chain issues due to Covid.
The rebuild was very challenging, but we did it.
We opened in January 2020.
The slowest season of the year.
Everything has been a challenge, but we will push forward and make this project a success!
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Edgewood Dynasty?
We are an Upscale Casual Fine Dining Restaurant
I want people to come for the experience of a Supper Club in a historic district, a 120-year-old building promoting excellent food, handcrafted drinks, music and promote Atlanta culture with Curated events.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
Technology will impact the restaurant industry.
Another big change will be specific to the city of Atlanta, the steady influx of people, the Arts, Movies, and Technology industry (Microsoft, Google, etc) all coming here. The presence of the busiest international Airport, the nearby developing Beltline all combines to make Atlanta the dynamic and wonderful multicultural city that I have come to love.
There is a reason Money Magazine ranked Atl as the #1 city in the country in its latest rankings.
I look forward to being a part of what is coming to the city.
I am excited to be a part of these coming changes.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.edgewooddynasty.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EdgewoodDynasty
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-gregory-johnson-edgewood-dynasty/
- Other: https://www.gofundme.com/f/edgewood-dynasty-disaster-fund
Image Credits
Self-image Gregory Johnson, MD no credits
