Locals are fighting to save a soul food restaurant that has served L.A.’s Crenshaw neighborhood for more than 30 years.
Dulan’s Soul Food Kitchen has been cooking up classics like fried chicken, mac and cheese, meatloaf and more for devoted diners across SoCal.
Greg Dulan’s parents founded the business 50 years ago and, despite recent financial setbacks, Dulan said he hopes to continue his family’s legacy.
“I love coming to work,” Dulan said. “I love what I do. I love serving the community.”
Dulan’s loved ones said his restaurant is now in jeopardy due to a poor business decision and advice he received.
“Forcing this [restaurant] to go into foreclosure because one of the transactions that took place, somebody had advised [Dulan] to wrap this property into it, so it jeopardized his business as well,” said Shawn Davis, a community advocate.
On Wednesday night, friends and community members held an emergency fundraiser to help Dulan raise funds to save his family’s restaurant. Dulan had plans to expand the eatery into the adjacent property, where he also wanted to open a culinary school.
Many longtime patrons and local residents showed up to support the cause, including actor and comedian Tiffany Haddish. A Crenshaw native, Haddish has promised to match all donations received.
“I like the chicken, I like the greens and I love the banana pudding,” Haddish told KTLA. “It makes me feel so good to see the community show up and there are people here I used to run the streets with back in the 1900s. It’s like a little reunion. It’s an honor and privilege to stand up for a business that looked out for us, for me and my family.”
Dulan said he was beyond thankful for the support he’s received.
“The community wanted to do this for me,” Dulan said. “I was reluctant. I’m a very private person and I didn’t want to go public. They wanted to do it, so I embraced it and I’m overwhelmed with emotion.”
More information about Dulan’s Soul Food Kitchen can be found here.
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