Owner of Philadelphia’s Chubby Chicks restaurant claims she’s been harassed since opening: ‘I thought we would be (welcomed here)’
Restaurateur Shakeira Turner alleges that rodents have been left at the eatery’s front door, and she’s been harassed and bullied by some in the community.
A restaurant owner in Philadelphia is alleging harassment and bullying from the community since opening in December 2024. Shakeira Turner, known online as Chef Keira, is the founder and owner of Chubby Chicks, a restaurant located in the Center City neighborhood of Philadelphia.
What should have been an exciting time for the establishment has been rough sledding; Turner alleged that since opening, she’s received complaints to her landlord and harassment from the community in the form of stolen signs and flooding her basement. While Ms. Turner is hoping not to have to leave, she says she hasn’t felt welcomed in the neighborhood.
“We are basically not too welcomed here. I thought that we would be, and I thought maybe this would be a good addition to the street,” she told Philadelphia’s Fox29.
Turner, who authored the book, “Recipes From a Chubby Chick,” has put all of her resources into opening the eatery. “My life savings, my home, all of that is wrapped up into this business, so it’s not just, ‘Oh, if I have to go,’ no, it would be devastating,” she shared.
On one occasion, she shared that a rodent was left at the front door of the establishment. During one confrontation with a community member, she alleges that she was accused in not-so-coded language of not belonging there, a sentiment that she expressed was hurtful.
“I even had someone tell me to my face, ‘How did I get here? Did I use my drug dealer baby daddy money?’ So it’s hurtful. It’s extremely hurtful.”
Turner has received various complaints about her to her landlord from the community about the patrons and the environment that exists at the restaurant, something that she finds surprising.
“They are saying that we are playing unusual music and that we are playing riffraff coming out of here, and that is just not true. We are open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. during the week, and they were saying that we are playing music until 2 a.m. We are not even here,” said Turner.
According to the restaurant’s Instagram page, it is open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Since speaking out about the bullying and harassment, though, Turner said that she’s received an overwhelming amount of public support. On her IG, she shared a video where she thanked everybody for coming out to show support and eat at her restaurant and to also make sure that people realize that the neighboring businesses have been supportive, naming specifically Hi-Lo Taco and Scoop DeVille as places she hopes aren’t receiving negative attention from her supporters.
“A huge THANK YOU to everyone who came out today and filled Chubby Chicks with overwhelming love!” said Turner. “Your support means the world to us, and we’re so grateful to serve such amazing customers.”
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