Fixins Soul Kitchen: Born in Oak Park, Built for the Culture

Fixins Soul Kitchen didn’t start in a boardroom — it started at a family BBQ. Founded by former NBA All-Star and Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson and his wife Michelle, Fixins was built to honor the recipes, traditions, and rich heritage of African American culture. Grandma Gladys’ peach cobbler. The annual collard greens competition. The potato salad debates. All of it lives on inside every Fixins location.

Kevin spent 12 years in the NBA traveling to 28 cities, chasing the kind of home cooking that hits different when you’re far from family. That craving — and Michelle’s obsession with great food — became the blueprint for a restaurant that blends authentic soul food with impeccable service and a hip, energetic atmosphere that feels like Black excellence on every level.

Born in Sacramento’s historic Oak Park neighborhood, Fixins has grown into a multi-city movement with locations in Los Angeles (LA Live), Tulsa (Black Wall Street), and Detroit (Paradise Valley). Each location is rooted in community impact — from local hiring initiatives and youth culinary programs to second-chance employment and a commitment to becoming zero-waste facilities.

This isn’t just soul food. It’s a celebration of where we come from — and proof of how far we can go.