The Soul Behind the Vick: Kadijah Vickers’ Recipe for Resilience, Flavor & Community
Where Southern Tradition Meets Atlanta’s Creative Spirit
Photo by Skyy Wonders at The Vick at Healey
Some restaurants serve food. Others create an experience that lingers long after the last bite. The Vick ATL belongs in the latter category.
Founded by chef and restaurateur Kadijah Vickers, The Vick has grown from its beginnings in Roswell into a hospitality brand that brings together food, music, culture, and community. Across its locations, Vickers has created spaces where a soulful meal can lead to live music, a casual night out can turn into a celebration, and a restaurant can feel less like a business and more like a gathering place. But the story behind The Vick is perhaps even more compelling than what is served on the plate.
Vickers’ path to becoming a restaurateur was built through determination. As a young mother, she faced responsibilities that could have easily altered the trajectory of her life. Instead, she pursued her passion for culinary arts, eventually graduating from Le Cordon Bleu and developing a career that exposed her to virtually every side of the hospitality industry.
Photo by Skyy Wonders at The Vick at Healey
She learned what happens behind the scenes, from working the line and coordinating events to developing wine programs and creating memorable guest experiences. Those experiences became the foundation for the entrepreneur she is today. Her restaurants reflect that education. Vickers understands that great hospitality isn't simply about what's placed in front of a guest. It's about the atmosphere, the welcome, the music, the service, the details, and ultimately, how people feel when they're there.
In Roswell, The Vick on Canton has become a neighborhood destination where Southern food and entertainment share the same table. Located at 1182 Canton St., the Black-owned restaurant combines a Southern kitchen with the energy of a live music venue and sports bar. Guests can come for brunch, settle in for a from-scratch dinner, order a craft cocktail, catch a game, or spend the evening listening to jazz, soul, and R&B.
It's an intentionally versatile space, one that reflects Vickers' understanding of how people actually gather. A restaurant doesn't have to fit into one category. It can be the place you go for Sunday brunch. The spot where friends meet after work. The room where you discover a new favorite artist. Or the neighborhood destination where everybody knows the food will deliver.
Vickers expanded that vision into downtown Atlanta with The Vick at Healey, located inside the historic Healey Building at 57 Forsyth St. #49. Here, the brand takes on a distinctly downtown energy while maintaining the warmth and culinary soul that define The Vick. Live jazz, soul, and R&B provide the soundtrack, while Southern-inspired dishes and a full craft bar anchor the dining experience. Sports fans can also catch their favorite games on the screens, making the space equally suited for a night out, a casual gathering, or an evening of entertainment. The location represents another step in Vickers' evolution as a restaurateur, taking an established concept and introducing it to a new audience without losing its original spirit.
Photo by Skyy Wonders at The Vick at Healey
Vickers' culinary style is deeply connected to her Southern upbringing, but she isn't interested in being confined by tradition. Her food takes familiar Southern foundations and gives them room to become something new.
The Cajun Shrimp & Grits, for example, brings together the comfort of a Southern staple with a more pronounced, flavorful personality. The Braised Short Ribs, paired with creamy mashed potatoes, deliver the kind of slow-cooked comfort that feels immediately familiar. And then there is The Vick 75, a sparkling cocktail accented by house-made blackberry syrup, a small example of the creativity that extends beyond the kitchen. For Vickers, food is an expression of heritage, but it is also an opportunity to experiment.
What makes Kadijah Vickers' story particularly compelling is that her success isn't built around a single moment. It is the result of years of learning, adapting, and refusing to stop. She has experienced the hospitality business from multiple perspectives, giving her a rare understanding of both the creative and operational sides of running a restaurant. That experience also seems to have shaped the kind of spaces she wants to create. The Vick isn't designed simply to feed people. It is designed to bring people together. And perhaps that is the most authentic expression of Vickers' journey.
She took the challenges she encountered early in life and transformed them into fuel for something much larger, an evolving brand built around food, music, hospitality, and community. Her ambitions extend beyond Atlanta, too. One of her dream destinations is Jamaica, where she imagines eventually owning a bed-and-breakfast. Her favorite dish, fresh fish with peppers and rice, offers another glimpse into the flavors that inspire her personally. For now, however, Vickers is focused on building The Vick into a lasting name. Not just a restaurant. Not just a collection of locations. But a legacy built around the table.
Photo by Skyy Wonders at The Vick at Healey | Khadijah with The Vick Burger
Now, we invite Kadijah Vickers to take us beyond the menu and into the story behind The Vick, sharing the experiences, lessons, inspirations, and vision that continue to shape her journey as a chef, entrepreneur, and builder of community.
IMARO: Your journey has taken you from becoming a young mother to graduating from Le Cordon Bleu and building a restaurant brand. What part of that journey shaped you the most?
KADIJAH: The part of the journey that has shaped me most would be the STRUGGLE! The amount financially, physically, and mentally I have sacrificed along this journey has really shaped me as a person. It has allowed me to really hone in on what I want my life to look like long term.
IMARO: What did you see missing in the restaurant and hospitality scene that made you say, “I need to create this”?
KADIJAH: There is a lack of and need for more Supper Club type atmospheres. A one stop shop where you can Eat, Drink, Be Merry, and Dance the night away.
IMARO: The Vick on Canton has become a place for food, live music, sports, and community. What does creating that kind of environment mean to you?
KADIJAH: I created a culture where community thrives. When you come to The Vick it makes you feel good. Everyone is treated like family from the staff to the patrons. When people feel good, I am happy!
IMARO: What inspired you to bring The Vick concept into downtown Atlanta with the Healey location?
KADIJAH: I decided to bring The Vick Supper Club to Downtown Atlanta in The Historic Healey Building because I was ready for a new chapter, and I welcomed the challenge. I want to create history!
IMARO: How would you describe the personality of The Vick on Canton compared with The Vick at Healey?
KADIJAH: The personality of The Vick on Canton is more of a full stop coffee bar as well as craft cocktails and live jazz & blues. We have an older demographic, so it’s laid back. The Vick at Healey is more of an old school funk vibe so you can have your poetry & spoken word concert nights, comedy shows, burlesque shows as well as full live bands with jam sessions. It's really your dinner and a show go to place.
IMARO: Southern food has a deep history and emotional connection for many people. How do you honor that history while still making the cuisine your own?
KADIJAH: I just remember my mama's famous words.... " The more butter, the better!"
IMARO: Is there a particular dish on the menu that tells us the most about you as a chef?
KADIJAH: The menu item that tells you most about me is the Chicken & Provolone Panini. All of the multiple flavors and how they tie into each other and come together in the end is exactly how my life is set up. It consists of grilled cajun chicken breast with caramelized onion jam, rosemary aioli, arugula, sun dried tomatoes & provolone cheese on firmly toasted sourdough bread.
IMARO: You've worked in many areas of hospitality, from the kitchen to events and wine programs. What has that experience taught you about running a business?
KADIJAH: What my experience in the field has taught me about running a business is that you have to know how to budget and prioritize. Everyone is always counting on you to make it happen, so you have to remain solid in your faith and believe!
IMARO: You dream of Jamaica and eventually owning a bed-and-breakfast. What would that future chapter look like for you?
KADIJAH: My next chapter consists of me opening The Vick Supper Club & Bed and Breakfast. I will set up on the beach, destination unknown. I will go where the opportunity exists. Over the next couple years, I will travel and do some market research before settling into what feels like home and retiring on the property. When you are doing what you love, it doesn't feel like work.
IMARO: When you think about the legacy you want to leave behind, what do you hope people remember about Kadijah Vickers and The Vick?
KADIJAH: What I want people to remember about Kadijah Vickers “She didn’t just build businesses, she built spaces where people could become more.” I want people to remember I had a vision before everyone else could see it. I was willing to take an idea, put my name and energy behind it, and turn it into something people could experience. I want my name to represent courage, creativity, hospitality, resilience, leadership, and possibility. I want people to say, “Kadijah made people feel like they belonged.” Not just customers. Employees, artists, entrepreneurs, and mothers. Young people trying to find their way. People who needed a place to celebrate. People who simply needed somewhere they could walk through the door and feel good.
The Vick shouldn't only be remembered as a restaurant. It should be remembered as a feeling. A place where Sunday brunch became a memory. Where music brought strangers together. Where someone's birthday, first date, business meeting, girls' night, family dinner, or random Tuesday became a story they remembered years later. The Vick is the brand. Kadijah Vickers is the legacy.
Kadijah Vickers’ story is one of resilience, purpose, and a vision that continues to evolve. Through The Vick, she is creating more than dining experiences, she is building spaces where food, music, and community come together. And as she looks toward the future, she remains open to wherever the journey leads.
For Kadijah Vickers on and off the menu, the ultimate dream destination isn't a particular place, but rather a state of peace and quality of life, “When I get there, I will know.” Looking ahead, she hopes to build a Bed & Breakfast, while her favorite foods remain simple and flavorful: fresh fish and pasta. When visiting The Vick, her must-try recommendation is the short rib sliders, while the salmon & shrimp with grits represent her take on Southern comfort. And for a signature sip, she recommends the Lavender Lemon Drop. Her destination may be unwritten, but Kadijah is already building the legacy that will take her there.
Photo by Skyy Wonders at The Vick at Healey
Visit The Vick ATL
The Vick on Canton
1182 Canton St.
Roswell, GA 30075
Southern kitchen Supper Club • Live music • Brunch • From-scratch dinner • Craft cocktails • Coffee
The Vick at Healey
57 Forsyth St. #49
Atlanta, GA 30303
Southern cuisine Supper Club • Live Jazz & Funk • Soul & R&B • Craft bar • Sports
Website:www.thevickatl.com
Instagram:@thevickoncanton and @thevickathealey
PR & Media Contact: Tracey Newsome: newsome13@comcast.net