Pamela Gardner-Miller recently took over her aunt Vernadine’s soul food kitchen in Old Town.
Throwing a bit of her own personality into the space, Gardner-Miller renamed it Hattie’s Kitchen, a name derived from her grandmother who worked in 
a General Motors’ kitchen for 50 years.
Gardner-Miller and her aunt had talked about the transition for two years before Gardner-Miller actually took over.
“She gave me an opportunity I probably would not otherwise get,” Gardner-Miller says. Gardner-Miller officially took over in January.
Hattie’s Kitchen continues to serve the well-known soul food sold under Vernadine’s command, but Gardner-Miller’s also added new items, such as strawberry walnut salads and funky fries, to the menu.
“I love the diversity here,” Gardner-Miller says of Old Town. “There's a diversity of people, not just one type of person, it’s a rainbow of people.”
To cater to a diverse crowd, Gardner-Miller has also extended her hours. She closes at 7 p.m., but reopens on weekends from 1 a.m. to 3:30 a.m. to accommodate hungry people leaving the clubs.
Hattie’s Kitchen, which is located at 401 E. Grand River Ave., will have its grand opening celebration April 5.
Source: Pamela Gardner-Miller, Hattie’s Kitchen
Ivy Hughes, development news editor, can be reached here.
All Photographs © Dave Trumpie
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