TULSA, Okla.–The owner of Scrambl’d on Greenwood announced it was closing and leaving Black Wall Street Tuesday, Feb. 25, after an undisclosed dispute with the controversial and far-right, current Greenwood Chamber of Commerce.
“It is with a heavy heart that Scrambl’d on Greenwood announces the closures of its doors. Despite the hard work, passion and dedication poured into the business, the decision to close has been made due to challenges beyond our control, notably the negligence of the Greenwood Chamber of Commerce,” read a statement released on Facebook.
Cordell Love and Jabee Williams are the owners of Scrambl’d. In a call with the Black Wall Street Times, Williams confirmed the sudden closure of the Greenwood location has no impact on the original Scrambl’d in OKC.
Meanwhile, the sudden closure has left supporters of the beloved breakfast spot scrambling to understand what happened.
“I hate to hear this!!!!!! Hopefully you can find another location. Otherwise, see you in OKC,” wrote one Facebook user.
“GCC strikes again! My sincere apologies that you have joined the multitude of business owners that they’ve harmed,” another wrote.
Notably, this isn’t the first time the Greenwood Chamber of Commerce has pushed out Black-owned businesses from Black Wall Street.
Greenwood Chamber mired in controversy
Culver Freeman, the far-right, Trump-supporting chamber president who came to Tulsa from Texas, has been mired in controversy for years. His move drastically altered the makeup of the chamber and morphed it into what some criticize as his own personal image. He is also not a descendant of survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.
Culver’s been accused of raising rents and creating new fees to push out business owners he doesn’t like while installing his own friends or acquaintance into the storefronts.
Most recently, Freeman allowed disgraced attorney Ron Durbin and former Tulsa City Councilor Grant Miller to rent a building for the Firm on Greenwood.
Durbin and his supporters would often harass people on Greenwood and around Tulsa who disagreed with his lawsuits and antics. Durbin harassed a sitting Black woman judge and Tulsa City Councilor Vanessa Hall-Harper, a Black woman, during court hearings and after city council meetings. He’s been arrested on more than one occasion.
The Oklahoma Supreme Court suspended Durbin’s law license last April, and Miller was denied entry into the Oklahoma Bar Association. The Firm on Greenwood has since been closed.
Culver Freeman’s history of hostility
Freeman allegedly used the N-word against Tori Tyson, owner of the Blow Out Hair Studio, who accused him of wrongfully terminating her lease in 2020.
Wanda J’s, a longtime staple of soul food on Black Wall Street, was forced to relocate over a year ago after facing continued rent increases.
In 2022, the Black Wall Street Times covered the case of Devin Williams, who owned the DW Speakeasy, the only one of its kind in Greenwood. Williams ultimately shut down the business after months of litigation with Greenwood Chamber of Commerce over alleged contract violations.
That same year, GCC President Freeman blatantly lied to this reporter when the city found several of his buildings had violated eight building safety codes.
Ultimately, the hostility from the chamber toward Black entrepreneurs led to the formation of a separate chamber, the Black Wall Street Chamber of Commerce.
Led by Kuma Roberts, the BWSCC works to support Black-owned businesses at every stage of their journey while managing to avoid controversy.
What’s next for Scrambl’d?
Williams confirmed with theBWSTimes that the Greenwood closure will not impact his restaurant’s operations.
Meanwhile, the owners hope that despite the dispute with the Greenwood Chamber, Scrambl’d’s time on Tulsa’s Black Wall Street inspired the community.
“While Scrambl’d may be closing on Greenwood, we hope we have captured the hearts and minds of the community and shown Greenwood the true potential for economic growth.”
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