2 Chainz finding himself stepping into real estate was a seed planted by his mother.
During an interview with “Earn Your Leisure,” the rapper and entrepreneur recalled his mom being a mortgage loan officer during his childhood, and that helped him better understand real estate.
“Early on when I was hustling, I tried to do a couple of little things to flip my money as far as buying little apartment buildings, Section 8 homes, and stuff like that,” he recalled. “And then, I ventured out and I started buying commercial [real estate]. Something that I could turn into a business.”
2 Chainz’s vision transformed into him now owning his Esco Restaurant & Tapas, Pink Trap House museum, and Pamper Nail Studio — all in the same area in Atlanta, GA. He told the podcast that he has seen his investment truly pay off.
“When I bought this dirt here, I probably paid half a million dollars for it, which I know I done doubled or tripled that,” he shared.
According to the company’s website, Esco Restaurant & Tapas’ menu includes lamb chops, lobster tails, catfish, ribeye, wings, burgers, gumbo, and more.
With the help of his business partner, Mychel “Snoop” Dillard, Esco Restaurant has reached seven years as a thriving business. 2 Chainz believes its unique dining and lounge experience is what has contributed to his and his team’s success.
“It’s a vibe, and with vibes people stick around a little longer than [a typical] restaurant… Although we have great food, we have other things that stimulate you as far as the music, the TVs, and great drinks,” he said.
With locations in Atlanta, GA, (including in Marietta and Morrow); Columbus, OH; and Memphis, TN, 2 Chainz is looking to further expand his Esco franchise. He shared that there is an upcoming location heading to Dallas, TX.
In regard to franchises, 2 Chainz has also been tied to Krystal burger chain. As AFROTECH previously told you, in 2022, he was appointed as the head of creative marketing for its rebirth after facing bankruptcy twice.
“It’s an identifiable brand that needs to be rebooted,” 2 Chainz told Franchise Times. “It’s a part of my community. It was a part of my household early on, obviously, before I started moving on and having my own personal chef.”
He continued, “I was someone that ate here, and like I said, it’s a brand, man, that’s very identifiable and with just a little bit of tweaking it’ll be what it once was. That’s what I’m here for, that’s what I’m excited for and that’s why it’s actually bigger than a check for me because I can actually see how I can change a brand like this in real time.”
