2 Sisters Fuel Community In Southwest Atlanta With BOSK, The Burger Spot That Does It All

The restaurant is a revival of the Southwest side's culinary and cultural scene.

Two native Atlanta sisters have opened a unique restaurant and cafe to feed the city’s Southwest area.

Nako and Narie Roberson have created a new cultural movement with Bosk, a burger spot and cafe that helps residents feel at home through delicious bites and a local persona. As new entrepreneurs to the restaurant scene, they created “Big Oomp Studio Kitchen” as a tribute to a famed record shop on Atlanta’s southwest side.

As a new pillar in the community, they chose to take on an area marginalized by Atlanta’s rapid development. Now, they have curated meals that center this community and its homegrown residents, honoring their roots with each recipe. Fans and critics have already praised its menu selections, with Atlanta figures such as Kandi Burruss and Mayor Andre Dickens stopping by to snag a plate.

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The Roberson sisters spoke with BLACK ENTERPRISE about how this eatery came to life, and their dedication to Southwest Atlanta as a new cultural institution. As for the reason behind opening on this side of town, Narie explained how career shifts prompted her to take a chance not only on herself, but also on her surrounding neighborhood.

“I was at a place in my career, I have a hair background, where I wanted to do something different,” she tells BE. “And I just kept driving by [the building] and, at one point on the sign, it said it only had one space left available. I had called my dad. I’m like,’ I know you don’t want to do nothing else, but I know you always wanted a restaurant. It’s this place. They’re building this development right here by my house. Like, I’ll stop doing hair. I’ll see it through full throttle, you know, construction to employees, to working in there every day. You know, like, just take a chance on me.'”

Narie not only led the operations but also oversaw the construction from the ground up. Working through the labor and delivery of her own son, she learned the ins and outs of general contracting to fulfill this dream.

However, BOSK, which also stands for Building On Success Kindly, doesn’t stop at flipping burgers. Just next door, the entrepreneurial sisters developed a second business. The establishment, called BOSK Cafe, is a love letter to reading, community, and their sisterhood.

With over $1 million invested in BOSK’s success, the women have lofty plans and a widespread taste for its offerings. They aim to explore new menu items beyond traditional Southern eats, developed by their chef, a childhood friend, to appeal to varied palettes. New features include wine tastings, cigar smoking, and tapas, all to showcase their versatility in the culinary scene.

Her sister, Nako, added, “My dad invested in us, no loans. We don’t owe nobody. So this is straight, straight, family business. Sacrificing and trusting us. No debt.”

However, what remains the same is their storied love for Southwest Atlanta. Home of famous “ATLien” hotspots like Cascade skating rink and West End Mall, the area has a livable history that the Robersons take immense pride in. Although some might argue that a million-dollar investment in the neighborhood’s dining options would yield little return, the sisters take a different view, calling the location crucial to the restaurant’s essence.

“We’re SWATS. We’re ATL for real,” continued Nako. “We wouldn’t have put this nowhere else. Although people feel like it still isn’t the ideal location…we want that nostalgia feeling.”

The Robersons want to prove that the Southwest side has something to say, and eat. Since its opening, the menu has garnered a reputation for its burgers, with variations including the “Cascade,” “Dirty South,” and “AUC.” And, their “Sobu” salad, which stands for South of Buckhead, and other soul food delights have also captivated diverse eaters.

As customers, from postal workers to local politicians, pour in, the familial atmosphere at BOSK is a part of its charm that keeps tables filled.

“So with us trying to bring a more elevated experience to the side of Atlanta, we’re just trying to bring people over here,” they continued. [We want] to let people know that even though this [area] does have the stigma around it, that this is the hood or, you know, things like that, you don’t have to go on a highway to have a good time. Why can’t we be in our community?”

While their journey has hurdled some challenges, the Roberson women believe these obstacles have made them better business owners in the long run. They remain an integral part of their community as they run BOSK daily, a tip they say is crucial to sustaining a new business.

“My advice I can give to any business owner is face on the place…I don’t think that any restaurant owner in the first 5 years of their business should be parlaying somewhere else,” added Narie.

“You need to be right here, whether you are in the position to pay yourself, to be gone, or not. You need to be in this restaurant every single day. If you can’t be here from open to close, you at least need to spend 6 or 7 hours of the open hours here. Not only to let your customers know that you’re here, you ain’t walking out of here with nothing. And also, too, that your customers see that you’re here. You know, like, we’re here. We’re invested.”

As they continue to invest in this legendary part of Atlanta’s cultural ecosystem, the sisters and BOSK are becoming beacons of representation and pride for the Southwest community.

“I still kind of get emotional sometimes when I walk over there, and I see tons of people just sitting down,” added Nako. “It makes me feel like we brought community back to Southwest Atlanta, and I’m very incredibly thankful.”

BOSK is celebrating Mother’s Day early. On May 9, the establishment is hosting A Toast to Her: An Intimate Mother’s Day Wine Tasting Experience. The event kicks off at 7PM; guest will not only enjoy a curated wine tasting, but also light bites from the kitchen, good music and great vibes.