Surrounded by local community members and business leaders on the rooftop of Roosevelt Hall, The Atlanta Voice publisher Janis Ware was honored at the City of Atlanta’s Salute to Legacy luncheon on Tuesday afternoon. The event recognized longstanding local businesses that have helped shape the cultural and economic fabric of Atlanta for the past 30 years. Under the helm of Ware and her dedication to innovation and community impact, The Atlanta Voice has stood the test of time in its mission to be a voice for the people, since it was co-founded by her father, J. Lowell Ware, in 1966.
“I’m excited and thrilled to be recognized as a legacy business. It’s not easy to make it 30 years, and it’s even more of an accomplishment to get to 60,” Ware said.
The event was the brainchild of Invest Atlanta, the city’s economic development authority. Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, who also serves as chair of the Invest Atlanta board, attended the luncheon and recognized the adaptability and resilience of many of Atlanta’s small business owners. Dickens emphasized the importance of celebrating these legacy businesses that have contributed to Atlanta becoming the “city that influences everything.”
“Legacy businesses are pillars and economic anchors for the community, and we can’t be a city of opportunity for all if we don’t uplift our legacy businesses. You all provide consistent jobs for our residents…. These businesses have mentored generations of entrepreneurs and reinvested in our local economy, whether it is boom or bust, recession or pandemic, or any other thing — 30 years you have endured,” Dickens said.
“Your longevity brings economic stability to our neighborhoods, and this is especially important in times of uncertainty. Your businesses represent the living history of Atlanta, each one of you telling a story of your own and a collective, shared journey that we all have. To stay in business for 30 years or more takes resilience, innovation, and deep connection to the community.”
The Atlanta Local Legacy Program comprises over 400 businesses. Those who are a part of the program are included in an online registry that allows interested customers to find and patronize their establishments, and are qualified to apply for improvement grants aimed at sustaining vital businesses within the community.
Twenty businesses were inaugural recipients of the local legacy program celebration, including The Atlanta Voice, Busy Bee Cafe, Atlanta Human Performance Center, The Beautiful Restaurant, Georgia Justice Project and Mr. Everything Cafe, to name a few. Each business was awarded the first edition of the Atlanta Legacy Coin, a commemorative gift that Invest Atlanta President Eloisa Klementich said will continue the legacy of telling the stories of important organizations and events in the city.
“Longevity in business is not just about profit. It’s about purpose. It’s about people. It’s about preservation,” Klementich said. “You [legacy businesses] have helped to build and inspire the foundation we all stand on, and we continue to light the way forward. Here’s to the next 30 years.”
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