NeNe Leakes celebrated the grand opening of The Linnethia Lounge on May 29, 2021, and all sorts of stars came out to celebrate with the reality star-turned-business mogul, including her husband Gregg Leakes, and Tamar Braxton who came in and shut it DOWN.
Located in Duluth, GA, the venue caters to a grown and sexy, 21+ crowd. There’s a valet, live music, food, hookah, big-screen televisions, and a Sunday Brunch.
While we’re happy she has thrown her wig into the restaurant industry, the reviews of her new business venture hint at trouble. We’re rooting for The Linnethia Lounge to be a success, and we can’t wait to pay it a visit one day (post-Corona, whenever that may be), but the initial reviews have us a little…worried 😟
What’s up with the service?
As I watched the development of The Linnethia Lounge from my Instagram timeline, I was very excited for NeNe Leakes. Even as she advertised that she was hiring for staff positions, she also made it clear she wasn’t afraid to hop in, roll up her sleeves, and help get things running. But hiring a qualified staff makes all the difference. Judging by some of the reviews that we came across, there are some issues she might want to address.
While the views on the services are varied, considering the lounge opens right before dinner, it seems like you’re better off getting there right when they open. Guests have had issues locating their server to place orders, and if you want to be a Karen and ask to speak to the manager, good luck. Some customers advise that if you want to go, have a drink, dance, and then take your butt back home then you’ll be fine. But if your service includes interacting with the higher-ups — such as if you have a complaint — don’t expect a warm, southern greeting because apparently, it’s not happening here.
Self-parking at The Linnethia Lounge will cost you
One of the major perks of patronizing a business that’s not in a hot spot like Los Angeles, New York, Houston, or Miami is the amount of ample and free parking. And while it seems like there is no shortage of parking spots available at The Linnethia Lounge, some customers can’t understand why the venue charges so much for parking in a city that’s not even close to the heart of Atlanta.
One guest mentioned they paid $700 for a table. They parked in front of another business and walked into The Linnethia ready to have a good time. Little did they know, one of NeNe’s parking enforces had FOLLOWED THEM to the front door of the establishment and hassled them about paying the $20 parking fee.
I was then told since I got $700 dollars for a table what’s the problem with paying to park. I should have left then but we had a non-refundable deposit down.
Self-parking can range from $20 to $60 on any given night…yes, you’re going to have to dig in your wallet just to park your own car. We can only imagine how much valet is.
It’s also clear that the parking The Linnethia Lounge is using is shared by multiple businesses and patrons believe that there are random people affiliated with NeNe’s lounge enforcing it. This leads many to believe that the good sis NeNe is pressed for a coin and is finding it by charging people to park in a free lot. Smh.
The food is tasty, pricey, and limited
After smoking hookah and dancing all night, you’re bound to work up an appetite. Luckily for the guests, there’s a great offering of food at The Linnethia Lounge. The reviews on the food’s quality are mixed, with most leaning towards the items on the menu being tasty, but the one thing many customers are ticked off about are the prices.
Listen, you can’t please everyone. Even if she was selling $2 chicken wings someone would probably complain that it was too expensive. But when multiple customers have expressed their concerns about the pricing, it might be time for NeNe to make some changes.
We personally checked out the menu and the prices didn’t seem that high. $18 for a crab omelet seems reasonable, and $38 for crispy red snapper isn’t that bad. But it looks like people think the pricing doesn’t match up with the location. It’s giving Buckhead but with silverware in a plastic wrapper. Chile.
Some excused the overpriced food as being a part of the “city” experience, but reading the reviews will lead you to something else. From the pictures not matching what’s being ordered and brought to the table, to sometimes just plain out getting the wrong food, the overpriced food doesn’t earn itself any value on the taste or display mark.
And we’re not going to even address the lounge running out of food but still charging customers for dishes they never received…
There’s still time to turn things around
The Linnethia Lounge hasn’t even been open a year. It’s still a new business, so there’s still time for NeNe to make some adjustments. However, a customer should expect the standard treatment at least when it comes to professionalism and quality service. Many businesses fail because they refuse to put their customers first. We’re afraid that if The Linnethia Lounge and the management team don’t get things in order soon, they may be doomed.
One of the biggest complaints is a lack of care and an inability to provide exceptional service when errors are identified. And plenty of people — who undoubtedly chose to support this business because of NeNe — claim that Mrs. Leakes is part of the problem. Whether she was rude, disconnected, or failed to even speak to people, the patrons weren’t pleased.
In conclusion, while we focused on the subpar reviews, it’s still early enough for NeNe to turn things around, and we really hope she does. It’s time for her to put her boss hat on, address the issues at The Linnethia Lounge, and deliver the stellar service and quality experience that she promised.
From what I was able to gather, the parking is free. If you want to park in front of the restaurant, then you will have to pay for it. Otherwise, there is a free parking further back and people are unwilling to walk but rather complain. Furthermore, Nene does not own the parking. Remember that is also renting the location where the restaurant. Regarding the price, if you do not have money, don’t go there. She offers live music which costly.
At night time, it’s much safer to park upfront. And the issue is that NeNe is supposedly sharing the lot with other businesses. So does she have the right to even charge people to use it? 🤔 We’re unsure.
You can’t please everyone especially if they are going in looking for something to complain about. You can’t afford it don’t go, leave that seat for someone that can afford it. If you’re looking for a good time, do just that have a good time. It all depends on you.
She had her 15 minutes and it is all over but the cryin’. Same story that has played out for so many, they get some fame and fortune then then they get too big for their britches and they get the boot.
Listen, I’m not even from this area but just plain reading peoples comments brings me to the conclusion that all the bad reviews about this place are so truthful that there’s really no space for you patrons to answer back to people in such rude way. But it explains it all by being associated with Nene because that’s really who and how she is, conveniently disconnected and highly rude!!! Change your ways Nene you know you got potential, perhaps you would convince Andy Cohen to give your “Peach” back. 🙂
Food was good. Great place to go out on a date. The drinks were pricey, but visiting atl,I realized everybody prices were.