Click Here to see Fox News Story on Fast Eddie's

Fast Eddie’s, a local Black owned car mechanic shop, is getting pushed out for the second time in 5 years.  After gentrification pushed Eddie out of his Windsor Park location, he spent two years rebuilding his business on Airport and Manor Road. Now he is forced to start over again because Georgia Tabor and Mr. T North Venture cut his lease down 2 1/2 years from the original 5. He wasn’t offered a new lease, or an offer to buy.Eddie is a great and loyal tenant. He paid his rent on time every month (personally driving it to Mrs. Tabor’s house) and often inquired about the possible purchase of the property.  Mrs. Tabor never took him seriously, and then sold it underneath him. 
 
Eddie Banks is a good man.  He treats people as he would like to be treated, fair and honest. Eddie Banks is a pillar of the community and his church. Plus, his customers always left Fast Eddie’s feeling like they visited a good friend.  At this point, Eddie does not want to lease from Georgia Tabor and Mr. T North Venture because she has broken his trust.  He would consider buying the property at FAIR MARKET VALUE. According to Eddie’s research the property is worth 1.1 million, but Tabor offered it to him for nothing less than 2 million.  Eddie wants to “inform her and OTHERS LIKE HER that enough is enough!” Landlords need to treat their tenants fairly and help them thrive, not throw them out!
 
When thinking about the City of Austin as a whole, people are FINALLY WAKING UP and trying to support Black owned businesses.  How can they support businesses that are getting PUSHED OUT and SHUT DOWN?  While Austin’s population is booming, the African American populations are shrinking.  Helping a community flourish is often about helping individuals within that community. Obviously raising rent and property value is a problem beyond local landlords, but will landlords actually advocate for their leasers if it doesn’t hurt their pocketbook or reputation?  It’s time for landlords to take responsibility and help protect small local businesses and Black owned businesses.
 
What are we asking in this petition? For now, we are asking you to do 1 or 2 of these things:
 
1.    The Easiest Action: Sign this petition if you would like for Mrs. Tabor and Mr. T North Venture to reconsider selling to the property to Eddie Banks at FAIR MARKET VALUE. If she declines, we hope your signatures will convey to Georgia Tabor that she is responsible for some irreparable damage to a Black owned business in our community. In addition, Fast Eddie’s is a business that our community depends on and wants to thrive. 
 
2.    30 more minutes of your time: Email and hand write a letter to Mrs. Tabor.  This is your chance to share a story about how Eddie Banks has helped you in the past, how you have benefitted from knowing him professionally or personally. Please include if you think she should sell to him, and/or express your disappointment of how she is putting her own pocketbook in front of the livelihood of a Black Owned Family Business. 

3. You can easily donate to Eddie on Venmo @SuperFastEddieCars (aka @Edward-Banks-12)
 
The 20th is Eddie Bank's move out date. Please take action quickly!
 
Georgia Tabor is not a huge corporation. She’s a local resident of Austin. This kind of community outreach really could really make an impression. Let’s flood her email and physical mailbox !  You can mail me a letter to 4602 Kitty Ave, Austin TX 78721. I will gladly drop off her letters. 
 
Georgia Tabor’s email: gtabor8@aol.com 

******Picture of Luis “Beto” Robledo (left), owner of Cuantos Tacos and Eddie Banks (right), owner of Fast Eddie's. Both businesses are being being pushed out, and both can be positively effected by signing this petition. The writer of this petition (Erica Nix) is solely writing about Eddie Banks because of her sole experience with Eddie, but Cuantos Tacos seems to have made quite a splash! They were recently published in Texas Monthly and the neighbors do NOT want to see them go!