PITTSBURGH — A lifelong dream crushed: Angel and Eddie Magwood met at Brashear High School, got married, worked, started a family, and then took the big leap to become business owners in 2018.
With items like the Atomic Dog and the McFly burger, Back to the Foodture was an instant hit and the couple was looking to expand until Universal Studios put a halt on a lifelong dream.
“It just hurts, it hurts,” Angel Magwood said. “We were in Pitcairn, did amazing in Pitcairn, got asked to come to the South Side Works, opened in the middle of the pandemic.”
In 2020, Back to the Foodture became the first Black-owned business in the South Side Works.
Even in the midst of the pandemic, their business flourished, from the massive burger, the array of flavored wings and the vintage décor all added to the nostalgic charm.
“We did really good here and we got the opportunity to open our downtown location,” Angel Magwood said. “My husband applied for the trademark we got approved for the trademark so we were on cloud nine, we were getting ready to start franchising.”
That’s when a letter from Universal Studios came, telling them their name, Back to the Foodture, had to go.
“We have been fighting since February until now, and it’s just too expensive to keep going back and forth and fighting, just can’t do it anymore,” Angel Magwood explained.
“Everybody keeps saying rebrand okay we can do it that takes a big portion of money who is going to work this big place.”
The South Side Works location is set to close on Aug. 15.
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