Krystal’s fourth South Carolina location opened in Orangeburg on Monday, Dec. 9, thanks to a partnership with Charlamagne Tha God — also known as Lenard McKelvey — and his wife, Jessica Gadsden-McKelvey.

The couple are spearheading a five-store expansion of the quick-service chain across South Carolina, with the grand opening of the new Krystal location set for Dec. 20 — an event that will include Charlamagne Tha God himself, according to a press release.

The new Krystal slider restaurant, located at 1486 Chestnut St., will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For the media personality and entrepreneur, the project holds personal significance.

“Orangeburg is special to us because it’s the home of South Carolina State University, my mother’s alma mater, while my wife’s father is an alumni of Claflin University,” he shared ahead of the store’s opening. “I also have an honorary degree from SCSU, where I established the Ford Family Endowed Scholarship Fund, so it’s a blessing to continue this mission of providing opportunities and jobs to South Carolinians.”

Members of the Orangeburg County Chamber of Commerce and local dignitaries will join Charlamagne Tha God on site for the Dec. 20 grand opening celebration. The ribbon-cutting ceremony will begin at 10:45 a.m. ET, followed by performances from local cheer teams, mascots, and marching bands.

According to a press release, the Krystal location features a variety of exclusive new menu items, such as churro fries, churro milkshakes, chicken tenders and nuggets, waffles, and a “Smash’d & Stack’d” burger, which features a beef patty with melted cheese, mayo, ketchup, and pickles on a fresh bun.

“It’s always an amazing feeling to come back and give back,” Charlamagne Tha God said. “I hope the community will enjoy my favorite eats from Krystal for years to come!”

He and his wife previously purchased six Krystal franchises, collaborating to co-brand each restaurant and create an experience that conveys a powerful message to diners, as previously reported by AFROTECH™.

“2 Chainz became the creative director of Krystal [Restaurants], so I started paying attention to what they were doing,” Charlamagne Tha God told AFROTECH™. “Then, I reached out to 2 Chainz, and he plugged me in with the right people. I talked to my team about it. My team was like, ‘This is a great opportunity.’ So me, and my wife decided to go ahead and pull the trigger on six of them [restaurants].”

For Charlamagne Tha God, Krystal is just one of many ventures he’s involved in lately. In November, the “Breakfast Club” host, who has been open about his personal connection to the benefits of cannabis, co-founded Hashtoria. He launched the New Jersey-based cannabis dispensary with Wu-Tang Clan’s Raekwon The Chef and activist Bakari Sellers.

Charlamagne Tha God credits his business roots and inspiration to his father, who owned a fish market called Max Seafood on Main Street in Monks Corner, SC, among other pursuits during his childhood.

“Then, he started getting into construction, and he worked for a construction company,” the podcast host shared during the 2023 Hope Global Forum, according to AFROTECH™. “He later started his own construction company called McKelvey and Son.”

He added, “My father was always an entrepreneur who had his own businesses, and I’ve always wanted to follow that path.”