Brenda “Big Mama” Franklin is finished frying chicken and cooking greens in her House of Southern Cuisine on Liberty Avenue, Downtown.

The Garfield woman closed her restaurant Monday and posted two hand-written notes on the front doors today thanking her loyal customers, praising God and excoriating the Pittsburgh Parking Authority for levying parking fines against her that she said sapped her restaurant’s modest revenues.

“Due to parking issues beyond my control I am forced to close. However, I’ll be relocating to another state,” Franklin wrote. “I’ve been targeted by the Parking Authority, which makes it very hard for my customers to park.”

Franklin has not been targeted by parking enforcement agents, said David Onorato, executive director of the Pittsburgh Parking Authority.

“We’re not picking on her,” Onorato said.

“It was an issue several months ago, we looked into it, and we totally disagree with her position,” he said. “In that same time frame, there’s been over 500 tickets (written) on those streets,” referring to Liberty Avenue and Exchange Way.

Onorato said two of Franklin’s cars were “booted” twice, meaning at least five parking tickets accumulated on each vehicle. He wasn’t certain if she has outstanding tickets.

In a phone interview, Franklin said she’s eyeing a new restaurant location in the Washington D.C. area, but hasn’t made a decision, yet.

“I’m tired. I’m throwing good money after bad, and we’re just not getting the customer base in,” she said.

In June, the Tribune-Review detailed Franklin’s story. She complained police officers and Parking Authority agents repeatedly fined her for parking on Exchange Way, a narrow alley that doubles as a loading zone behind her business and several others that face Liberty.

She said she accumulated $3,000 in fines. Customers who park in front of her restaurant have been fined $30 for allowing a parking meter to expire.

Parking Authority officials have said, in general, they’re willing to work with business owners to find parking solutions, but Franklin said nothing has come of that.

Franklin is perhaps best known for her appearance on the CBS “Early Show” in 2008 as part of a series of shows that sought to help struggling small businesses.

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