A Kiki’s Chicken and Waffles owner charged with tax evasion, SC officials say
An owner of the popular Kiki’s Chicken and Waffles restaurant chain in the Columbia area was charged with tax evasion, according to the South Carolina Department of Revenue.
Tyrone Cyrus, a 50-year-old Columbia resident and an owner of Kiki’s Chicken and Waffles, was responsible for filing the business’ sales tax returns, SCDOR officials said Thursday in a news release.
Arrest warrants show from 2018-2021, Cyrus reported $8,194,333.42 in net taxable sales, according to the release. However, an investigation showed actual sales for the business were at least $11,195,784 over that period, meaning Cyrus evaded at least $3,001,450 in taxable sales, SCDOR officials said.
As a result, he evaded approximately $231,701 in South Carolina sales tax, according to the release.
On Friday, Cyrus was charged with four counts of tax evasion, SCDOR officials said. He was taken to the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center where he’s being held while waiting for a bond hearing, jail records show.
Following a bond hearing, Cyrus is scheduled to return to court April 24, according to Richland County judicial records.
If convicted, Cyrus faces a maximum punishment of 5 years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine for each count, plus the cost of prosecution, according to the release.
Cyrus and wife, Kitwanda “Kiki” Cyrus, opened their first restaurant’s doors in 2012, according to the Kiki’s Waffles and Chicken website. There are three Kiki’s locations in Columbia, including one at the new Gather Cola, and another in North Charleston.
The original Kiki’s on Parklane Road near Columbia Place mall, got a big boost in 2017 when then-presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden visited the restaurant.
The restaurant received further acclaim in 2024, as Kiki and Tyrone Cyrus were semifinalists for Best Chef — Southeast honors at the James Beard Foundation Awards.
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