Preserve Daddy D'z Historic Heart

When you see a beloved community icon threatened by unforeseen challenges, you want to jump in and spread the word. I am launching this Go Fund Me for my friend Christianah Coker-Jackson, community advocate and business owner of the historic Daddy D'z.

With a motto of "We ain't pretty, but we're good," Daddy D'z has become one of Atlanta's favorite rib "joynts" and is steeped in history.

Daddy D'z was named after the previous owner's father in law. He passed shortly before the restaurant opened and Daddy D'z was his nickname. Back in the 50's it was a restaurant called the Pygmy. Black people were unable to sit inside and they actually had a neon caricature pygmy sign (loin cloth and bone through the nose) in the building. This was when MLk Jr Dr was Grant Street, water fountains were not open for all to use and equal voting rights were slowly gaining steam.

The restaurant spent years in flux, sometimes serving food and sometimes dipping into more colorful business ventures until the early 80's when Ron and his ex wife purchased the restaurant and turned it into Daddy D'z. They spent the next decades sinking their roots deep into the neighborhood, serving the community and making amazing barbeque. Daddy D's fed everyone in the neighborhood, regardless of background or paystub and became a cornerstone for all that lived in the area.

Eight years ago, Christianah visited Daddy D'z for the first time and fell in love with its history, significance, and food. She always wanted to own a restaurant and Daddy D'z represented a legacy she was proud to continue and a future for her family and community.

In the years leading up to purchasing Daddy D'z, she gave birth to a son with Down syndrome, (joining her two older children), and faced a life-changing battle with aggressive breast cancer. During this challenging time, she was laid off from her corporate job and was forced to face a whole new future. This pivotal moment made her realize she needed to create a sustainable future for her family—a source of steady income and a place where her youngest son could work and thrive when the time came. For her, Daddy D'z represented family....so she took a leap of faith. She believed that God would answer her prayer and He did!

While Daddy D'z has enjoyed a strong, stable presence for the last decade, a combination of devastating flooding from old pipes and the rising tax costs of the rapidly-gentrifying neighborhood has put the community icon in danger. Join me in saving it!

Funds raised will be used to recoup losses from water main break, outstanding bills and rising food and inventory costs.