At 2:30 am on Saturday, June 20th, Davis NW Smokehouse was the target of what appears to be arson according to the Eugene Fire Department. Anybody who has visited Davis NW Smokehouse has likely met the owner and head chef, Willie

Davis II and encountered his warm and generous heart. Davis NW Smokehouse has filled a void that has existed in this community since the closing of Papa’s Soul Food. Not only for the unique BBQ and soul food menu, but for the vibe and community feeling that you get when you walk into the restaurant. It’s bigger than the food it serves, it’s a place that welcomes everybody from the community.

I am starting this go fund me on behalf of Willie because I know he is too humble to do it himself. As a friend, I have visited the smokehouse countless times since relocating back to Oregon. It’s been a second home and I always connect with new people every time I’m there. It truly reminds me of everything I loved and missed about my hometown after 20 years in LA.

With limited hours, I have been there when the restaurant was closed and passerby’s walk up thinking it’s open only to be told by Willie that they are in fact prepping for business the following day. Every single time I see the disappointment on the faces of the would be paying customer and every single time, I see Willie ask “well what were you thinking about ordering?” If he has those items ready, he will comp a free plate and apologize for the inconvenience of being closed. Or he will say, we don’t have that right now, but I can give you something else.

I think I have seen Willie and the Davis NW Smokehouse crew comp just as much food as they have charged people for and that to me speaks volumes about the vision Willie had when he opened this brick and mortar establishment after many years running a successful catering business.

As a friend, I worry about my friends who run private businesses. Maybe I worry too much about their profit margins. I often tell Willie I absolutely refuse a free meal and insist on paying and to pay if forward (as if that even needs to be said because he will regardless) but I appreciate the gesture every time. Willie and his staff have a way of making every customer feel like family. They maker you feel seen. They make you feel like you matter no matter what walk of life you come from and if that isn’t the essence of Eugene and the Whit, then I don’t know what is.

Located next to Ninkasi and around the corner from the Eugene Mission, Willie often gives free meals to the dozens of folks who find themselves without housing and feeling low. If you’ve ever been there, you know just how much dignity a nice meal can provide. A warm smile, or a conversation and some friendly compliments can turn around a persons entire day, week, life…

In addition to being a black owned small business in the community, Davis MW smokehouse has recently provided a place for local artists to perform. From music artists, to comedians and everything in between. Davis NW Smokehouse is bigger than a restaurant, it’s a refuge, a safe space, a community, a place where people can let their guard down and mingle. I have made so many new friends simply from hanging around the smokehouse after work. It’s truly a beautiful experience.

In addition to caring for his employees who rely on this job for their livelihood, Willie himself is a father of 3 and devoted partner and family man. On a personal note, I’ve had this man attend my own fatherless nephews football games when he played in Eugene/Springfield and send me pics and videos when I was in LA. My nephew is of mixed ethnicity and it means a lot to me that Willie has shown up when he doesn’t need to and provides a positive black male role model for nephew. These things matter. These things are bigger than profit margins. Character is more important than profits and losses and Willie is simply one of the most genuine humans I know in the community.

In addition, Willie has been organizing and financially supporting the upcoming Vibe Fest. As somebody who has been close to this as well, I’ve seen countless people not follow through on promises and Willie to step up financially to continue pushing this event forward. The last thing that Willie needed was this unfortunate arson to hit his business in the late night hours after he was offsite supporting a Juneteenth celebration across town.

While one would hope that insurance might cover some of the losses, there are no guaranties and we all know how insurance companies are. Regardless because this was suspected arson, there will be an investigation and the red tape will likely drag on for too long to give Davis NW Smokehouse the immediate relief they need to resume operations.

The cost of the equipment in the kitchen alone exceeds $70,000. I don’t know how much we can raise in our community, but I’m hoping we can make a significant contribution. For all of the selfless acts of generosity I’ve seen this man provide to the community in the last year since I relocated back, I’m sure there are a lot of folks like me who are willing to contribute.

Two weeks ago I lost my brother. I was at the smokehouse when I got the news. Willie drove me home to be with my family in the middle of his workday. A week later we had the funeral. My mother happened to come by the smokehouse to give me the laptop I left behind after the funeral. Willie insisted on giving my mother (whom he had never met, boxes of food on the house). I talked to my mother the next day and she was really going through it. Her eldest son gone far too soon. She slept in his RV to be closer to him. It only made the pain worse and she was too weak to make food for herself and told me please thank your friend for the food. I would wake up periodically and nibble on it and it made me feel so much better and gave me energy. It also was good being leftist over night. If that’s not soul food, then I don’t know what is. I can’t sit by with this tragedy before me and not do my best to reciprocate the generosity that David NW Smokehouse has shown me and my family. Especially in these very difficult past few weeks. Please donate if you can.