“Before there was the internet, bars were your first Facebook, so to speak,” said Brian Maloof, owner of Manuel’s Tavern. “It was where you went with your friends to discuss things.”
And what better way to show your constituents how down-to-earth you are than by rubbing elbows at a neighborhood restaurant?
“That atmosphere itself breeds intimacy,” said Tracy Gates, owner of the Busy Bee Cafe. Located on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, the Busy Bee is known for feeding such civil rights leaders as the Rev. Joseph Lowery and the man for whom the street is named.
Gates believes the Busy Bee has become a popular stop for politicians because “it’s a part of African American history.”
Gates said the Busy Bee sees more tourists these days, but it still receives visits from politicians. In December, Vice President Kamala Harris stopped by to pick up food after watching her alma mater, Howard University, play Florida A&M University. This was Harris’ second time visiting the restaurant, and President Joe Biden came previously while on the campaign trail, Gates said.
Dave Poe opened his namesake barbecue restaurant near Marietta Square in 2006. He has played host to campaign events and provided catering for Republicans in the U.S. Senate. “Barbecue and politics go hand in hand,” Poe said, adding that there’s something about barbecue that “levels the playing field.” You can find pickup trucks and Mercedes-Benzes in the same restaurant’s parking lot.
Dave Poe’s BBQ is typical of a Southern barbecue place, from the wood-paneled surfaces to the license plate wall decorations and the menu featuring redneck lasagna, in which mac and cheese is mixed with Brunswick stew. His eatery also has made cameos in a few campaign videos, including one for Attorney General Chris Carr in 2023.
Heath Garrett, the…
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