FEATURES
Reality Check
by Anitra D. Brown
A Saintly Effort
by Keli Fulton
Big Shirley's Story
by Fallon Jai
Oh Baby: New Orleans Baby Doll Tradition Thrives
by Theresa Crushshon
Ben Franklin High School Performs Worse as a Charter School
by Dr. Barbara FergusonColumns & Departments
Month in Review
Letters to the Editor
Big Shirley’s Story:
Community is key for restaurant owners
For Michael Dummett, the restaurant that he co-owns with Suzette
Valteau is more than just a restaurant.
Before Dummett was an entrepreneur, he played professional basketball overseas after college. But when he returned home, he worked with incarcerated youth and at group homes for 12 years. It’s that experience that makes Big Shirley’s more than business as usual.
“It’s about community involvement; it’s not a business just coming to take money,” he said. “I try to embrace the youth instead of being afraid of them. If I see a boy walking with his pants hanging down in the front of my restaurant, I go outside and I talk to him and ask him to pull them up.”
Having Black-owned businesses in the community is very important to Dummett.
“It’s important that our youth see someone that looks like them practicing entrepreneurship,” he said. “Growing up and going to different restaurants, I realized I didn’t see anyone that looked like me in the front. Most of us were in the back working.”
Valteau adds: “It’s more about building relationships so customers feel comfortable here,” Valteau said. “I love working with people.”
Community-building motivations aside, Big Shirley’s is still all about good food.
With signature dishes such as Big Shirley’s World Burger, garlic herb roasted chicken and barbecue ribs set at economically pleasing prices, your tastes buds, as well as your wallet will be very pleased. Dummett and Valteau make sure that every item on the menu is tasty and that every customer has a good experience every time they come to the restaurant.
“Our job is to make sure every customer is happy with their food and our service,” Dummett said.
In addition to Dummett and Valteau creating a place with great food and a positive environment, they also want to create a family atmosphere.
“I named the restaurant after my mother because she was always eager to help feed the people of the community,” He said. “We need to come together and create one big family.”
And to insure that everything runs properly, Dummett and Valteau each focus on different areas of the business.
“Michael focuses on the food, interacting with customers and hiring, while I take care of the administration and marketing aspect,” Valteau said.
Although the establishment has the aura of a seasoned fixture of the community, it is relatively new. Big Shirley’s opened for business on Jan. 12, but the vision and inspiration for it has resided inside Dummett’s heart for much longer.
“This is a life long dream of mine,” Dummett said. “I always thought of different businesses I could open that could provide jobs for our youth and a positive atmosphere for people of the community.”
In 2006, Dummett and Valteau opened Great Ideas Unlimited Fine Furniture and Accessories Store. In August 2008, Great Ideas caught on fire; and as a result, Dummett and Valteau decided to open Big Shirley’s.
One of the ways Dummett and Valteau create a welcoming vibe in the restaurant is by displaying local artists’ paintings and photography on the walls.
“I have all these art pieces everywhere because I want to support our local artists,” Dummett said. “I want to give everybody the opportunity to make it happen.”
In the future, Dummett and Valteau plan to expand the menu and restart their 2 a.m. breakfast.
“We want people to be able to have a place to go eat breakfast after they stay out late,” Dummett said. “We want to be that place people go to recuperate from a long night. We want to expand the vegetarian menu and have spoken word on Monday nights, but our main goal is to keep prices reasonable and the food outstanding.”
And there are other improvements slated.
“We also want to start a Sunday brunch, participate in festivals and create an elegant dinner atmosphere,” Valteau said. “At night, we want to change the atmosphere with dim lighting, candles and white tablecloths.”
Dummett and Valteau are optimistic about their future involvement in economic development, taking care of the youth and improving the city.
“I feel as a black man I can do anything,” Dummett said. “I could take a run down lot and bring beauty to it.”
For more information about Big Shirley’s menu and times, call 504-862-5858.
