Yet another Rick Jackson campaign stop at a Black-owned business in metro Atlanta is fueling additional social media outrage.
This time, the internet fury is directed at The Original Big Daddy’s Dish, a popular soul food restaurant on Old National Highway in College Park.
Owner Marcus “Big Daddy” Sabir, 65, told Capital B Atlanta during an interview inside his restaurant kitchen Monday that the Republican gubernatorial nominee stopped in for a meal and a chat with him and some of his customers Sunday.
“Thank you for the great meal and conversation!” Jackson wrote on X Sunday afternoon.
The visit comes on the heels of a similar stop the Republican made to another Black-owned restaurant recently that sparked criticism online. Black voters opposed to the healthcare billionaire have accused him of using Black entrepreneurs as political props for photo opportunities, with some calling for boycotts of the businesses. Others say they have no problem with such campaign stops during a close election contest.
Jackson’s trip to Big Daddy’s drew complaints, with some Black social media users critical of Sabir for taking pictures with the pro-Trump candidate.
“Why did Big Daddy restaurant allow Rick Trump jr Jackson that photo op?” Donte Harvey wrote on Facebook on Sunday.
“I really hate how these black business owners letting Rick Jackson play in they face!!” added Facebook user Nick Cannon.
“The man literally just said in Cobb county at Wheeler high school…..this week….that he was going to run [Georgia] like Trump is running the country,” Facebook user Erica Boyd complained.
But some also said Black entrepreneurs shouldn’t be boycotted just for hosting Jackson.
“Stop asking for support and Acknowledgement if you are gonna act a donkey when you get it,” wrote Facebook user Tate Evette.
Sabir said he’s a Democrat and doesn’t see what all the fuss is about. He showed Capital B Atlanta an old photo he took years ago with Jackson’s opponent, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, and civil rights legend John Lewis.
Bottoms is vying to become the first Black woman governor in U.S. history. An AARP-sponsored poll conducted in July showed her leading Jackson by 2 percentage points, 48% to 46%, an effective dead heat within the poll’s margin for error.
Other recent polls have shown Bottoms with a 5 to 7 percentage point lead over Jackson.
Sabir offered to meet with Bottoms again when she’s available and denied being paid for Jackson’s visit. The meeting was arranged by Frank Murphy, an ex-NFL player and Republican operative who serves as Jackson’s head of Black outreach.
“Frank Murphy, ex-football player, called and said he’s bringing a group of people in, and they came by the restaurant and ate,” Sabir said. “[Jackson] came back here and we had a talk, but we also had a talk about, what can you do about the African American [community] in Georgia? What can you do to help the mothers and fathers in Georgia reunite their families together? … I don’t know what people wanted me to do. Kick him out?”
The uproar comes less than two weeks after Jackson’s viral visit to Toast On Lenox, a popular Black-owned brunch chain with locations in Buckhead and Midtown. Jackson’s campaign staff shared pictures on social media that he took with Toast On Lenox’s co-owner Tamara Young.
“I don’t know what people wanted me to do. Kick him out?”
Marcus “Big Daddy” Sabir, regarding criticism he’s received after Rick Jackson’s visit to his restaurant.
Jackson’s critics take issue with his political alliance with President Donald Trump and his endorsement of Trump policies that many perceive to be anti-Black. Those policies include Trump’s layoffs of many Black federal workers, thousands who have lost Medicaid coverage, Housing and Urban Development rental assistance, and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits via Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. They also include Black folks struggling to pay more for gas and groceries due to the war in Iran and Trump’s tariffs.
Trump made his endorsement of Jackson official Thursday on Truth Social after Jackson doubled down on his promise to be Trump’s “favorite governor” during the president’s visit to Marietta a day earlier.
Jackson campaign spokesperson Garrison Douglas said the stop at Big Daddy’s took place after a visit to a local church. He pushed back on characterizing Jackson’s visit to Black-owned businesses as photo opportunities.
“They are no different than any other retail stop that Rick has held,” Douglas told Capital B Atlanta via text message Monday. “He has two retail stops at local businesses today in Blakely and Thomasville. I know the College Park barbershop owner has invited Keisha [Lance Bottoms] to his shop/salon for the same opportunity. As of last night it doesn’t look like she has agreed to come.”
Jackson’s campaign was referring to his late June visit to the Barber’s Inc. barbershop on Old National Highway in College Park.
One of the shop’s co-owners, who identified herself as Mrs. Jackson, said Monday that she doesn’t recall extending an invitation to Bottoms, but her husband, who couldn’t be reached, might have.
Bottoms’ campaign said it is not aware of any invitation from the shop’s owner.
A Bottoms spokesperson also criticized Jackson’s general election shift in campaign strategy, noting the increasing number of pictures with Black Georgians he’s posted on social media and his website.
Sabir said he told Jackson he wants him to create better educational and career opportunities for less fortunate Black Georgians, and Jackson expressed a desire to keep the lines of communication open — though the two did not exchange numbers for a follow up.
He said he doesn’t believe his business should be boycotted just for having a conversation with Jackson.
“I want both candidates, whoever wins governor, to be fair to the people of Georgia,” Sabir said. “Let’s find some way of helping the children so that they don’t end up in prison.”
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