- A Southside barbecue business will be forced to close due to a city roadway improvement project.
- The project intends to build a roundabout at the intersection of FAMU Way and South Adams Street.
- Watch the video to learn how the local business is bracing for the incoming transition.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
I'm Kenya Cardonne in the Downtown Tallahassee neighborhood, where Wednesday's City Commission meeting gave several community concerns a platform. One of the items we are keeping an eye on is a roadway improvement project expected to shut down a Southside barbecue business.
Constance Young, Customer - "I'm here every Friday because this is my go-to place."
Big D BBQ— a business that has been around for more than 30 years, and within recent months, a sit-down restaurant at the corner of FAMU Way and South Adams Street.
Now, the community is getting ready to bid this Southside spot a farewell. The reason? Phase IV of the FAMU Way project, which intends to implement a roundabout at the intersection for traffic and pedestrian safety improvements. But to make it happen, the City is buying out the entire private lot that Big D BBQ sits on, forcing the business to close its doors.
Q Arnold, Co-Owner of Big D BBQ - "It's not just Big D and I that are being affected and our families. It's 15 other individuals that are being affected by this."
Co-Owner Q Arnold says the business has a reputation for giving back to the community. Although they could operate out of a food truck while they hustle to find a new spot, she explains shutting this one down is going to leave a hole in the heart of the Southside.
Arnold - "Then it turns around to be a whole other cycle of getting that momentum back up, getting more staffing. So it's a big issue of what could be? What happens after this?"
Young - "For me, it's going to be heartbreaking, because I won't be able to come get that drink and get the burger, the ribs and just have a nice, relaxing time with my friends and the other people that I've met here."
During Wednesday's City Commission meeting, Arnold spoke before the Board of Commissioners, which ended up unanimously voting to move forward with the purchase priced at more than $651k.
Diane Williams-Cox, Mayor Pro-Tem - "We're not just doing this to be doing it. We're doing it for safety reasons and purposes."
The city tells me construction for the roundabout won't begin until 2026, which buys Big D BBQ more time to save money for a new location than the 90-120 days they originally thought they would be limited to.
Arnold - "We don't have to get out immediately, so that was our biggest concern, was being able to be able to locate another location, or we have a little more time now. So that is a big sigh of relief."
Neighbors are already working to help the business survive this transition by spreading awareness and making donations. Should any employees face displacement, a portion of the money raised will help in providing those employees with severance.
In Downtown Tallahassee, Kenya Cardonne ABC 27.
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