Heres a part of my family Im not sure you know. After 59 years, the soul-food restaurant named Jumbos is officially closing. Back in the early 1960s, Jumbo’s - like nearly every restaurant in Miami back then - wouldn’t hire blacks, and would only serve black customers from the back of the restaurant - they couldn’t come in the front door. But when my father-in-law, Bobby Flam, took over in early 1968, he despised that rule. He said he wanted to end those “uncivilized times,” so he hired three black employees - and soon after that, 30 of his white employees quit the restaurant. He didn’t care. He became one of the first restaurants in Miami to integrate, and Jumbo’s is now a civil rights landmark, still going for 59 years. But the best part of the story? Years ago, when there were race riots in Liberty City and every storefront had its front windows shattered. Every building burned and devastated. Jumbo’s wasn’t touched. Why? Because everyone remembered Jumbo’s name. For decades, that restaurant looked out for its community - and as a result of that legacy, the community looked out for it. The last day is tomorrow (Wednesday). If youre near Miami, go. Eat. Its your last chance to taste history. My family truly makes the best friend chicken and shrimp youve ever had. To see it in action, watch this, when it was named an American Classic and given a James Beard Award (there are only three of those in Miami: Joe’s Stone Crab, Versailles, and Jumbo’s): https://youtube/watch?v=70Bz1DdQQvc We love you, Jumbos. Thanks for all you did for me and my family.
Posted on: Tue, 22 Jul 2014 20:36:37 +0000
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