food. The food was still good up until the time we closed.” The second generation of Sheads learned quickly about tradition and becoming part of the family business. Rena Shead was in high school when she first started working at her parent’s restaurant. “The restaurant opened up on a Tuesday and I started on a Friday,” she laughed when remembering. “I worked even after college. It was part of my parent’s legacy and a family business.” Deborah Shead was away at college when the restaurant opened in 1977. But she never failed to return home on breaks and during the summer to work at the restaurant. “For me it was important to be a part of my family’s business,” she said. The years went by and Deborah never failed to be behind the scenes in the kitchen putting to use her culinary skills. MJ Shead was living and working in Texas back in the late 1970’s. He got laid off his job and returned home to help out with the restaurant. “I thought coming back and being a part of the family business was a good thing to do. We had hopes and dreams of expanding. And we all had our contributions to add,” MJ explained. Now the reality is for the next generation of Sheads being part of the family business has been cut short. But each family member reflects back on their own memories of what it took to make M&D’s a historical landmark in Denver. “We have met a lot of wonderful people and made some great friendships,” Deborah Shead said that she will never forget. Besides the friendships, her sister Rena said, “We’ve received recognition and given an award from the Black Chamber of Commerce in 2009, which was a highlight for me. And also being able to feed seniors at Christmas and Thanksgiving was pretty special.” With 34 years of business behind them, the Sheads have also seen their fair share of political dignitaries and celebrities. Mayors, governors and even Vice-President Joe Biden graced the doors of M&D’s and feast on barbecue and good old southern cooking. You know you’re a big M&D fan when you’re living in another state and call in an order to have the food shipped to you. “When former Mayor Frederico Pena left to go Washington D.C. (while under the Clinton Administration), he had us send him some food to cater for his birthday party,” Daisy Shead recalled which was before 9/11 when shipping fresh
food packed in dry ice by airplane was allowed. Looking back over the years, Mack Shead said the most memorable thing for him was, “Being able to expand the restaurant in 2003.” After the expansion, however, he said the restaurant still never filled to capacity with customers. “It seemed like we didn’t have as many people coming and going even though the restaurant was bigger,” he stated. A lot of the faithful older patrons had died, echoed Daisy Shead. “When our customers’ families would come into town, they would bring them down to the restaurant to eat and that seemed to keep us going for awhile,” she said. MJ Shead agreed that the demographics of the northeast neighborhood had begun changing over time. More regional chain barbecue places had also opened and became popular. “They may not have had as good of food but were more convenient,” MJ said. During the 1970’s and 1980’s, M&D’s and Daddy Bruce Randolph were the premier Black barbecue restaurants in Denver. And before that, the corner strip off East 28th Avenue and Race Street was a hotbed of activity – from a laundry mat, beauty shop, liquor store and another soul food restaurant known as Miss V’s, said Mack Shead who later bought the vacated restaurant space to open up his restaurant. He also is very adamant about putting all the rumors to rest regarding how renovating his restaurant caused the liquor store to close. “We did not put Mr. Howard (owner of the liquor store) out of business. He was retiring and chose to go,” he said. Unfortunately, with receiving a $953,000 loan from the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development to refurbish the restaurant in order to capture a bigger customer base and dynamics of a changing neighborhood, didn’t seem to help the Sheads after all. “Sales plummeted and not by a small percentage,” MJ Shead expressed as financial problems escalated in not being able to meet their obligations to pay back the city loan. “The city did tell us that if we got caught up with our payments, they would work with us,” Mack Shead said. “But we just didn’t have enough business to do it.” The family is saddened but at the same time relieved that the restaurant has closed – too much strain and difficulty in keeping the doors open are now gone. Mack and Daisy had already
Patrons enjoy dining at M&D’s.
weaned away from the business to enjoy their semi-retirement. Rena and Deborah have their own “sweets” catering business, which includes yummy cupcakes, cookies, candies, along with those scrumptious pies and cobblers. MJ is focusing on specialties, such as seasoned blends, barbecue rubs, sauces and smoked meat products that he caters. M&D’s will always be the one restaurant no one will forget – tasty barbecue on your palate, the smells coming from the kitchen and bustling atmosphere of a business that was in a Black neighborhood for three decades.
Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – February 2012
13
And it was a place so many youth experienced their first job of washing off hot sauce bottles. Over the years, MJ Shead shared, “We met a lot of good people and have supported a lot of families during some hard times. We thank the community from the bottom of our hearts for their support and those who helped to keep our doors open.” “We hope God blesses them and our paths will cross again.” Editor’s note: For sweet catering needs, Email Rena and Deborah Shead at twosistahseats@gmail.com or for other catering needs E-mail MJ Shead at msjway@gmail.com.