Campaign photo puts Toast on Lenox in political crosshairs
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Rick Jackson, Keisha Lance Bottoms and the Buckhead restaurant caught in the middle. Photos: Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images; Paras Griffin/Getty Images; Meg Varner/Getty Images
A social media post by Georgia Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Jackson highlighting his visit to a Black-owned restaurant has sparked debate over when a photo is more than a picture or nothing at all.
Why it matters: The blowback Toast on Lenox is receiving reflects the delicate relationship business owners must balance when hosting politicians while trying to appeal to a customer base that may — or may not — support a candidate.
- And for some Black Atlantans, the controversy was another example of why African American business owners should be more discerning when politicians visit their establishments for campaign purposes.
Catch up quick: Toast on Lenox co-owner Tamara Young recently met with Jackson and posed for photos in since-deleted social media posts by his campaign.
- In the post, Jackson, a billionaire health care businessman who's made his rise from childhood poverty central to his campaign, said Young's story as a "successful owner" inspired him.
Friction point: Responses and hot takes followed, ranging from people calling for a boycott of Toast to others accusing the restaurant's owners of endorsing Jackson.
Reality check: Young and Toast co-owner Virgil Harper said in a July 17 Instagram post that the restaurant did not endorse Jackson and didn't host a campaign event.
- "The photo that was shared was simply a picture taken during his visit to our establishment," it said.
What they're saying: Jackson spokesperson Garrison Douglas said in a statement that the Democratic candidate, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, would "inflame efforts to boycott and cancel Georgia small businesses for purely political reasons."
- Conservative radio show host Shelley Wynter said Bottoms supporters don't "care about the community of which you claim to care so much about if you're willing to boycott a business owner simply for having a conversation."
The other side: Bottoms, who did not call for a boycott in her comments, said in an Instagram post, "I don't post each time I support a small- or minority-owned business because it's not for show or for votes, it's because it's where I spend my dollars."
Context: Jackson's campaign has worked to increase his visibility among voters of color with recent visits to a barbershop in College Park and a Mexican restaurant in Doraville.
Flashback: Monday Night Brewing found itself in a similar situation in 2018 when it hosted a campaign event for then-candidate Brian Kemp, which angered its fans.
Between the lines: Black social media users seized the opportunity to say Black entrepreneurs should understand that appearing in a social media post with candidates could be seen as an endorsement.
- "A photograph is borrowed credibility, and once a politician borrows your credibility, they get to spend it however they want," said content creator Nikki Free.
The big picture: Ryan Wilson, co-founder of The Gathering Spot and a Bottoms supporter, said Friday on Instagram that he doesn't support a boycott against Toast, but said businesses should ask what they get out of meetings and photo-ops with politicians.
- "We show up as props in these meetings, and that is unacceptable," he said.