LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Just along Colonel Glenn Road in Little Rock, there’s a new symbol of success and sweetness.
The legacy of Robert 'Say' McIntosh, ‘The Sweet Potato King’ lives on not only through food but also by memory.
His grandchildren, Robert ‘Robby’ and Chris McIntosh officially opened their first brick-and-mortar 62 years after ‘Say’ started the family business.
“My grandfather already laid the foundation, so whenever we put our name up somewhere, it's an automatic demand for the pies, the burgers, and so it's been a blessing for us to have their name and able to use them," Robby said.
After setting the foundation in a food truck, Chris said he is excited to make the transition — more specifically, he's excited for the amount of space they now have!
“He had a lot of restaurants in the city, but I think this might be one of the biggest ones," Robby said. "So I think it would definitely be kind of mind-blowing [for 'Say'] to see his grandsons doing this."
They said that their grandfather 'Say' would be proud to see their dream come to fruition.
However, it wouldn’t be quite like their grandfather if he didn’t ask a few questions.
“He would say ‘where you get all this money from?'" Robby joked.
The new storefront is decked out with orange trim, seats and décor all paying homage to the acclaimed sweet potato pie.
Along the walls are photos of family — additionally there are fond memories of the activist and businessman, coupled with some of his best quotes.
Patrons can expect the same menu from the food truck. Alongside that they'll see a few specialty items like a BBQ hot link, fried okra, catfish, and sliced beef sandwich have also been added.
“A lot of people are familiar with my grandfather's menu, so we have a lot of people asking for the greens, the yams. Do y'all have the ribs, the purple whole peas and the okra? So we, we decided to do a Soul Food Sunday to where we wouldn't have to worry about those things on a daily basis," Robby said.
As they look to make improvements, one thing that has remained consistent and common is the love and respect of family.
“Family is important. That's why we do it. It's what we do it for and having a spot like this, it brings our family together," Chris said. "Not only that, it brings the community together, they are a part of our family now.”
Robby and Chris said that even if you can't make it to the grand opening, know that they have a meal waiting for you.
“Come see us. Come check us out. Some of the best food in the city," Robby and Chris said.
The restaurant is located at the corner of South University and Colonel Glenn Road.