For nearly three decades now, Derrick McCray has served as the CEO of McCray’s Backyard BBQ and Seafood, a Black family-owned restaurant in West Palm Beach, Florida. His great-uncle, Jay Harvey, opened the restaurant almost 90 years ago in 1934. As both CEO and pitmaster, Derrick has worked hard to preserve the restaurant using his family’s rich traditions and flavors that have delighted patrons for decades.
“Uncle Jay brought my father up in the barbecue business and made him a barbecue extraordinaire,” he told CNBC. “He was the barbecue man. And he was pretty much the only black restaurant business in his area during that time.”
In the midst of historical challenges, from segregation to the civil rights movement, the restaurant served as a safe haven for people to enjoy a good meal and companionship. Over the years, the restaurant stood strong against several challenges, even threats from the Klan. But the “war on drugs” in 1971 took a toll on the community and the…
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