A Gastonia soul food spot nearly closed. Now, it’s thriving — here’s why.
Cheryl Littlejohn wasn’t supposed to be on Food Network. Her restaurant, Smith’s Soul Food Bistro in Gastonia, had only been open for about eight months when “Restaurant Impossible” host Robert Irvine did an online search for “soul food restaurants” in the greater Charlotte area.
“Robert and his crew were in North Carolina doing a couple of other restaurants, and they had a bit of money left over,” Littlejohn said. “When he called me, I thought it was a prank call. But one Zoom call led to another, and then this was actually happening.”
Typically, restaurants featured on the show are required to have been in operation for at least three years. But showrunners made an exception for Littlejohn, who had already spent about $220,000 of her retirement savings on the nonprofit restaurant that was hemorrhaging money and on the verge of closing.
“That’s how I know God chose us,” Littlejohn said. “It’s a miracle and such a blessing. The show put us on a national stage, international, really, and it truly saved our business.”
Smith’s Soul Food Bistro was featured in the first episode of “Restaurant Impossible’s” season 20, appropriately titled “The Final Shot.” It first aired in April and is available on demand. The episode is set to re-air this Thursday at 4 a.m., and again at 8 a.m. Aug. 25, so go ahead and set those DVRs now.
Littlejohn and her sister, Deborah Currence, who handles finances for the restaurant, recently shared these tidbits with CharlotteFive about their time on the show and life since.
The back story: Littlejohn is a Gaston County native and former basketball coach who played in college on University of Tennessee’s national championship team under Pat Summitt. In January 2021, Littlejohn opened Smith’s Soul Food Bistro, paying homage to her grandmother, Lula Smith, a longtime cook at the town’s utilities company. What sets Smith’s apart is the restaurant is a nonprofit business, in partnership with the Lady Vols Legacy & Legends Foundation, that primarily employs teenagers, empowering them with life skills and the confidence to dream big.
The why: “This restaurant is a ministry,” Littlejohn said. “The heart of what we do is to transform lives. ... It’s remarkable to see 14-, 15-, and 16-year olds as hostesses and servers, interacting with customers, developing tough skin and communication skills, but most importantly, gaining confidence and self-esteem along the way. My goal is to give them experiences and opportunities that I never had.
“Another big part of what we do is also to teach young people to give back, and we do that through community food giveaways and work with veterans and the homeless. It helps the kids develop a sense of humanity and caring for others less fortunate.”
The need: Neither Littlejohn or Currence had restaurant experience prior to opening Smith’s Soul Food Bistro. Littlejohn’s background is in coaching basketball, and her sister’s is in finance. In the episode, Irvine said his first impression was that Smith’s was nondescript and it lacked any signs that it’s a soul food restaurant. The food was even less desirable, Irvine said, and the recipes lacked exact measurements to ensure consistency for every dish. And worse, the restaurant wasn’t making any money and was on the verge of failure.
During the episode: Irvine helped Littlejohn come up with a plan for success that included:
A complete restaurant overhaul to make it more upscale, including tiled ceilings, new tables, a large mural of collard greens, new theme colors (gold and black) and a new logo.
Identifying roles and procedures for all employees, including Littlejohn, who would lean into her role as a mentor and trust her staff to handle the rest.
Establishing set recipes for each dish to help set the cost for labor and ingredients.
On the menu: During the show, Irvine also introduced a few new dishes, such as a pork chop sandwich and a new spin on shrimp/fish and grits, to complement the other staples on the Smith’s menu. The restaurant has become known for its homemade meatloaf, fried chicken, macaroni and cheese and other comfort foods. Littlejohn said one of her favorites is the soul food quesadilla, a tortilla packed with meatloaf, macaroni and collard greens.
Lessons learned: “We’ve learned that we can’t help everyone, and we can’t do it all,” Currence said. “We faced some tough criticism, but it made us stronger. We’ve learned to step back and consult wisdom, so we don’t repeat the same mistakes.”
Littlejohn added, “Robert helped me become a better owner. A better strategist. And a better coach. The game plan of success that he gave me will impact a lot of lives… My mom and I used to watch “Touched by an Angel” while she was living. I feel like Chef Irvine was that angel.”
Life since ‘Restaurant Impossible’
Since filming, the restaurant’s financial outlook is on an upward trend with numbers about 34 percent higher and climbing. Business has picked up, with customers coming in from across the country to check out Irvine’s handiwork.
In a Facebook review, Krystal Davis said her family saw the episode and decided to stop by Smith’s on the way home to Texas from Virginia. She called it the best decision ever. “The food was absolutely delicious, and the staff were amazing,” Davis said. “The restaurant felt very inviting, and we loved the uplifting music playing in the background. The owner, the staff and the dishes served really put the SOUL into SOULFOOD.”
In recent months, the Smith’s team has had to raise prices on a number of items just to keep up with the ongoing cost of supplies, but that hasn’t seemed to detour the customers. Some people have called just to leave donations.
“It’s been so encouraging to have all this support,” Currence said. “It’s helped us stay focused on the goals we’ve set. We want to make a difference, and every day we ask ourselves and the kids, ‘What is the legacy we want to leave?’”
Smith’s Soul Food Bistro
Location: 209 S. Chestnut Street, Gastonia, N.C., 28054
Neighborhood: Near downtown Gastonia
Cuisine: soul food
Instagram: @smithsoulfoodbistro
