small business highlights

$68M: Small business economic impact

57: Small business loans

202: Small business grants

Initiatives

Being fired from his dream job in the brand strategy and design business was just the impetus Stephen Franklin needed to find his true calling.

Determined to start a new chapter in life, the founder and pit master of DAS BBQ leaned into his whole-hog-smoking-pig-picking roots to start a local joint on Collier Road with a vision to celebrate Georgia barbecue and contribute to his home state’s rich and creative culinary history. Stephen opened a second location on Memorial Drive, which can only be described as BBQ with a vibe – complete with games, live music and, of course, mouth-watering food.

“Music and food are a human love language,” says Stephen. “Adding fire to the mix evokes something carnal in us. Something safe, maybe even sacred. We like to invoke that magic in people’s psyches every time we open our doors.”

Backyard barbecues were the backdrop of Stephen’s childhood. His father, who is a dually certified and licensed barbecue judge with the Memphis In May and Kansas City BBQ Society organizations, taught Stephen the art of smoking turkey breasts in vertical barrel-smokers. Those custom smokers, which Stephen builds at the family farm, are what put DAS BBQ on a level all its own.

“It requires a different level of dedication to wood procurement, fire management and human learning,” says Stephen. “We want to preserve the part of our barbecue lineage that requires grit and grind.”

Stephen and his fellow pit master Jeremy Chambers both have deep Texas family roots, and the craft of smoking brisket comes directly from their Lone Star lineage. And, while the menu has something for everyone, DAS BBQ is known for that beef brisket and a side of cream corn – a creamy, cheesy, jalapeño-infused corn that eats like a chowder and is often described as “dream corn.”

During COVID-19, DAS BBQ was able to survive – and thrive – with help from a Resurgence Grant from Invest Atlanta, so much that Stephen was able to open his other location in Grant Park. Three years later, Invest Atlanta proactively reached out to Stephen about a potential State Opportunity Zone tax credit. This led to conversations about how Invest Atlanta could also help him secure a low-interest laon through the Atlanta Recovery Loan Program (ARLP) for he and Jeremy's latest concept, DAS CANTINA, featuring their infamous smoked meals with a Tex-Mex twist. And, in October 2023, DAS CANTINA successfully secured $100,000 from the ARLP to make this cantina vision come to life.

“Invest Atlanta’s staff has been proactive, super responsive, and most of all, compassionate,” says Stephen. “They offer a hand-up, not a hand-out. Having that kind of support makes us proud to be Atlantans. Beyond all of that, they’ve let us know we’re not alone. They’re our partner. And as our partner, they want us to succeed.”

For Stephen, this partnership not only helps him scale his business, it also lays the groundwork for him to give back to the community in an authentic way. “We’re not talking about cash for causes. We want to silently help feed those who need a warm meal and then not talk about it,” he explains. “We just want to do it because it’s the right thing to do and sincerely hope those actions will be what we’re most known for in 100 years from now.”