'No Experience Necessary!' Hit Soul Food Spot Staffs White Teen For Diversity Hire
ATLANTA, GA—Most who came in hungry to the bustling Saturday evening dinner hour at Old Souls Kitchen, nestled at the heart of Atlanta, were shocked upon seeing the hit eatery’s newest employee, a diversity hire that will no doubt generate controversy in the community. Sources on the ground began questioning if they were even in the right restaurant.
Old Souls Kitchen, commonly just known as Old Souls to the locals, isn’t something new to the Atlanta restaurant scene. First opened by Mark Bailey Sr. in 1987, Old Souls has been dishing out fantastic southern cooking for over three decades and four generations, keeping a consistent reputation as one of Atlanta’s oldest Black- and family-owned businesses. Usually, when guests walk in, they’re greeted by a cheerful hello from whichever Bailey family member is working the grill window that night, letting them know to seat themselves and they would be right there. Saturday, guests knew something was wrong from the start.
Debra Jackson, 67, was one of those guests. She says she began to question things when the door opened and Mark Sr. didn’t give his usual Saturday greeting, but from there says she “thought she was in hell.”
“I didn’t know what to expect,” Debra told our reporters. “I usually can’t see either of them boys’ faces when they’re standing at that window ‘cause they’re so damn tall. Seeing that face there though… God says we must love everyone, but I thought this may be my last meal.”
“I mean, I’m all for them taking on those less inclined to the business,” said James Wilkins, 45, a longtime friend of the family. “But I gotta say: I thought this was gonna end ‘em. I seen this place fight through a lot of stuff, but I thought this was going to be what finally kept them in the ground.”
The shocking addition to the business is sixteen-year-old Kyle Matthews. The teen took on a part-time job to both help his mother pay bills as well as save up for a PS5.
“I’m just really glad for the opportunity,” said Matthews, scooping mac from the tin onto a plate. “I really appreciate Jace convincing his dad to hire me for weekend shifts. It helps pay bills and they let my little brother sit in a booth and color so we still don’t have to pay a babysitter.”
When asked about the hire, current owner and operator, Mark Bailey Jr., said it was something he was proud to fight for and do for the teen.
“Yeah, he’s a good kid. They wanted to fight me like hell for the damn tax credit though,” Bailey explained. “They wanted to tell me a scrawny white boy wasn’t a diversity hire. I told them to send me whoever decided what a diversity hire was and they sent out some lady with a clipboard and badge. This woman—and I ain’t kidding—took one step into the damn door and said, ‘Oh, I get it’. Now I know why white men like passing these tax breaks.”
Though it’s certainly an odd case, nobody can say that Bailey didn’t make his case. The teenager worked the grill during the Saturday evening shift, with nervous onlookers watching on as he flipped patties and potatoes while taking direction from friend Jace Bailey when needed, including jumping in to salt things more when he needed to.
“Kyle’s a good dude,” Jace, 17, said of the diversity hire. “There’s really nothing wrong with him besides him being corny sometimes. Since I started hanging out with him, the cops bother me less so figured I could at least get him a little something in return.”
Meanwhile, guests were taken by surprise when they received their food. Many let out small gasps of surprise upon being run their plates, still steaming from being so fresh. Debra could be seen putting a hand to her chest, eyes rolling after her first bite.
“I’m gonna say I didn’t think he could do it. I ain’t ever had anything that good cooked with that little melanin.” Debra said, going in for another bite. “He’s not quite where the Bailey’s are but, damn, he got the spirit!”
“I take it back. I ain’t quite ready to trust again after Paula Deen, but the kid’s got potential.” James followed up.
