G & G Bar-B-Q

Dates of operation: 1933-1946

Dates Listed in Green Book: 1940-1941, 1947-1956 (after closing)

Leona Goodman, owner of G & G Barbecue, cared deeply about fighting for her community. In a 1935 letter to the editor published in the Minneapolis Spokesman, Goodman denounced a local brewery that refused to hire Black people. Her letter was in support of a larger investigation that the Spokesman published about local businesses with racist hiring practices. She used her position as a business owner to call out injustice.

“As proprietor of a business which uses a large quantity of a local brewery (Schmidt’s) I want to heartily endorse your campaign to obtain proportionate employment for our people. I intend to do all I can to help you in your fight for justice for the colored worker.”

— Leona Goodman

Goodman ran G & G Barbecue (also styled as Bar-B-Q) from 1933 to 1946. G & G was known for its great beer, chili, and, of course, barbecued meats. The business enjoyed great success, and by 1939 Goodman moved to a larger space nearby. She still stayed within her beloved Rondo neighborhood. In 1940 and 1941, G & G was listed in the Green Book.

“Planning for the Golden Jubilee of the B.S.C.P.,” St. Paul Recorder, May 26, 1950

After her retirement, a man named Gene Harris bought G & G Barbecue and renamed it Little Savoy Cafe. Harris never promoted his own business in the Green Book, but G & G Barbecue continued to appear in the Green Book from 1947-1956. The Green Book had a small staff that relied on readers for information about listings. It’s possible that Green Book editors received incorrect information that gave G & G Barbecue an extended life within its pages.

Do you see any familiar businesses offering their congratulations?

Good wishes for G & G Bar-B-Q on the opening of their new location at 318 Rondo Street, published in the St. Paul Recorder on Friday, June 9, 1939.