RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — In honor of Black History Month, we’re celebrating Myrtle Dumas-Johnson, a trailblazer in Richmond hospitality for nearly 30 years before her passing in 2006 at the age of 79.
Myrtle Johnson was the owner of Johnson’s Grill and Restaurant, located on the 1800 block of East Franklin Street in Richmond’s Shockoe Bottom neighborhood.
For nearly 30 years, Johnson’s Grill and Restaurant prepared and served what was known as “the best soul food in Richmond.”
Early Life & Inspiration
It was not an easy run for Johnson, but with hard work and perseverance, she was able to push forward towards her dreams.
Born in 1926 and raised in the rural town of Mount Gilead, North Carolina, Johnson grew up on a farm with a family that raised chickens and grew their own crops. Johnson learned her way around the kitchen as a child, watching her mother cook.
In 1946, Johnson came to Richmond on a bus to study cosmetology. She attended Apex Beauty School, eventually working as a beautician and a part-time waitress at Golden Gate Restaurant.
Johnson later became a wife and mother of four children, staying home to raise them during their younger years. She returned to work once her children were in their teens, becoming a cook at Reynolds Metal Co., but she knew in her heart she wanted to open her own restaurant.
In the process of planning to open her restaurant, her husband, Floyd W. Johnson, had a stroke. This led her to proceed with the opening of Johnson’s Grill and Restaurant to support her family.
Opening of Johnson’s Grill and Restaurant
Johnson had no problem finding a building for her restaurant in 1971, after a major flood impacted Shockoe Bottom.
“When we came down here [in 1971], there was nothing down here,” Johnson told Richmond Times Dispatch in 2000. “No business. Everything was vacant and run-down.”
When the restaurant first opened the next year, rent for the building was $125 per month. Eventually, Johnson did well enough that she was able to buy the building.
“I knew I could make a go of it, once we got people to come in the door to see what we had to offer,” Johnson said.
One of the first thing’s Johnson did when she opened her restaurant was remove the “Jim Crow partition” that separated black customers and white customers. Jim Crow laws were extinct by the 70s, but the partition had remained.
Johnson’s Grill and Restaurant was family-run and was open Monday through Friday, serving breakfast and lunch.
All of the meals were made by scratch by the one and only Myrtle “Momma” Johnson.
Special one-of-a-kind menu items included meat loaf, spare ribs, pork chops, gourmet soups, honey carrots, black-eyed peas, candied yams, macaroni and cheese, greens, corn pudding and homemade rolls.
“My mother’s food kind of went to the soul,” said Johnson’s daughter, Dr. Jacqueline Johnson-Curl. “It went deep, it not only went to your hunger. If you were feeling bad, it made you happy. She used the food as a ministry.”
Success, Achievements, Community Impact & Longevity
Johnson had two rules for her success — only using fresh produce and making everything from scratch.
Johnson always had an overflow of customers in her restaurant, some of whom included Senator Tim Kaine, former Governor Douglas Wilder, former City Manager Robert Bobb and NBA players Johnny Newman, Charles Oakley and Grant Hill, as well as comedians Steve Harvey, Bernie Mac and Cedric the Entertainer.
Johnson’s Grill and Restaurant brought people from all walks of life together. Whether they were black or white, famous or blue-collar, everyone felt right at home in “Momma” Johnson’s kitchen.
It has been noted that she never turned anyone away from her restaurant and often fed individuals who were homeless that came by.
In 1989, Johnson was featured in the filming of “Two Street,” a film produced by the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia, the Valentine Museum and Richmond Renaissance.
According to Albert G. Dobbins, the associate director of Richmond Renaissance at the time, the film was part of the Vision 2000 planning strategy, highlighting Jackson Ward’s history, culture and architecture — focusing on the liveliness of 2nd Street.
In her lifetime, Johnson has been featured in Richmond Magazine, Detroit Free Press, Richmond Times-Dispatch, The Voice and Style Magazine.
“I’ve never gotten rich, but its never been about that” Johnson told Richmond Free Press in 2001. “I’ve been able to make a living doing what I love.”
Legacy & Influence
Even at the fine age of 75 years old, Johnson would still come to make fresh rolls, peach and apple cobbler, supervise the restaurant and talk with her regular customers.
Johnson eventually retired and closed the restaurant in 2001, shortly after falling and breaking her leg.
Even after retiring from running the restaurant, she still cooked for others, walking meals to elders who were shut-in. She enjoyed helping others through her food.
A few years later in 2006, Johnson passed away at 79 years old after a battle with cancer.
Her legacy did not stop there, nor has it been forgotten. Johnson was recently honored with a tribute plaque from the Bon Secours Richmond Health Care Foundation in 2021, located at the Bon Secours Center for Healthy Living Sarah Garland Center on Nine Mile Road in Richmond’s East End.
Today, we remember a hospitality legend that connected everyone from stockbrokers to shelf stockers for 29 years at her restaurant. Myrtle Johnson’s legacy shows faith in God, love for her family, leadership, entrepreneurship and servitude of her community.
