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EDITOR’S NOTE: In recognition of Black History Month, The LaGrange Daily News is writing stories on Black owned businesses in Troup County. 

If you’re not a local, you have probably never heard of DJ’s Wings and Things. For over 20 years, David Baker, the man behind the beloved hometown gem, has been serving up quality wings — and things.

“Before this, I had always been running restaurants for other people when I said, ‘Hey, if I can do this for other people then I can do this for myself’ and that’s when I branched out and started in the wing business,” Baker said.

Upon taking a leap of faith, Baker began the restaurant in a concession food trailer in 2000.

“When you’re going after a passion, you got to love it,” Baker said. “If you don’t love what you do, you won’t be happy — success won’t follow.”

Along with serving wings, the restaurant offers burgers, Philly-cheese steak sandwiches, fish, chopped BBQ sandwiches and more.

In being a community staple for over two decades, Baker said the best part has been making good food and watching the youth grow.

“Serving food that makes people want to keep coming back has always been important to me but dealing with a lot of the young kids that come has been rewarding,” Baker said. “The kids will come in, hang out, go off to college and come back. When they show their love and appreciation for what you’ve done for them, it’s been one of the highlights.”

In the community, Baker uses his culinary knowledge and skills to help people when he can.

“Whether it’s helping when kids go back to school, feeding the homeless, feeding veterans, you have to make the effort to something positive back into the community,” Baker said. “While I can’t do everything, I try to do something when I can. A lot of people do it for the accolades. I’m not one of them.”

Baker advises those wanting to follow in his shoes to be ready to work.

“It’s not a cakewalk. A lot of people tell me, ‘You make it look so easy.’ Yes, but you have to work at it. It’s not going to happen overnight,” Baker said. “I would be working two sometimes three jobs just to keep the dream going. You got to have passion for the job and be a people person — it could take you a long way.”

Baker said business ownership is hard work but rewarding.

“Opening your own business is good, you’ve just got to work hard at it,” Baker said. “Whenever you can do good for the community, that energy will come back to you. Looking at my journey, it’s been good.”

DJ’s Wings and Things is located at 1305 Hogansville Rd #E and is open Monday — Thursday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 8:45 p.m.