New Orleans native Donald Williams Jr. is adamant about bringing a taste of The Big Easy to Atlanta. Williams owns D’Juans New Orleans Bistro in Smyrna, and the restaurateur is slated to open Blake’s Oyster Bar in September at 510 Fairburn Rd SW, Suite 200.
The seafood and Creole restaurant transports guests to the swamps of New Orleans. Upon entering the space, guests are welcomed with a big oak tree sprouting from the bar area, alligator heads holding up light fixtures within their jaws, and vertical sliding windows bringing in rays of sunshine, leading to patio seating. From the menu to the restaurant design, Williams wants to create family through food.
The Atlanta Voice: Why was now the perfect time for you to open up a sister restaurant to D’Juans New Orleans Bistro?
Donald Williams Jr.: “It’s needed in this area. Everyone loves D’Juans, but we need something on the south side. They need something like an upscale restaurant, because most people overlook and ignore this area.”
AV: What made you fall in love with the restaurant industry?
DW: “The people make you fall in love. There are different people with different personalities and different experiences. You have some that just come, and I’ll be a counselor, talking to them, giving them advice. But there’s also the joy that people drive over an hour or something to be there. It’s just the fellowship, mainly.”
AV: Can you tell me a bit about the name, Blake’s Oyster Bar? I know it’s named after a special 10-year-old boy.
DW: “Yes, it’s named after my godson, Blake. He’s amazing, so I wanted to give him something and start him at a young age of entrepreneurship.”
AV: And when curating the menu, what can people expect that’s different from D’Juans?
DW: “Blake’s is more seafood. We’re going to elevate with pastas. We’re going to elevate with more different types of po-boys. We’re going to bring more of the alligators here. We’re going to step it up to give them the swamp feel. We’re going to have more crab claw fingers. Blake’s is a more authentic, swampy-feeling type of restaurant.”
AV: As a New Orleans native, what does it take to bring a taste of New Orleans to Atlanta?
DW: “One, patience. One, understanding. One, knowledge of the culture. But what it really takes is passion and love. And you have to love your city, and you have to want to bring it here and make them really feel it. At every turn, you have to make it feel like they’re stepping inside [New Orleans].”
AV: What makes New Orleans cuisine so special?
DW: “Seasoning.”
AV: What are you most excited for people to experience when they come to Blake’s Oyster Bar?
DW: “Good food, customer service, and to feel that they are a family, they’re seen, and they’re not a number.
AV: D’Juans is relocating to a new location in Smyrna, and then you also have Blake’s opening. How does it feel for you to be able to expand the brand this much because the community has responded so well to what you’ve been able to build here?
DW: “It’s a feeling that is so real. I’m more emotional. I don’t want to say sad, but I always want to cry because it’s unbelievable. I started D’Juans two years ago, and I’m actually expanding it to a bigger location, and I’m opening up a sister restaurant. With that, I feel so blessed that God has favored me.
I look forward to coming to them, and if there’s anything they feel we’re missing here, I’m all ears to talk. I want them to feel welcome. I want them to feel like they’re part of the family.
AV: When Blake opens, what do you hope it adds to the Atlanta food scene?
DW: “I hope it adds a place that people can call home.”
Stay tuned to Blake’s Oyster Bar socials for updated information on its grand opening in September.
