The owners of popular downtown lunch spot Charlotte’s Southern Deli will never forget March 17, 2020. “We watched people coming out of their office buildings with desktop computers and whole filing cabinets, packing them up in a Toyota Camry,” says Nikki Polk.
Nikki and her husband, Paul Polk Jr., had just found out they were nominated for Richmond Magazine’s Elby Awards, Best New Restaurant, the day before. “I was really looking forward to that party,” says Nikki. “We had never been celebrated for our accomplishments in that way.”
But then the world came to a grinding halt. “We chose this location because of the foot traffic,” says Nikki. “Suddenly it was a ghost town.”
Both Johnson and Wales University (Charlotte) grads, the Polks had moved their business from Newport News, Nikki’s hometown, to Richmond in 2019 because the city “felt more inviting to small businesses.” They weren’t going to let a global pandemic slow them down.
When Nikki wasn’t waking up at the crack of dawn to finalize grant paperwork—the restaurant received several, including the $25,000 Discover Card grant—she and Paul were hustling to help the folks around them.
In 2021 and 2022 they hosted a Juneteenth Soiree, an event bringing together local Black chefs who were invited to set up tables in the restaurant—sans vendor fee—for a tasting experience. “We wanted an opportunity for everyone to make money during this hard time,” says Paul. The event also raised funds for hospitality workers affected by COVID-19 and for Bohlale Baheti Social, a Newport News nonprofit that gives out scholarships to young Black women.
The Polks have hosted open mics with musician friend Skuzii (Bruce Skuzii Danet), transforming their restaurant into a hub for creatives to showcase their talent. “We have other people do the food, like our friend West [Mazah] and his Furnace Pizza pop-up,” says Paul. “We just make cocktails, tell our friends to keep all their money and bring their own POS [point of sale] system.”
This generous attitude garnered the couple a 2023 nomination for the Virginia Restaurant, Travel and Lodging Association’s Ordinary Awards Hospitality Hero. “We don’t have a lot of money, but if I can help you because you want to help yourself, we can make that space for you,” says Nikki.
