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Macon men open 'cultural food court,' plan to hire teens to keep them off the street

The restaurant features two places to eat plus a convenience store off of Nussbaum Ave

MACON, Ga. — A group of Macon men says all the violence among youth this year motivated them to open up their own cultural food court.

13WMAZ spoke to Darrell Paul and his friends to find out what they are cooking up.

"Usually it takes about an hour, hour and a half," Darrell Paul said. 

Each day Paul serves up food for the soul at his new spot dubbed "On the Fly Wings."

"We have fish and sometimes we do the curry chicken and jerk chicken," Paul said. "I love culinary arts. It's something I used to do with my grandma growing up."

Growing up in the Unionville neighborhood, he says life wasn't always simple.

"I went through the getting in trouble, getting out of trouble thing. A lot of it was not having anything to do or not having anybody showing us the right path, or the right way," Paul said. 

He says despite his criminal background, he went to culinary school, bringing his two friends for the ride.

"I am the grill guard specialist, what you call the head of the grill," Junicto Maynard said. 

"I call it spiritual food -- it is a mix of Caribbean and American food," Mac Jarrell said.

Maynard, Jarrell and Paul run what they call a 'cultural food court' and they're hoping to give kids a safe place to hang out.

"We have to take up ownership for things, we always complain there is nothing to do, but we are not creating anything for us to do," Paul said. 

Paul says he hopes to hire kids in Bibb County to keep them off the streets and give them something to do all year.

"We want to be able to employ those youth in that transitional age, usually 16 to 22, [and] have these guys where they can come here, get used to working a 40-hour set schedule. We can offer medical, vision, and dental eventually," Paul said. 

Right now, he says they are putting the finishing touches on everything.

"It is up to us to save these kids, to make sure we ensure our future to the right hands," Paul said.

Paul says you can find the cultural food court at events going on throughout Central Georgia like the fair and football games. 

He is also asking people for help so they can continue their mission of helping the community. You can find his GoFundMe page here.

The spot is located at 1616 Nussbaum Ave in Macon.

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