Whenever 4 Paws Pantry founder Betty Crawford reaches out to Shuford’s Smokehouse owner Jeff Davis for a donation for her organization, which provides pet food for local owners in need, he’s always willing to write a check, she said.
Now, though, Davis is the one in need of donations.
After a neighboring restaurant was leveled by a landslide in February, the city posted a sign on Shuford’s building labeling it a “dangerous” structure. So Davis closed the building where he has welcomed customers at the foot of Signal Mountain for 33 years. Though he continues to use the smokers at the restaurant, he now serves customers at a temporary location on Dayton Boulevard while raising funds for a new building.
Madison Davis, Jeff’s daughter who helps him run the restaurant, said they’ve used most of their savings cleaning up the temporary location, where they also had to purchase two new air conditioners and fix some electrical issues. The building’s owner gave them a discount on rent to compensate, she said, but after having to be closed for five weeks following the landslide, they’re still far from having the funds they need.
“It’s got us in a pretty bad spot,” Madison Davis said.