Doc Witherspoon’s Soul Food Shack is located on 1st Street and 3rd Avenue in Duluth. Photo by Alyvia Taylor

The owner of Doc Witherspoon’s Soul Food shack overcame the odds and became a staple for soul food in Duluth, Minnesota. Stephan Witherspoon, Doc Witherspoon’s son, shows his Black excellence not only in the kitchen but in the community as well.

Stephan Witherspoon was born and raised in Duluth, Minnesota. For a portion of his childhood, he found himself incarcerated for fighting “white kids” who called him racial slurs. The last time he was in court he was 16 years old. Every time Witherspoon was in court, he faced the same judge.

“Steph, they probably won’t stop and you will hear them for the rest of your life, so what are you going to do about it,” the judge said.

After Witherspoon entered a children’s home for a brief time, he decided to move in with his sister in Houston, Texas. This is when he fell in love with traveling. After returning to Duluth, he then took a Greyhound bus to Oxford, California. Witherspoon met a friend, and they explored the state; he described this experience as “the best time in [his] life.”

When Witherspoon graduated high school, he worked in the fishing industry in Alaska and Seattle for a time. Upon returning home, he met up with his closest friends. It was his friend's 21st birthday, and they were ready to celebrate. Before the party, Witherspoon stopped by his girlfriend's house where he accidentally fell asleep. Witherspoon was woken up by the news that his friends at that party were murdered.

“One of my friends came into her house at four in the morning and told me…they’re all dead,” Witherspoon said.

He decided to make something positive out of his sorrowful feelings and started to be more creative. Witherspoon poured his heart into writing and performing music, cooking and his education. His live music brought him back to a place where he felt most free — a similar feeling to when he was around his friends. Witherspoon realized his passion for culinary arts and cooked with his family at home. He also made the decision to go back to school and graduated with an Associate’s degree in human services and a Bachelor's degree in organizational behavior.

This was the same time his father, Doc Witherspoon, was struggling with Alzehimer’s disease. His father taught him how to make the family recipes at a young age, and he now sells the same food at his restaurant. After his father passed, Witherspoon knew he had to keep his legacy growing in the restaurant industry as well as in the community. This is where the name of the restaurant comes into play: “Doc Witherspoon’s Soul Food Shack.”

As a Black-owned business, Witherspoon has faced an inconsistency of business. Despite being a community activist, he said “the hardest thing is just to maintain capital.”

Witherspoon practiced and perfected his craft for 20 years and made every food on the menu his favorite.

“Everything, everything, everything is my favorite meal on the menu,” Witherspoon said. “I’ve worked very hard on my food and I’m very proud of all my food.”

Not even one year in, his food has been known to bring people together and make you feel at home.

The Story Behind Doc Witherspoon’s Soul Food Shack