Melinda Newton, affectionately known in Columbus, Georgia, as “The Chicken Lady,” has spent more than two decades turning her family’s culinary legacy into a thriving business. From reviving Minnie’s Uptown Restaurant, her grandmother’s beloved country cooking spot, to launching a product line, food truck, catering service and fast-casual restaurant, Newton has steadily built a brand rooted in flavor, family and community,
In 2022, when her second venture, The Chicken Lady’s COOP, had outgrown its space and needed a new spot to roost, Newton contacted the University of Georgia Small Business Development Center (UGA SBDC) with her most ambitious idea yet: CARGO, a 6.5-acre, $6 million dining destination featuring multiple restaurants, a food truck park and commissary kitchens.
“CARGO grew as I started talking to friends in the industry who told me if I was opening there, they wanted to go, too,” Newton said. “The concept quickly grew from one restaurant to six and a bar.”…