c ery , ▁which ▁the ▁Sign a ▁family ▁called ▁" P apa ' s ▁Store ," ▁performed ▁relatively ▁well ▁finan cially ▁until ▁the ▁Great ▁Mississippi ▁Flo od ▁of ▁ 1 9 2 7 . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁flo od , ▁Big ▁Do e ▁Sign a ▁started ▁a ▁boot leg ging ▁business ▁to ▁help ▁provide ▁for ▁his ▁family . ▁ ▁After ▁several ▁years ▁he ▁finally ▁sold ▁his ▁ 4 0 - bar rel ▁still ▁for ▁$ 3 0 0 ▁and ▁a ▁Ford ▁Model ▁T . ▁▁ ▁At ▁first , ▁Sign a ▁ran ▁a ▁hon ky - ton k , ▁strictly ▁for ▁black s , ▁in ▁the ▁front ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁store . ▁ ▁Buff alo ▁fish ▁and ▁ch ili ▁were ▁regular ▁menu ▁items ▁at ▁that ▁time . ▁Because ▁of ▁the ▁ra cial ▁seg reg ation ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁it ▁was ▁soci ally ▁un accept able ▁for ▁whites ▁to ▁come ▁into ▁Do e ' s . ▁Therefore , ▁when ▁a ▁local ▁white ▁doctor ▁began ▁to ▁stop ▁at ▁Do e ' s ▁for ▁a ▁me al ▁between ▁house ▁calls , ▁Do e ▁would ▁serve ▁him ▁ste aks ▁in ▁the ▁rear ▁of ▁the ▁store . ▁ ▁As ▁word - of - mouth ▁spread ▁about ▁the ▁ste aks , ▁Do e ▁decided ▁to ▁start ▁a ▁restaurant ▁in ▁the ▁rear ▁of ▁the ▁building . ▁ ▁For ▁a ▁short ▁time , ▁the ▁hon ky ▁ton k ▁and ▁restaurant ▁co - ex isted . ▁ ▁As ▁the ▁restaurant ▁continued ▁to ▁grow ▁in ▁popular ity , ▁the ▁hon ky - ton k