H & R Sweet Shop

The H & R Sweet Shop, located at 102 Royall Avenue, started business one day after Easter on April 2 1945. Owners of the business were husband and wife, Harriet and Raliegh (Pat) Johnson Sr.

The building was divided into two sections. On one side Raleigh operated a barbershop and on the other side was a full-service ice cream shop and diner. For a while Raliegh was the only licensed barber in Mount Pleasant. In 1962, Raliegh Jr. (Coffee) joined in the business on the diner side. Neighborhood folks came in for ice cream, milk shakes, hot dogs, hamburgers, ribs, pork chops, fried chicken, fried shrimp and flounder, hush puppies, fries, red rice and collard greens.

Years ago, the Sweet Shop brought in jazz performers to entertain patrons in the club room in the rear. All of this occurred when jazz was practically dead in this part of the country. Raliegh Sr. hosted Christmas parties, Easter Egg hunts and passed out school supplies. He sponsored Little League teams and bowling leagues. A faithful member of Friendship A.M.E. Church and Pisgah Lodge 169, Ralliegh Sr. was a pillar of the community and was known to help a lot of people out when they got into financial jams. Harriet was a registered nurse and a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, Lodge 219.