Jonnetta Patton, Usher’s mom, excited for launch of new food trucks, business expansion

ATLANTA — No one knows Usher like his first manager, his mother Jonnetta Patton. She nurtured him and his career, helping create the superstar we all know today.

Now, Patton is turning her passion into purpose with a new endeavor, the food truck J’s Smokehouse.

Channel 2′s Karyn Greer sat down with Patton to talk about her new business and check in on her superstar son after a recent neck injury caused his tour to be postponed.

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For Patton, helping to nurture and create a superstar isn’t new, more than 30 years ago, she believed in her multi-Grammy-winning son Usher Raymond IV when she says others didn’t.

“I enjoyed 17 years of creating one of the biggest artists in the world,” Patton told Channel 2 Action News. “I’m doing the same thing with my [cooking] incubator and now J’s Smokehouse.”

The culinary entrepreneur and businesswoman is turning her passion for creation into the smokehouse, and a mobile food trailer.

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“What makes the menu different are our options, are vegan options,” Patton said. “We have pulled pork sandwich and we have a vegan hot dog in the smokehouse. And they are amazing.”

Atlanta is no stranger to celebrity-owned restaurants, and Patton said the chef is what makes the difference.

For her new smokehouse, she chose Chef Greg Dennis.

“We have delicious ribs falling off the bone. 13 hours low and slow smoked brisket. Grandma’s delicious southern fried collard greens,” Dennis told Greer. “I do a seven cheese macaroni blend, I also have a vegan menu.”

The business opened Aug. 2 to huge crowds, and of course, Usher showed up to support his mom.

“So it was really great that he was like ‘Mom, I’m so proud of you,’” Patton said.

Of course, with the news of the concert postponement and his injury, Greer had to ask how Usher was doing.

“He always wants to give yo the best, and it was just very stressful,” Patton said. “It was very, very stressful but he’s okay. And his doctors have advised him to just rest. He needs to rest because he’s a hard worker coming off a Super Bowl, and then all that in between. It was too much.”

Patton said she has no plans to slow down. She said from the food truck to a brick-and-mortar restaurant, you can check out the menu for J’s Smokehouse online.

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