These days, Mike D’s BBQ restaurant in historic east Durham is drawing crowds, winning awards and getting written up in places like the New York Times, which called it a “notable newcomer” to Durham’s famous foodie scene. “Go there for a brisket sandwich doused with the signature smoky-sweet sauce,” the writer recommended.
It’s the kind of success that might have felt out-of-reach in 2020 when owner Michael “Mike D” De Los Santos went searching unsuccessfully for a loan to upfit his first storefront — a barbecue supply store where he sold his own rubs and sauces, along with charcoal, wood and custom grills.
“We had trouble,” De Los Santos said. “It’s the challenge that many entrepreneurs face, and it’s one that many Black entrepreneurs face even more — access to capital for us.”
That challenge wasn’t entirely a surprise for De Los Santos; he had previously worked professionally in affordable housing policy and financial justice issues. And he eventually found some support through the first of two loans from the NC COVID-19 Rapid Recovery Loan Program, a collaborative effort led by the NC Rural Center that helped his small business and others stay afloat during the pandemic.
“It’s tough out here,” De Los Santos said. “That’s part of the challenge of being an entrepreneur, but you have to leave no stone unturned. You’ve got to look at all the options and dig in.”
Tragedy in 2012 spurred De Los Santos to turn a hobby into a livelihood. His six-month-old
son Aaron, who had a rare congenital heart defect, had died. “I was just trying to find
ways to honor him and what he did just trying to live when he couldn’t,” he said. “If this little guy can do all that without talking, then why can’t I chase my dream to honor his memory?”
Mike D.
“It’s tough out here. That’s part of the challenge of being an entrepreneur, but you have to leave no stone unturned. You’ve got to look at all the options and dig in.”
In 2013, De Los Santos launched Mike D’s BBQ. He started selling his sauces and rubs, which are inspired by his African American and Hispanic heritage, out of the trunk of his car. Then he moved to small farmers’ markets, then larger markets and festivals. In 2019, he quit his full-time job as part of the Discovery Channel’s show “I Quit!,” which featured up-and-coming entrepreneurs, and won a $100,000 investment in his business.
De Los Santos received the money in March 2020 with big plans for growth. “The next day, everything is canceled,” he remembered. He ultimately used the money to scale up his website, pay for online ads and marketing and cover growing shipping costs during the pandemic.
Six months later, his first storefront opened. After struggling to find capital, his first Rapid Recovery loan helped make it happen. But he didn’t have time to celebrate when the loan came through, De Los Santos said. He was too busy working. “I was happy,” he said. “Something finally came through.”
A second Rapid Recovery loan about a year later helped him with staffing and inventory. In July 2023, he moved a few blocks down South Driver Street into a larger space where he could open the restaurant.
Running a business and finding capital is still a challenge, he said. But he’s gotten creative, including launching two crowdsourcing campaigns through FundBLACKFounders and Mainvest. And he has plenty to celebrate as people line up for his smoked meats and sides.
“When you open a space, you don’t know what’s going to happen,” he said. “But we’ve got good community support that’s come in and helped keep us going.”
