It ’ s been a devastating twelve months for small businesses in general – and for the restaurant industry in particular – due to the coronavirus pandemic . But like a salmon swimming against the stream , one local icon just opened its doors again to a whole new generation of Colquitt County diners . On Monday , March 15th , Dalton ’ s Restaurant ( newly branded as Dalton ’ s Chicken – Steaks – Seafood ) had its ( re- ) opening day under the ownership of third-generation restauranteur Kelly Dalton and his wife Amy . Located at 715 Rowland Drive in Moultrie , Dalton ’ s will serve lunch and dinner six days a week , plus lunch on Sundays from 11am-3pm . If the name Dalton ’ s rings a bell , it should : Kelly ’ s grandparents , Raymond L . ( known as R . L .) and Ida Belle Dalton owned many area restaurants dating back to the 1960s . The well-known Dalton ’ s Chicken opened in 1990 on South Main Street after R . L . bought the building , installing Kelly ’ s aunt Patsy Dalton Akridge as manager . After a number of successful years at that first location , the CVS corporation came in and offered to buy that corner lot . The Daltons agreed to sell as the building was old and needed a lot of work . The Daltons built a new restaurant at 715 Rowland Drive . One year later , in 2006 , Dalton ’ s Chicken re-opened , yet again under Aunt Patsy ’ s management . Sadly , Dalton ’ s Chicken closed its doors in March 2013 , and although Kelly ’ s dad Bobby Dalton and uncle Lewayne Dalton still owned the building , they subsequently leased the space to a series of small businesses over the years .
To further cement Kelly ’ s roots in the industry , his parents Bobby Dalton and the late Pat Dalton owned Embers Restaurant – another local favorite – which closed its doors on First Avenue in January 2008 after 35 years in business . With so much of the industry in his blood , it is no real surprise that Kelly decided to revive the family name . The building at 715 Rowland Drive had been vacant for six months before Kelly decided to rent the building from his dad and his uncle . Kelly made a very public announcement on January 5th , 2021 that Dalton ’ s Restaurant would be re-opening in March , giving him and his team just ten weeks to completely renovate , decorate , hire staff , and stock food items . And Kelly has done just that , driven by his lifelong dream and the help of an extended network of family , friends , and community . To understand Kelly ’ s motivation , it helps to know a little more about his background . Parents Bobby and Pat Dalton raised their four children in the restaurant business , and all of the kids learned how to cook and run the family business . But Kelly felt the connection a little more deeply than his siblings and always knew he would open a restaurant someday . All four of the Dalton children entered other fields upon reaching adulthood , including Kelly who worked in the poultry industry for Sanderson Farms for 15 years . ( Kelly jokes that he ’ ll now be going from raising and processing chickens to cooking them .) But Kelly always had the idea of opening a restaurant . “ It ’ s in my blood , always has been .” As for just when he would open a Dalton ’ s restaurant , “ It was my Plan B .” Plan B came to the forefront this fall , just after Kelly married Amy and blended their families . “ From Day 1 ” Kelly talked restaurants with Amy ; he just didn ’ t know when he would take that leap of faith and move from full-time employment to becoming an entrepreneur . By late 2020 , Kelly knew it was time for a change , “ otherwise I ’ d be too old to do it .” New wife Amy was supportive – “ Go for it !” was her response – and soon Plan B was in play . Although this is Kelly and Amy ’ s business venture , the rest of the Daltons were anticipating the restaurant re-
8 Spring / Summer 2021