Former Golden State Warrior highlighting Bay Area food spots with “Festus Feasts”

By Max Darrow

In the kitchen of Oakland restaurant Town Fare, on a quiet afternoon, chef and owner Michele McQueen prepared for an upcoming reservation for one.

“It’s going to bring a big awareness to Town Fare,” she said.

She cooked up her famous shrimp and grits, just one of the dishes she hoped would knock the socks off of former Golden State Warrior and NBA Champion turned foodie, Festus Ezeli.

“MMM!” Ezeli said, after his first bite.

Based upon several reactions like that, her hope became reality.

Through his social media channel, “Festus Feasts,” Ezeli is on a mission to give a boost to local restaurants throughout the region. It started as a fun hobby. But one of his early posts about a small spot actually made a real impact for that business, and that really stuck with Ezeli.

“I got to play basketball for a living. The best job in the world,” he said. “This community, and many others, have really poured into me for me to get to the position I’m in right now. I couldn’t have dreamt of this life that I’m living. When I see that privilege, I look at it as an opportunity to give back.”

So, how does he find his spots?

Ezeli says it basically comes down to word of mouth. People recommend places he should go, he and his team will reach out to the spot and tell them they’d like to come by. He’ll typically sit down for a candid conversation with the restaurant’s owner over a meal.

They’ll talk food, culture and life.

“Tell me about having a restaurant in Oakland,” Ezeli asked McQueen.

“I think if you love Oakland, Oakland will love you back,” she responded. “There are challenges in the restaurant industry no matter what city you’re in, especially if you’re in a major city.”

One of her challenges is that Town Fare is located inside of the Oakland Museum, and she says, sometimes people don’t know it exists. She’s optimistic Ezeli’s visit will help people learn about her restaurant.

Adam Mesnick, the Chairman of the Board at Deliboard, a sandwich spot in San Francisco, says the Festus Feasts effect is real.

“Like, a restaurant buzzes after Festus goes to see it,” he said.

Ezeli visited Deliboard in SOMA a few months ago.

“It was fantastic. You see everybody just completely lit up,” he said.

People still talk about it when they come in.

“He’s a local. Most of his followers are locals or close to local. Those are the people you feel the impact from. You feel the locals who come in and say, ‘Hey, I love the Golden State Warriors,’ or if someone has a Warriors hat they’ll say, ‘Hey, I saw Festus in here, I just saw Festus,’ it absolutely adds lift,” he said. “His presence in the store is appreciated. I would imagine we’ll feel the lift for a long time coming.”

Ezeli never thought his love for food and for the Bay Area would lead to this kind of an assist, but he’s grateful it has.

“We should all feel lucky and feel privileged to live here,” he said. “The least we can do is support the people who are doing a good job. That’s all I’m trying to do.”