Salon Dollhouse owner responds after Rick Jackson visit sparks debate

COLLEGE PARK, Ga. - A College Park business owner is clarifying his stance after a visit from Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Jackson sparked backlash across metro Atlanta.

What we know:

Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Jackson visited Salon Dollhouse in College Park in late June after his campaign team asked to host a public question-and-answer session. 

Shop owner Timothy Jackson allowed the event so community members could meet the candidate directly and ask questions, noting that the candidate answered all inquiries without dodging topics.

"I thought it'd be good for everybody in the community, the shop, because everything is so stereotypical these days with, "Oh, he's a Trump supporter, he's this, he's that, when you had a chance to come and see for yourself, you could ask him whatever you wanted to ask him; for me, that speaks volumes," Timothy said. 

The visit created pushback for the shop, coming shortly after another local business faced intense online controversy. 

Timothy Jackson emphasized that hosting the candidate does not equal a political endorsement, stating that he is neither a Republican nor a Democrat. Despite receiving initial criticism from community members, the Salon Dollhouse owner reported that the situation has not slowed down his business operations.

Photos posted by the candidate's campaign showing him alongside the owner of Toast on Lenox in Atlanta prompted online calls for boycotts, with critics accusing the owner of political endorsement.

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What we don't know:

It remains unclear if additional local establishments plan to host candidate visits or if campaign officials will address the public backlash facing small business owners. Campaign representatives have not publicly indicated whether future stops will feature similar open forum formats.