In Rockville, taverns were the only businesses allowed to remain segregated under an exemption to the 1962 city law against discrimination in public places. Mr. T's first sold ice cream, lunches, and candy, and in the evening it became a popular local drinking establishment. After George Johnson was made to wait in another restaurant while five white patrons who arrived after him were served, he opened Mr. T's as a restaurant serving African-American clientele. He served customers of all races, who came in part because of his popularity and his involvement in Rockville politics. During World War II, Johnson helped erect a plaque honoring soldiers overseas in the armed services, with funds for the billboard raised by the Colored Businessmen's Association of Montgomery County with help from the Rockville Elks and Galilean Fisherman. Johnson also became the first African-American member of the Rockville Chamber of Commerce.
