[4] Located in the black business district in proximity to downtown, the luncheonette had no kitchen space; Robert prepared the food at his home and sent it by taxi to the shop, as the brothers did not own a car.

[11] With Robert serving as head chef and recipe developer,[12] the restaurant became known for its soul food menu, including fried chicken, collard greens, cornbread, sweet potato pie, and peach cobbler.

[18][19] Although Paschal's had "colored only" business and liquor licenses, the brothers openly disregarded the law and served white and black clientele alike.

[13] Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders frequently convened here for strategy sessions, planning their protest marches, sit-ins, and voter registration drives.

[18] The Paschal brothers kept the restaurant open all night as a safe haven for black activists returning from jail and as a meeting point for their families.

[8] Strategy meetings also took place in the restaurant among white politicians, including Ted Kennedy, Hubert Humphrey, Richard Nixon, and Bill Clinton.

[20] In 1967 the Paschal brothers erected a six-story, 125-room motel on the property,[20] completing their vision of providing "food, drink, merriment, entertainment, and a place to rest up for more all within the confines of one complex".

The property was sold for $3 million to Clark Atlanta University, which converted the motel into a student dormitory and conference centre named The Paschal Center.

[25] In 1980 a joint venture of Paschal's and Dobbs House Inc., called Dobbs-Paschal Midfield Corporation, was awarded a 15-year contract to provide foodservice at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport.