Gary Preston, founder of Smokin’ Rednecks BBQ, died last month. He had struggled for two to three months with an illness, and seemingly had been on the road to recovery when he experienced a stroke that ended his life. Many of you knew Gary as a restaurant owner and a creator of recipes, sauces, and rubs. Some of you knew him as a younger man, and knew that restaurant owner was only one facet of his life. Other facets included husband, father, brother, friend, musician, builder, businessman, and dreamer. His successes and failures made his life interesting and full, and those who chose to accompany him on one endeavor or another often enjoyed the journey, and still enjoy the telling of the journey. Smokin’ Rednecks BBQ restaurant closed for business in 2013. Some of the reasons for closing were financial, but other reasons included the need for renovation and expansion. Gary and his wife Glenna, my sister, dreamed a bigger dream. They didn’t just see a restaurant. Gary and Glenna saw a plant for bottling sauces and vacuum packing rubs. They saw a donut shop and bakery. And they saw a restaurant. Big dream. A dream, big or small, stays a dream until there is a plan. So, Gary put on his thinking cap. And Glenna put on her thinking cap, too. And started a plan. In late 2012, I bought the building Glenna and Gary had leased, and then we started putting their plan on paper. I financed the planned renovation and Gary and Glenna worked on the renovation. The plan slowed when I was sent to Afghanistan for a year. However, Gary, Glenna, and I believed in the plan, so we moved the project forward, and when I returned from Afghanistan Smokin’ Rednecks Foods, Inc. was started. I submitted SBA loan paperwork to Fort Knox Federal Credit Union, received approval from the credit union to move forward, and then, just before paperwork was submitted to SBA, Gary passed away. During his last year of life, Gary spent long hours renovating spaces in the building. When he wasn’t laboring over a wall or floor, he was thinking through plans for the next project. He completed numerous project during the last part of 2012 and 2013. Most important amongst those projects, he built a new kitchen, rebuilt the main dining space, and nearly completed the spaces for the sauce plant and the bakery. He worked on this dream until he was physically not able to work, and then he supervised those who could complete the work, making certain they understood the plan, ensuring the dream would become reality. For that reason, Glenna and I decided to continue the dream and make it a reality. Smokin’ Rednecks Foods, Inc. will own and operate a restaurant, bakery, and plant. Glenna is completing the finishing touches on the restaurant. She and a friend, Elisa, are setting up the dining room and kitchen and revising parts of the menu, and plan to reopen the restaurant in early December. Many of Gary’s recipes will remain on the menu. Of course, his sauces and rubs will continue to be served at the restaurant. Meanwhile, Phillip, Gary’s son, is completing the sauce plant and bakery spaces from directions Gary provided before his death. Glenna, who has made the sauces and rubs for many years, expects to be bottling sauces and packaging rubs in December or January. Phillip and one of his friends, Mike, will assist Glenna with the bottling and packaging. When the restaurant opens, they will bake bread and buns daily, and donuts will be made starting in either December or January. If you were a friend to Gary, stop by the restaurant when it opens and say hello. I’m sure that Glenna would appreciate your visit. If you were a customer of Smokin’ Rednecks BBQ, either the restaurant or the BBQ festival road tour, keep a lookout for the restaurant’s opening date and stop by for a meal. Glenna will continue to use many of Gary’s recipes, and Eliza will add a few of her favorites. And keep a look out for a link to our web page where you can purchase rubs and sauces. Ed Schott, President of Smokin’ Rednecks Foods, Inc. Glenna’s brother, Gary’s brother-in-law
Posted on: Tue, 18 Nov 2014 01:33:32 +0000
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