We had the good fortune of connecting with David Handford and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi David, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Growing up in the Mountains of Western NC there is plenty of time to discover your passion in life. Business Owner David Handford, “BBQ Dave,”tried many occupations from construction to line work, just about a little bit of everything but nothing beat the thrill and satisfaction of smoking the best meats and serving them all over the US! Dave worked for other BBQ restaurants in the area but after a motorcycle accident, he decided to start his own gig with catering on the road by purchasing a concession trailer with his wife/business partner Emily.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
It hasn’t been an easy task transitioning from a food truck set up and adding a brick and mortar to our business but it couldn’t have been possible without knowing the right people. Our town is largely populated with visitors that are building new homes therefore, it’s nearly impossible to find workers to help build out a restaurant in a reasonable amount of time. Fortunately, since BBQ Dave was born and raised in Murphy, NC he knew the right people to call to come help after hours with a little bit of brisket coaxing. Smoky Mountain BBQ Company wants the world to know that we are dedicated to providing the freshest meats and side items at the most reasonable cost to our patrons possible! We strive to provide a different BBQ experience with our quick serve set up in which you arrive at the chop block, we plate your sides, you have an option to grab beer, wine, or a fountain drink, pay, then stay as long or as quickly as you’d like (quickly if you need to get back to work but so you can still eat a great meal in a hurry). We are located at 104 Tennesee Street, Suite B, Murphy, NC 28906 in the Historic Mill Building amongst other suitemates selling awesome products. Our neighbors at Buck Bald Brewery offer Sing-O Tuesday Nights while we offer Trivia Wednesday Nights, $1 Smoked Wings and $1 Beer Specials on Thursday’s, Fridays we offer Prime Rib Night, Saturday Live Music 5PM-7PM, and Sundays are Smoked Meatloaf and Sippin’ Sunday’s with $5 Mimosas.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
The Harrah’s Valley River Casino is a very popular stop as well as Downtown Murphy to check out the shops and food varieties. We have several waterfalls in the area such as Leatherwood, Helton Creek, and Bald River Falls. Panther Top Fire Tower in has breathtaking views in fall, but it’s quite a hike if the US Forest Service has the vehicle access trail closed. In Hiawassee, Georgia Bell Mountain and visiting the sights at Lake Chatuge are unforgettable experiences! Other incredible restaurants to mention in town are Julie’s Place, Red Brick Deli, Crafted Dough Bakery, and Parson’s Pub in Murphy also newly opened restaurant in Andrews, NC Sage.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
We would like to give a shout out to our friends, family, and local community for asking us to pull the concession trailer off the road to start setting up for public events. This became an entirely new revenue stream for us. We would also like to thank Premier Land Company, The Woodlands Group, and Core Scientific for being massive supporters in our first days of becoming established as a catering company in July 2021.

Website: www.smokymountainbbqcompany.com

Instagram: smokymtnbbqcompany

Twitter: Smokymtnbbqco

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smokymountainbbqcompany

Yelp: https://m.yelp.com/biz/smoky-mountain-bbq-company-murphy

Image Credits
Pic one & 3 are by Katima Zenobi of Any Day Photpgraphy Pic 2 David Handforf Pic 4 is Squatchshotz

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