Sugarfire Smoke House celebrating 10-year anniversary with specials, prizes, and new location in Arnold
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Then there’s BBQ Pitmasters, a reality-TV show he’s appearing on. Apparently, Emeril taught him well. Whether here in St. Louis or in the Caribbean, Johnson believes in giving away free food and donating money to uplift others in need. While some business owners may worry about losing profit, he says there’s nothing like building good will while supporting the community. Locally, Johnson and his team have offered free meals to Ameren workers during ice storms and were quick to make sandwiches and soup to raise money for furloughed restaurant workers during the pandemic.
Starters, Sides, Sauce
For a week, we put white truffles on everything, which turned some heads. Not many barbecue places are doing that. Our downtown St. Louis location brings barbecue to hungry tourists, office workers, conference-goers, and folks checking out the National Blues Museum. In fact, the same genius architects who designed the museum on Washington Avenue also helped us create a museum of meat right next door. (Thanks, V Three Studios!) Our location is feast for the eyes and the taste buds.
Rockwood South Middle School hosts ‘Paws in Need’ …
When we first decided to team up to start our barbecue joint in a strip mall, we hesitated a little at the location; wedged between a copy center and a pet store. I mean, where would the smoker go? It turns out, it was the perfect place to launch our BBQ baby that’s gained fans in St. Louis and awards far beyond. Since 2012, Sugarfire Smokehouse has combined Carolyn’s incredible desserts and Mike’s talent for all things smoked and meaty.
Kitchen Q&A: Mike Johnson of Sugarfire Smoke House
Even as Sugarfire has grown, the Olivette location reminds us of our roots and of how the whole thing got started. Every day, we push the limits of barbecue with our famous daily specials and sides. If it can be smoked, we’ll smoke it, and our flavor combinations are second to none.
barbecue in Winghaven Missouri
Highway 67, the Florissant location will be the chain's first location to be women-owned and -operated. We'll do maybe one more in the metro area, then I see New Orleans and Chicago, start spreading it around, partnering up with a local chef to maintain a chef-driven focus. That makes Sugarfire unique and much different from the traditional barbecue experience.
We really like that combination. Henline admits that as a foodie, she had spent a lot of time enjoying great meals but had never worked in a restaurant environment prior to Sugarfire. She began with the company more than six years ago by handling the company’s financials and now handles the day-to-day financials and corporate obligations. Schuster places a great emphasis on workplace culture, as do her superiors. “We try our best to create a happy workspace by making sure that people feel supported and heard,” she says. “The fact that ownership allows that sort of leadership comes from a place of respect and trust, and that isn't lost on any of us.
Pies and Cookies
You have to know when to cut the cord. Although the 2,550-square-foot space was smaller than most of the other Sugarfire locations, Downs weighed the variables, did the math, and bought the building. As an executive chef, Wallace admits that it was difficult juggling being a chef, mother, and wife, but Sugarfire offered her that space and gave her the home life she desperately wanted. Sugarfire Smoke House will kick off the new year by opening a location in Florissant—the barbecue chain’s first in North County, the 11th in the metro area, and the 14th overall.
Overseeing it all is a dynamic leadership team that includes General Manager Jeff Hannick, Head Pitmaster Justin Dye, and Owners/Operators Matt Martin and Jim Cook. Together with the rest of our BBQ Family, we’ve established Sugarfire as a haven for local foodies. The team here is led by General Manager Kris Glickert, Executive Chef Doug Sayles, Head Pitmaster Justin Dye, and Owners/Operators Matt Martin and Jim Cook.
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Barbecue restaurant opening first location in north St. Louis County - KSDK.com
Barbecue restaurant opening first location in north St. Louis County.
Posted: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Together with the rest of our team, we continue to provide award-winning ‘cue and catering to the community. Trust people who work with you. If Johnson hires an outside designer, for example, he gives that person creative freedom to present their vision rather than imposing his own vision on the artist. Empower others to develop and hone new skills. Building on the first lesson, Johnson explains that another important lesson is helping colleagues discover what they do best.
And it's a lot harder than people think because every piece of meat cooks differently. Some pieces take hours longer in the smoker, even if they all went in at the same time. Each brisket—and each slab of ribs, for that matter—must be inspected. Barbecue is more challenging than any other type of cooking—and it's not even close.
We also have a private event space next door called Sugarfire Reserve, equipped with a full bar, TVs, a customizable menu, private restrooms and more. If you’re looking to host an event somewhere else, take advantage of our offsite catering, which comes with fine dining options and much more. Years later, we’re still serving up some of the best barbecue in St. Louis from the very same space.
He’s also learned to let a lot of negativity roll off his back and not stress over every little thing. The longest-tenured owner, at nine years, Ortiz lived in Mexico, where she attended college on a path to a law degree. Unable to afford to continue school when she immigrated to the United States 22 years ago, she worked multiple jobs in restaurants but always felt something was missing until she came to St. Louis. Regarding further ownership, Wallace hopes to someday open a Sugarfire in Key West, Florida, where she and her husband got married. The longtime restaurant jack-of-all trades knew from the start that Sugarfire would be a career move rather than just a job and quickly became the go-to person for any question that needed answering.
The chef there got me a job for five months in France. When I came back, I worked at Vail in the winter and Nantucket in the summer. Before I returned to St. Louis, I spent a year and a half in Napa, working for Joachim Splichal, at a place called Pinot Blanc.
While you chow down on some seriously good barbecue, the gods of blues music are pictured in our murals, smiling down on you and enjoying some meat treats themselves. The music is always cranking, and you’ll probably feel like singing after a few of our boozy milkshakes and some pecan, apple, or key lime pie. Tell us about your cause and we’ll get back to you as soon as we pull these ribs off the smoker. Not everyone who reviews a restaurant is an expert. Over the years, Johnson has come to prize people’s choice awards over accolades from critics.
Check out our apparel page for shirts, hats, and anything else we can stick a logo on. Several years ago, someone came in and asked for change for the parking meter, Johnson recalls. It turned out to be the owner of a major business in the area, and he and Johnson struck up a friendship that lasted for years.
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