University of South Carolina Scholar Commons Senior Theses Honors College Spring 2020 From the Pits to the People William J. Robertson University of South Carolina, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/senior_theses Part of the Food and Beverage Management Commons Recommended Citation Robertson, William J., "From the Pits to the People" (2020). Senior Theses. 346. https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/senior_theses/346 This Thesis is brought to you by the Honors College at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Senior Theses by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. FROM THE PITS TO THE PEOPLE By William John Robertson Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for Graduation with Honors from the South Carolina Honors College May 2020 1 Table of Contents Thesis Summary…………………………………………………………………………………………… 2 Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………………… 3 Literature Review ………………………………………………………………………………………… 6 Methodology and Research ………………………………………………………………………………11 Hite’s Bar-B-Que …………………………………………………………………………………13 Price’s BBQ ……………………………………………………………………………………… 16 Lone Star Barbecue and Mercantile ………………………………………………………… 21 Mustard Seed Bar-B-Que Country Cooking and Catering ……………………………… 26 Scott’s Bar-B-Que ……………………………………………………………………………… 29 Argument ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 35 Conclusion ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 45 Photographs……………………………………………………………………………………………… 47 Works Cited ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 52 2 Thesis Summary This thesis explores the current and future status of authentic barbeque in the State of South Carolina. It begins by introducing the topic, exploring the background of barbeque in the state, and then introduces the issues at hand – the importance of advertising the restaurants and the impending question of age of the restaurants’ owners, operators, and pitmasters. In the literature review, the issues are given background and the typical authentic barbeque restaurant is described. Five restaurants are examined in the methodology and research, selected due to their locations in each of the regions of South Carolina (Midlands, Lowcountry, Upstate, Pee Dee). In their examinations, a description of the restaurant, its history, its cooking processes, its sides, and general observations regarding the geographical location, the sourcing for the restaurant, gender roles, seating, issues of legislation, and advertising are detailed. Photographs are provided in the final pages of the thesis to provide context to both the locations and the offerings. The argument addresses the primary issues, offers potential solutions, and addresses counterarguments. The thesis concludes by putting the argument in perspective of the historical context of barbeque in South Carolina and proposing the changes that must be undertaken to continue the traditions of this style of cooking. 3 Introduction Barbeque and South Carolina seem to be eternally tied to one another – with four distinct regions and over two hundred and fifty individual barbeque restaurants in this state alone, how could they not be? South Carolina has perhaps one of the most diverse barbeque cultures of any of the fifty states. Mustard-based barbeque sauce stands out as a unique facet of South Carolina barbeque. Even when found in Georgia, it is still referred to as “Carolina Gold” sauce. Barbeque has been a staple in South Carolina since the 1700s, but it wasn’t always in the form in which we know it today. Lake E. High Jr. states in A History of South Carolina Barbeque that “social contact in the 1700s was simply not as it is today…. If a family wanted their sons and daughters to meet some other nice young people, then going to parties and balls was the way they did it. And, of course, there were the much less formal but more fun outdoor barbeques.” As much as barbeque was a mainstay in southern culture, it was never an easy task. The reason that barbeque is never the answer to the question of what’s for dinner is that “real barbeque takes hours and hours to cook… so no one fixes it for supper” (High, 58). Barbeque evolved from a social event to one found in political events sometime in the early 1800s. This brought barbeque out of the trappings of upscale society and introduced it to the masses. To prompt locals to vote, “candidates for office began offering free whiskey and pork flesh” (Shields). But large social events and voting only occurred a few times a year; what was one to do if he or she desired barbeque with greater frequency? Churches, ladies’ auxiliaries, and men’s clubs began holding more regular barbeques to raise money for one cause or another, and the public responded enthusiastically. By the 1920s, barbeque was gaining a greater foothold, and people demonstrated their desire for weekly barbeque. Because of its growing availability, barbeque 4 became the scene for competition – these vendors that were previously successful were realizing the need to expand their infrastructure to draw in the business over their competitors. As vendors established their reputations for their ability to cook barbeque, they were setting the stage for “the inevitable barbeque restaurants that were soon to follow” (High, 65). Over the next ninety-plus years, barbeque has seen its share of changes, but is at its core quite similar to what it used to be. Although no longer the face of southern politics or social gatherings, barbeque still holds its own in South Carolina culture. For many restaurateurs, things are still done the old-fashioned way – low and slow over hot coals. But what has changed are some of the “in-between” processes. It has become more commonplace to see restaurants sourcing from mass distributors rather than locals. Fewer restaurants have the screened-in cinder block-constructed pits, and with as many restaurants as there are in South Carolina, competition must be taken into consideration. Authentic barbeque was never an easy task to undertake, and with new methods arriving in a steady stream, the capabilities of the long-standing barbecuists of South Carolina are being tested against the advancing methods of their new competitors. The age of the barbecuists must be called into question as well – many barbeque restaurants in South Carolina have been open for thirty, forty, some even over sixty years. With the original owners and proprietors passing the mantle on to their children, it is yet to be seen if this will continue to the next generation; the Millennials, the generation of job-hopping. Thus, the question must be asked: is the longevity of authentic barbeque in South Carolina faltering, and what can be done to revitalize/reinvigorate business? Barbecuists in South Carolina have become limited in their ability to do things according to their traditional methods. Legislation has been introduced that limits long-standing 5 barbecuists’ abilities to renovate facilities or expand their operations. Article 6-202.15 of regulation 61-25 on Retail Food Establishments of the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control states that “outer openings of a retail food establishment shall be protected against the entry of insects and rodents by…closed tight-fitting windows; and solid, self-closing, tight-fitting doors.” Screens are only permitted “if the doors and windows of a retail food establishment…are kept open for ventilation or other purposes…” Solid, air-tight windows and doors must be available for use for any new restaurants. Many older restaurants have had their screened-in barbeque pits grandfathered in – they are permitted to keep them, but if they wish to do any major renovations or expansions, the entirety of the pit area must be remade to offer proper enclosure. For most, such renovation is not worth the investment since no one envisions extra custom arising from such enclosure. Thus, the restaurant remains as-is. Furthermore, the authentic, local ingredients are more difficult to come by. Small-scale farms that previously supplied the restaurants have been run out of business by mass producers. Restaurateurs are increasingly unable to feasibly access local ingredients. Local vegetables for sides and local whole hogs have become particularly scarce. Corporations like U.S. Foods and Sysco offer a one-stop shop for all their ingredients, from the pork to the sides. This paper seeks to bring to light the issues that these restaurants face and question authentic barbeque’s longevity in South Carolina. Many barbeque restaurants are located in small, rural areas far off the most well-traveled roads. It takes a customer’s active participation to find them, much less travel to them. Because of their isolation, their challenges are not particularly visible to the majority of the population. Explicating these challenges systematically is the mission of this paper. To conduct this research, I began by reading literature about South Carolina’s history and current status to gain background knowledge, then spent several weeks 6 visiting restaurants in each of the four regions of South Carolina – the Midlands, the Upstate, the Lowcountry, and the Pee Dee. I visited Hite’s Bar-B-Que in West Columbia, Price’s BBQ in Gilbert, Lonestar Barbecue & Mercantile in Santee, Mustard Seed BBQ Country Cooking and Catering in Woodruff, and Scott’s Bar-B-Que in Hemingway. During these site visits, I spoke to owners and managers at each of these restaurants to understand their businesses and to observe them in action. I sought to determine what issues they faced and what unifies them in their various challenges. I will go into deeper detail of my observations at each of these restaurants. At the conclusion of this paper, I will make a concise statement about the issues affecting these restaurants and offer suggestions about what could be done to meet the challenges they face. Literature Review My two main sources for background knowledge were Lake High’s A History of South Carolina Barbeque and Rien Fertel’s The One True Barbecue. The former offers an in-depth look at South Carolina barbeque’s upbringing, and the latter looks at barbeque restaurants as they stand today.