Bristol BBQ business goes from food truck to full scale.
The original food truck.
Photos courtesy of Jason Carpenter
Barbecue nachos.
The menu board at JAE’s Smoked Meat Shack.
Classic barbecue sandwich.
The funny thing is, Jason Carpenter doesn’t even like barbecue. He just happens to be really good at making it.
“I’m not a barbecue fan, and never have been,” he says with a laugh. “But I saw an opportunity.”
That opportunity presented itself in the form of an 800-square-foot storefront in Bristol, to which he moved his three-year-old food truck business in December. Since then, there’s been a regular line out the door at JAE’s Smoked Meat Shack and business continues to boom.
“We’ve certainly been blessed,” Carpenter says. “Business has been better than I expected, to be honest.”
It’s not hard to see why. Reluctant though he may be to taste his own creations, Carpenter is undeniably gifted at coaxing the most possible flavor out of his barbecue, smoking his pulled pork and brisket for up to 18 hours at a time. The meat is served with a ketchup-based sauce he calls a “mix between the Memphis and Carolina styles” with just enough vinegar to add subtle tang. The restaurant also offers chicken sandwiches and sides, including potato salad, baked beans and coleslaw.
Carpenter’s new location may be small—and seemingly even more so when packed with patrons waiting for their take-out orders—but the place is positively palatial compared to the 250-square-foot truck he operated for three years. The truck, which remains parked outside his business—“It’s free advertising,” he notes with a chuckle—is how the Lebanon native built up an appreciative client base across the region at football games and festivals.
The brick-and-mortar store, formerly a deli, required little renovation to suit its new purpose. After a few cosmetic touches, such as fresh paint and new flooring, the space was ready for business—and it’s been busy ever since. Carpenter credits his family—his wife and children’s names make up the JAE initials of the business—for being a major part of his success. “They’ve been a big part of this from day one,” he says. “I wouldn’t be able to do it without them.”
And while the truck’s been parked for months now, Carpenter still plans on getting it back in gear this spring for regional events. “Anything to keep meeting new people,” he says. “I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for them.” Facebook.com/JAES-Smoked-Meat-Shack
