Craig Blondis and Roger Sapp met on the barbecue circuit in the mid-1980s and competed in Memphis in May's World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest and other local and regional contests before becoming business partners. They opened the first Central BBQ, on Central Avenue in Memphis, in 2002, aiming to bring the "competition style" they had developed on the circuit to Memphis diners. In 2017 Blondis and Sapp sold the rights to future Central BBQ restaurants to Kemmons Wilson Companies while staying on as minor partners; the chain has since grown to several Memphis locations and restaurants in Nashville.
Technique
Central BBQ smokes its meat over hickory and pecan wood with a dry rub.
Recognition
- Central BBQ — Best Barbecue, Memphis Flyer Best of Memphis readers' poll (2012, 2014)
Influences
Memphis in May competition circuit