In 1988, I read about Curtis Tuff, a man selling barbecue out of a school bus in Putney, VT. He had opened Curtis’ All American Bar-B-Q, which he called the "9th Wonder of the World." Growing up in Manchester, NH, my experience with barbecue was limited to backyard burgers, hot dogs, and chicken grilled by my mom. To this day, I still love a piece of grilled chicken with that old-school Kraft BBQ sauce, all blackened and burnt.
Later that summer, a group of us road-tripped to Vermont to check out Curtis' BBQ. I’ll never forget pulling up and seeing him outside under a tin roof, cooking ribs and chicken on a chain link fence over a 300-gallon oil drum. I watched in awe as he basted the meats with a mop from a 5-gallon bucket. My only experience with ribs was from Chinese restaurants, which had little meat. This was a whole new experience, and I loved the food and the vibrant atmosphere.
I returned home from Vermont with a newfound passion for barbecue. Later that year, I visited the NH state offices to share my idea of selling BBQ from a dirt lot in Manchester. They quickly informed me that wouldn't be possible. I needed an actual building with a commercial kitchen, sinks, bathrooms, floors, and, of all things, a paved parking lot. “But over in Vermont…” I quipped, but they weren't having it. So, it was back to the drawing board for KC’s Rib Shack.
Fast forward 10 years to 1998. My business partner, Greg, and I had both found ourselves at a crossroads in our careers. I suggested opening a barbecue restaurant. Although neither of us had ever worked a day in a restaurant, we did know how to cook some good barbecue which I had been perfecting ever since going to Curtis’ a decade earlier. Between the two of us we only had about $4000, of which my share was to be my apartment rent for the next few months.
We found a small spot in Litchfield, NH, that was once a Chinese takeout. We pooled our $4,000, spending $3,000 on rent and using the last $1,000 for equipment. I even slept in the restaurant while prepping it after being kicked out of my apartment for not paying rent. On opening day, we needed to borrow $500 to buy food. Not how they say to do it in business books! We used day one sales to buy supplies for day two. If we’d had a few slow weeks, I doubt we would’ve lasted the month.
Although we have grown quite a bit and learned a lot since 1998, one thing has never changed: our commitment to serve what we feel is the best barbecue you can get anywhere. We really can’t thank you enough for dining with us and making all of this possible. Dive in! I hope you brought your meat eating clothes. If there is ever a reason to contact me, please do not hesitate.
My direct line is: 📞603-858-7427
or email me at 📧 kcsribshack@gmail.com.
Thanks, Kevin