New owner takes reins of second Buckingham's Barbecue eatery

Restaurateur Cameron Roy is expanding his restaurant holdings with the December purchase of a second Buckingham's Barbecue eatery.

Roy, who owns Buckingham's in Nixa, purchased the Buckingham's eatery at 2415 N. Glenstone Ave. for an undisclosed price from previous owner Kevin Doolittle, a former partner of Buckingham's founder David Campbell.

The purchase was funded by a private investor and a $424,200 Liberty Bank loan backed by the U.S. Small Business Administration, and Roy leases the property where the eatery is located from Doolittle and Jim Morris of Morris Oil Co.

Doolittle, who owns AdVenture Media, said he decided to sell the restaurant because his passion isn't in the food business.

"I originally bought that corner just for the billboard location. My intention was not to put a Buckingham's in there, at first, but then that came around as an afterthought," said Doolittle, who with Morris owns one area video billboard, with plans to add more.

Roy already has made some changes at his newest restaurant.

Previously, diners at the North Glenstone spot ordered their food and collected it cafeteria-style from wait staff. That resulted in a bottleneck at the cash register, Roy said, and oftentimes, the diner who was paying the tab got to the table when others were already well into their meals.

Now, customers order and pay for their food and receive numbered tickets. They can fill their drinks and present their tickets when all of the food for their party is ready.

"My plans, right now, are to have a full bar put into the north store by the end of the year," Roy added.

In Nixa, Roy is letting the lease expire on his 112 E. Mount Vernon restaurant, because he's building a 5,400-square-foot location about a mile away at 606 E. Mount Vernon.

Roy said the Nixa store will have a full bar and an upstairs platform for bands.

Roy said construction for the Nixa eatery should start next month, and including the property purchase, is expected to cost about $950,000. Architect Ben Goforth designed the project, and Loyd Fraker is the general contractor.

Buckingham's founder Campbell, who sold the Glenstone site in summer 2008, still owns the Buckingham's at 2002 S. Campbell Ave., and he recently opened what he calls an "express" store on Sunshine Street.

Campbell said he doesn't plan to turn Buckingham's into a franchise, because he's concerned that it would affect the quality of the barbecue. He has plans to open two additional express stores, but he didn't disclose specific locations or a timeline.[[In-content Ad]]