Grandaddy?s cooks up barbecue success

Karl Davis started his Straf-ford barbecue restaurant in much the same way he creates his barbecue sauce from scratch.

In 1998, Davis opened Gran-daddy's BBQ out of a trailer on Route 66. One year later, he moved the carry-out-only operation into a garage that had seating for six.

Then in March 2000, the business evolved into its building at 101 E. Pine Street in Strafford, with seating for 28.

"I knew what I wanted. I knew I wanted to come from scratch ... for everything," Davis said. "That's what makes a barbecue restaurant. That was the perception we had when we opened up the trailer."

After beginning with the carry-out menu in the trailer and adding the larger dining area last year, another aspect of the business began stirring.

"Our catering has really picked up this year," said restaurant manager Ballary Branstet-ter.

The largest catering job thus far has been a 700-person picnic for Red Rocket Fireworks.

Recently, Grandaddy's also catered a birthday party for 600 at Highland Springs, a Southwest Missouri State Un-iversity Greek fraternity and sorority pledge event and the Christian Park Arabians Sale & Celebration horse show.

Other catered events include weddings, company parties and holiday events.

Davis said he goes through at least 125 slabs of ribs per week, including catering. He also said that they can cater for more than 100 people with just a morning's notice.

"When we first started out catering to businesses it was like trial and error," Branstetter added. "Now we've almost mastered it. We do a lot of catering to businesses."

Grandaddy's specialty is deep-fried turkey, and its "marquee," as Davis puts it, is his ribs. What makes the ribs special, he said, is the marinade. It's a recipe from his 95-year-old grandfather, Percy Vaughn Grandaddy's is his namesake.

"When I took that name, I knew that it stood for something and it had to be done the way he did it," Davis said of his "granddaddy." "He's given me pointers. He told me, do not reinvent the wheel, do not change the recipe.' ... I've always listened to my granddad."

Davis said that using his grandfather's marinade recipe has taken his ribs "to another level."

Vaughn and his 91-year-old-wife of 72 years reside in New Orleans, where Davis was raised.

"Unfortunately, they haven't gotten up here to see (the restaurant), but I'm going to take a video of it and take it down to them," Branstetter said. "They're aware of it and they're excited about it."

Davis said he developed a love for cooking at an early age, helping Mom with groceries, and at age 11 he began working for his aunt and uncle in their restaurant. After high school, Davis attended culinary art school and apprenticed under chef Austin Leslie, who owned Chez Helene in New Orleans.

"New Orleans is not known for its barbecue," Davis said, "but one day I may put it on the map."

Davis cooks all of the meat and creates the sauces, while his staff makes the baked beans, cole slaw, potato salad and lemonade.

Including Davis and Branstetter, the restaurant is run daily by four people, and catering takes as many as 10 people, he said.

"Our supporting cast does a great job," Davis said. "We've always been blessed to have good people around us."

Davis compares his restaurant's success to attempting to catch a butterfly. "You can try to catch it" to no avail, he said, but when you're working in the garden, doing your own thing, it may land on your shoulder.

"That's basically how Grandaddy's came about," Davis said. "I always said I wanted to be an entrepreneur, but I never knew it would be at this extent. I never thought about the success we would have."