Nixa gains barbecue supply store

A Nixa resident who moved to the Christian County city last summer from Colorado launched a barbecue supply store this month.

March 1 was the opening day for Smoke ’N Sizzle, said first-time business owner Chris Barr. He opened the 210 N. Massey Blvd. shop in Nixa’s Fountain Plaza shopping center, replacing The Nutrition Spot Nixa LLC, which he said shuttered.

“Owning my own business is something that I’ve always wanted to do,” he said, adding he previously worked 15 years as an assistant manager at Sam’s Club in Fort Collins, Colorado.

It was there that Barr said a fellow employee’s involvement in competitive barbecue led him to a deeper interest in grilling meats.

“He helped teach me to make a brisket and that type of stuff,” he said. “That’s where that passion got started.”

Owning the business via 1542 LLC, Barr said startup costs were roughly $45,000. He signed a two-year lease for $1,100 per month with Robert and Judith Martin.

Smoke ’N Sizzle sells barbecue sauces, rubs, wood pellets, cookbooks and cooking accessories, such as gloves and knives.

“It’s everything you would need, kind of just for the backyard enthusiasts, who like to try different rubs, sauces and different types of pellets,” Barr said, adding he also has a few Traeger-brand grills in stock. “We’re trying to get some other ones in, but just for now we’re running with Traeger. Obviously, I want to try to have an array of different types for everybody to choose from.”

Following other family members who had moved to the Nixa area, Barr said he sold his Colorado house with the goal of starting his own business.

“I kind of researched Nixa and the surrounding areas,” Barr said, adding he took note of the kinds of stores Nixa is lacking that are in other cities, such as Springfield and Republic. “Barbecue was the first thing.”

Barr said his mom wanted him to make a brisket soon after moving to Nixa, but he noted there weren’t many nearby options to find rubs and spices.

“That’s kind of what sparked it, and I kind of ran with it from there,” Barr said, adding he’s currently the lone employee of the 1,100-square-foot shop. “It’s been overwhelming, the number of customers that have come in that just want to help support small local businesses, and just that whole community feel that Nixa has; it’s kind of pretty cool to see.”