Barbecue chain sends out Smoke signals with opening of third site

Sean Gregory from Evringham is to open his third Smoke BBQ restaurant in Glasgow on April 11 after spotting a niche demand for American open pit cuisine in the city.

“After hugely successful launches in both Sheffield and Leeds, I spotted a real opportunity for expansion into the Glasgow market,” he said.

“The city has one of the most vibrant foodie scenes in the UK so for me, it was a no brainer to look at opening a restaurant there.”

Having watched the TV series, Man vs Food, Mr Gregory was so inspired that he travelled to America to learn all about real wood fire pit cooking. After picking up the tricks of the trade, he decided to bring the unique dining concept to a UK audience.

The 4,462 sq ft, 152 cover Glasgow restaurant will open on West Regent Street on Mon- day.

Smoke BBQ’s first restaurant opened in Sheffield in 2013 and was the first of 15 restaurants that Sean and his business partner Duka Nagy plan to roll out across the UK by 2020.

The menu offers a wide variety of no-nonsense American barbecue cuisine, including ribs and brisket that is smoked for 18 hours before being finished on the pit to deliver an authentic barbecue flavour.

“We decided to open the Smoke BBQ chain because we felt that barbecue dining in the UK was missing that real American authenticity that can only be created by using real fire and smoke,” said Mr Gregory.

“We are really excited about showing our Glasgow customers that they can experience the legendary barbecue taste and fantastic American-style service without crossing the Atlantic.

“Above all else, we want to urge our diners to put down their forks and get dirty as that’s what our style of food is all about.”

Man vs Food is an American food reality television series.

The programme is hosted by actor and food enthusiast Adam Richman.