“MOM WAS DEFINITELY THE BUSINESS SIDE. DAD WOULD HAVE BEEN HAPPY MAKING GREAT BARBECUE AND GOING BROKE,”
Van Sykes reveals to me. He is certainly his parents’ child. Born into the business, he has been there and done that.
His father was a bread-truck driver whose barbecue roots can be traced back over a hundred years to the hills of Tennessee. His mother, Maxine, wanted to go into a business that they could do together, so they traded in their ’54 Ford for a one-year lease on the original Bob Sykes Drive-In. They were successful, but didn’t like the drive-in business, so they sold it and dad went to work as a manager of the first Kentucky Fried Chicken in Alabama. He would report directly to Harlan Sanders.
“He left after a couple of years to do for barbecue what the Colonel did for fried chicken,” says Van. A lot of his bread-truck buddies became Bob Sykes franchise owners. “We had fourteen stores when we decided to pull the plug. Many of them are still around, but they are not under the ‘Bob Sykes’ name.”
Van set up an operation to sell barbecue through Piggly Wiggly grocery stores. “I set it up, and it was going real well, but it was not for me.” Van ended up selling it to a well known barbecue chain. That experience has only reinforced his belief that barbecue is best when it is fresh. “I try to manage the flow as if we are on the verge of running out.” Not an easy proposition when it takes eight to twelve hours to make great barbecue. (Image 9)
Image 9: Bob Sykes Bar-B-Q 1724 9th Avenue North • Bessemer, AL 35020 • (205)426-1400
Even though Van is concentrating on his one and only store, he will gladly share his lifetime of expertise with anyone wishing to join the ranks of owner/operator of a barbecue restaurant—as a paid consultant.
He will help you design your restaurant. Get you going on your way to success.
Money well spent. (Image 10)
Image 10
VAN SYKES’S CLASSIC ONION RINGS
Slice onions into 1/2-inch rings. Whisk milk, eggs and salt. Gradually add flour until batter is smooth. Dip onion slices.
Heat oil to 375 degrees in either a fryer or in a frying pan and fry onion slices until golden brown. Remove and place on paper towels to cool. (Image 11)
Image 11