OUR STORY
It Started With Family
Rick Lanning never set out to build a barbecue legacy. Back in 1979, it was just him, his parents, and a dream. College got set aside. Interest rates were sky-high. Business was tough. But he kept showing up, kept smoking meat, and trusted that if he did right by people, good things would follow.
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By year five, they did.
Faith is the Foundation
Rick won’t brag on himself, but those who know him will. What drives him isn’t recognition or headlines. It’s a belief that God has given him the opportunity to serve, to lead, and to see the potential in others even when they can’t see it in themselves.
“The success of Rick’s isn’t because of me. It’s what God’s allowed me to be part of.”
– Rick
Built By Hand
Every shoulder, every chicken, every ham still goes through our pit room and gets pulled by hand. We don’t do shortcuts. We built our own smokers. We split our own wood. We believe the work is worth it; you can taste the difference.
Barbecue is Community
Barbecue in the South isn’t just food, it’s a family tradition. It’s emotional. Generational. It’s grandpas and grandkids eating the same ham and cheese sandwich 30 years apart. It’s loyalty. It’s local pride.
"(Southern Barbecue) It's like your Hometown High School Football team. You have that loyalty of, 'That's the high school I went to, that's the brand I support, so mine's always better.'"
– Ty Lanning
Giving Back is Who We Are
Times are tough, and Rick’s hasn’t ignored that. That’s why we decided to lower prices in September 2024. Not for the headline, but for the families who eat with us week after week.
“If we can make our margins a little smaller to give families a little breathing room, we will.”
– Rick