Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Rand Paul
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
January 14, 2021
Contact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Recently, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, recognized Smokey Pig Bar-B-Q of Bowling Green, Kentucky, as the U.S. Senate Small Business of the Week.
Dr. Paul entered the following into the Congressional Record:
Mr. PAUL. Mr. President, as Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, each week I recognize an outstanding Kentucky small business that exemplifies the American entrepreneurial spirit. This week, it is my privilege to recognize a family-owned small business, Smokey Pig Bar-B-Q of Bowling Green, Kentucky, as the Senate Small Business of the Week.
Kaye and Phil Huffer purchased Smokey Pig Bar-B-Q in 1999. Smokey Pig Bar-B-Q’s founder, Ned “Smokey” Nickerson, began serving up his signature Monroe County-style barbecue in 1969 when he established the restaurant. To prepare this southern Kentucky staple, the meat is prepared with no spices before being smoked over hickory wood. The hickory-smoked meat has a distinct flavor, and is served with a vinegar-based sauce. Before his family bought the business, Phil regularly made the 100-mile round trip from Bowling Green to his home town to purchase Monroe County-style barbecue. Noticing the absence of this particular style of barbecue in Warren County, Kaye and Phil decided to run a barbecue restaurant. They bought Smokey Pig Bar-B-Q, welcoming their first customers in March 1999.
More than 20 years later, Kaye and Phil continue to serve up some of the best barbecue in Bowling Green. Folks drive from all over the commonwealth to enjoy their delicious cuisine and family-friendly hospitality. Kaye and Phil’s care and attention to detail are evident in every aspect of Smokey Pig Bar-B-Q’s restaurant and catering business. Even the charcoal is made on site, using hickory wood from local sawmills. Their son Scott has also joined his parents in dedicating himself to the restaurant’s continued success.
Together, Kaye and Phil seek to give back to their community in any way possible. Through Smokey Pig Bar-B-Q, Kaye and Phil regularly support community organizations, including Norton Children’s Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky. When their son, Matthew, was born preterm, they turned to the Children’s Hospital for support. Now, Smokey Pig Bar-B-Q is a longtime supporter of the Hospital, supporting their mission to continue helping children overcome health challenges.
Over the years, Smokey Pig Bar-B-Q’s unique cuisine has been profiled by local and national media. It is currently rated as TripAdvisor’s #1 Quick Bites in Bowling Green, and Grubwire named it the best restaurant in Bowling Green in 2019. Additionally, the Kentucky Pork Producers Association honored Smokey Pig Bar-B-Q as the 2018 Pork Restaurant of the Year. For more than a decade, locals have voted Smokey Pig Bar-B-Q as “Best of Bowling Green” in BG Daily News’s annual readers’ choice awards. The restaurant was also featured in the Food Network’s Feasting on Asphalt series hosted by Alton Brown.
Smokey Pig Bar-B-Q is a remarkable example of how hard work and ingenuity can turn a dream into reality. Small businesses like Smokey Pig Bar-B-Q form the heart of towns across Kentucky and regularly step up to support their communities. Congratulations to Phil, Kaye, and the entire Smokey Pig Bar-B-Q team. I wish them the best of luck and look forward to watching their continued growth and success in Kentucky.
As Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Dr. Paul continues the tradition of honoring America’s small businesses and entrepreneurs. The Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship oversees proposed legislation on matters relating to the Small Business Administration and investigates all problems relating to America’s small businesses.
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