ISLE OF WIGHT COUNTY, Va. - Four years ago, a line stretched around the parking lot of QDaddy's Pitmaster BBQ in Smithfield. Getting to the front of the line meant picking out smoked brisket, savory pulled pork and other staples from under a tent.
That was how the now-seven-year-old business adjusted during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the state temporarily restricted indoor dining at restaurants.
In addition to the logistical challenge of moving operations outside, head pitmaster and co-owner Jesse Witten says his catering business fell off immediately. He also remembers tents flying away on windy days and a literal dumpster fire that broke out during that time.
"The shutdown was pretty rough," he told News 3 during a recent revisit. "We said we are going to serve our community, come hell or high water."
Because community is a major part of how Witten and his family operate the business.
"We are a family-owned business. My mother is the CEO. My sister deals with all of our [branding]," he said.
Outside QDaddy's location on Church Street, you can see the Smithfield water tower read "Savor our small-town Southern charm." QDaddy's has the charm — with a Smithfield-centric interior — and plenty to savor through its house-smoked meats.
"The brisket. That's the big one. What everybody asks for. The most popular item is the pulled pork," said Witten, who also highlighted the hand-breaded chicken tenders and the new house-made smoked sausage.
It's all smoked by QDaddy's pitmasters at the two current locations. Witten's title is Head Pitmaster and he says he picked up his love for barbecue from his father. It's also where he says the family got the Q Daddy's name.
"His (barbecue) competition team name was QDaddys," he recalled. "I came home from the Marine Corps and said, 'Dad, I need something from you.' He said, 'What's that?' I said, 'I need the name, I need the family recipe book and I need a line of credit.'"
The first QDaddy's opened in 2017 and became a 'must-stop' for pork in Virginia's Ham Capital. Witten says his family had just closed on location two in Wakefield when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and News 3 first visited. That location would open in 2021.
Last year, it was revealed the owners of Pop's Drive-in in York County's Grafton area had sold the property to QDaddy's for the growing business' third location.
"We are in the permitting process right now with the county and it is moving along and hopefully we'll be getting good news very shortly," said Witten.
From there, he says construction should take anywhere from nine to 12 months.
In the meantime, Witten says potential new customers on the Peninsula have been asking in-person and through online messages when the new location will open. A customer asked that very question while News 3 was filming in Smithfield.
Witten gave News 3 anchors Anthony Sabella and Erin Miller, and photojournalist Lydia Johnson, a taste of the menu — from the new sausage to the famous mac n cheese.
"I would swim in a vat of that mac-n-cheese," Erin said after sampling.
Her request was denied, but she did get a tour of the three massive smokers in the back of the restaurant. The warm, smoky smell is the first thing that hits customers when they arrive.
"One of the things I want people to feel when they walk through the doors is just home," said Witten. "Today, we're gonna feed somebody. Today, we're gonna help somebody. Today, we're gonna make someone's day just a little bit better."
