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We will only be open Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday this coming week, and this will be our final barbecue service for the foreseeable future.
This is a difficult time for restaurants because it’s a difficult time for consumers. Barbecue faces the additional challenge of a menu focused on expensive proteins. This is further compounded for Redemption BBQ because of my insistence on only using meat that was humanely-raised on pasture, which costs us two to three times the price of conventional meat (though even conventional meat is getting unsustainably expensive.)
Two years ago I almost shut down. But being recognized as one of the best new barbecue spots in the South by Southern Living Magazine convinced me to find a way to dig out of the hole I was in and try to keep it going. This publicity doubled our sales, which demonstrated that higher volume and a lean operation can make our food costs work.
I was presented with an opportunity for expansion, which would provide the volume needed for long-term sustainability. Just over a year ago, when I was told we could get into this new space in May 2025, I expanded our staff and hours of operation to prepare. It was more than we had the revenue for, and required me to work 60-80 unpaid hours per week, but I thought I could make it work for a few months in order to move forward.
Three months turned into twelve. Last week I found out that the expansion project is now delayed indefinitely.
I knew I had to make some changes. My initial plan to keep things afloat and retain our staff was to reduce barbecue service to our two busiest days, take a real day off each week to be with my family, and pivot to increased pizza production and distribution. Unfortunately, by the end of the week I had to face the reality that even that wouldn’t work. We just don’t have the volume in our current location to sustain our food and labor costs. I can’t in good conscience employ people I might not be able to compensate or order meat from local farmers I might not be able to pay.
I overextended myself for as long as I did because I believe in what we do and I thought there was a light at the end of the tunnel. I don’t know what’s at the end of the tunnel now, but I can’t take on any more debt or imperil my family’s finances worse than I have already. More importantly, I don’t want to miss any more of my sons’ childhoods.
We have four days of meat on hand, including some beautiful Autumn Olive Farms pork shoulders we’ll serve on Friday and Saturday. After that, I’ll say goodbye to a hardworking staff I care about and appreciate.
I’ll turn my attention to Chicago-style deep dish pizzas. Not only will this help me repay the debts I took on to stay open this long, it will keep alive my commitment to serving pasture-raised meats. More on that later.
In the meantime, we hope to see you Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, or Saturday for pasture-raised meats and Virginia heritage barbecue.
Pasture-Raised Meats
Virginia Heritage Barbecue
11:00 AM to 6:30 PM
After 6:00 PM, takeout only
No orders after 6:10 PM
3420 Lauderdale Drive
Henrico, VA 23233
(804) 716-2456
Rev. Dr. Porkchop
Pitmaster John Vest—aka Rev. Dr. Porkchop—is the owner and operator of Redemption BBQ. After nearly two decades as a pastor and seminary professor, John turned his passions for traditional cooking and building community around shared tables into a barbecue business committed to practices that honor the animals and farmers who feed us.