James Hettinger wants to make the best barbecue he can at Chefry’s Blue Smoke, but more than that, he wants to make his family proud.
“I’ve got a 5-year old. I’ve got sisters I want to make proud, my dad proud, my wife, my mom, my stepmom,” Hettinger said. “Just trying to make my family proud, so I’ve got to keep pushing.”
Despite the stress of preparing for another day at his restaurant, Hettinger shared a smile with “America’s Best Restaurants” Roadshow’s Danyel Detomo and Michael Dick as they filmed at his establishment on Thursday.
What started off as a way to pass time during the pandemic for the chef with more than three decades of experience became a reality in May as Chefry’s Blue Smoke opened its doors in Mooresville.
Hettinger has experienced the ups and downs of the hospitality industry in just a few months, working seven days a week due to staffing shortages, but that comes with the territory, he said.
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The food at the restaurant is the result of that labor, including the brisket, hush puppies, and dessert he shared with Detomo as ABR’s crew filmed as he and his employees began their day at the restaurant.
“There’s people that say our brisket is better than Texas’,” Hettinger said.
The restaurant’s episode premiere date will be announced on its Facebook page and will be featured on the “America’s Best Restaurants” website at https://americasbestrestaurants.com/rests/north-carolina/chefrys-blue-smoke.
Restaurants featured on the ABR Roadshow are found through customer nominations or by a restaurant applying to be featured at www.americasbestrestaurants.com.
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