The BBQ lady

“Woo-hoo!”

That’s what Rawhide BBQ employee Karen Rayl yelled when she found out owner Phil Ward had closed on his purchase of the property at 1700 E. Broadway Blvd.

Today, Rawhide BBQ is operated out of a recreational vehicle with a smoker attached to the back.

“I started working here in April,” Rayl, 45, said. “It’s been interesting. I’ve never done concession work before.”

But  Rayl is no stranger to the food industry. “I’ve worked in restaurants for years,” she said.

Her working quarters are cozy — about 12 feet long — which she thought would be a challenge.

“It was surprising because we feed off of each other so well. When we have orders, we have a system,” Rayl said. “He’s over there (in the smoker), and I’m over here. He smokes the meat, and I sell it.”

There’s a bed in the back of the RV, where Ward takes a break after working long hours, she said.

“If he’s smoked meat all night, he’ll sleep there during the day,” she said. “But if there’s a need, I can wake him up and he’s right here.”
Customers were greeted with the smell of barbecue sauce and Rayl’s smile.

“She’s on the ball, and she’s good with people,” said Jim Hieronymus, who lives in Pettis County. “She gives samples. They’ve got some killer baked beans. I don’t know what the recipe is.”

Rawhide BBQ has been in the parking lot on East Broadway Boulevard since March, and Rayl has plans for the restaurant’s expansion.

“What the expansion means for Karen right now is that for the next six months, she’s going to be a slave,” Ward said jokingly. “She’s going to put the organization together. She’s really going to have a lot of input. Hopefully, it’s going to mean long-term employment.”

Rayl said her hard work should earn her some dividends.

“What about my raise?” she joked with Ward.

“I don’t want nothin’ in print about no raise,” Ward responded.

Ward plans to open a barbecue restaurant in the building already on the property later this summer, and that means more responsibility for Rayl.
“We’re awful interested in the business development of the east side. Karen’s going to be a great addition. She’s already brought a lot to the table,” Ward said. “Karen’s done a lot of networking.”

After working with barbecued food, Rayl has become a picky eater.

“The rib should fall off the bone,” she said. You shouldn’t have to chew it off.”