Marshall Barnhart’s business has grown over the past four years, just not in the way he intended it to.
“My business used to be triple of what it is now,” Barnhart said.
He has the recession to thank for that. When the economy slumped in 2010, his plans for Dudley’s Done Right Barbecue changed drastically.
The trailer that Barnhart works out of sits on the east side of North State Street, next to an abandoned building that served as a gas station and then a smoke shop. He had originally planned to expand his business into the building, but he chose to stay in his trailer when business slowed.
Barnhart, 35, started building smokers 10 years ago before he expanded to his own business. He said his business has bounced back from the recession, and is building back up to what it used to be.
“It has given me motivation to grow more,” Barnhart said. “I owe the public something.”
He said it has been hard for him to see his loyal customers wait out in the elements to get his barbecue — rain, snow or shine. Now, instead of moving his business into the structure next door, he plans to expand from right where he is.
“The first thing I’m going to do is have outdoor seating out front, then we will add an awning for people to wait under,” he said. “That should be done in the next month.”
Those are just the beginning of his plans.
He pulled out a sketch of his trailer, barely recognizeable from all the additions tacked onto it. Barnhart said he wants to add an air-conditioned entryway, back patio for live entertainment and more covered seating for his customers.
“I don’t want to see a good quality business fail,” Barnhart said. “Timing is everything.”
Barnhart now has two employees working for him to keep up with demand, and sometimes brings on more help to get through the busy lunch hour. He said he has expanded his catering to a 200-mile radius, which he believes will help him expand in the future.
With any new additions, he said his goal is to keep the spirit of his business alive — “keep it simple, keep it good.”
The restaurant business is coming back in Iola, Barnhart said, and he believes that cooperation between businesses is the best way to keep the scene successful.
“Everybody is unique,” Barnhart said. “I’ve been very blessed in this community.”
He said after his mother’s passing, he felt that God kept the restaurant in his life for a reason.
“After I lost my mother, God blessed me with something that needed to happen,” he said.
Barnhart thinks he is now in a position for growth — just not in the way he originally planned.
But, he is confident that people will be waiting outside for his “done right” barbecue, rain or shine.
“I have nothing negative to say about the community,” he said. “They have always been there for me.”
Dudley’s keeps it ‘simple and good’
