Today we’d like to introduce you to Angie Harris.
Hi Angie, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I was an Accounting Manager for a Law Firm in Dallas for 14 years and Kelvin worked for an Aircraft Company for 7 years in maintenance before we both realized we were ready for a change. Opening Harris Bar-B-Que was Kelvin’s dream. What’s that old saying support your man and his craft. We opened Harris Bar-B-Que in April 2013 in Waxahachie, Texas with a grand opening of 300 guests. We were determined to be successful being that we were first-time restaurant owners. It wasn’t easy in the beginning. I remember sitting in the dining room waiting for hours for customers now we are sold out before closing time almost every day. Such a great problem to have. Kelvin is described as a backyard warrior who serves up some stellar brisket and I am a former Miss Black Texas 1995 the “queen” behind the scenes. In June 2017 we made Texas Monthly’s Top 50 BBQ Joints list. What an honor! In November 2017 Kelvin and I married in front of 300 guests. 300 seems to be our lucky number. Everything was just perfect until we found out in 2019 our building was put up for sale by our Landlord. We began looking for a new location but the search was short since one of our customers owns a property in Cedar Hill which is two exits from our home. So we moved to Cedar Hill and was ready for our new start in our new location until we hit another bump in the road. The Pandemic in March 2020. We have never been so terrified and we had to do some quick thinking to keep our business up and running during the shutdown. Lucky for us our new location has a drive-thru. There was a program in Cedar Hill offering assistance for local businesses so we applied for The Cedar Hill Strong Program. We were approved and are grateful to be a part of a community that really believes in helping one another. We have been featured in D-Magazine, Waxahachie Daily Light (front page), Dallas Observer, Wild Sam Magazine, and Texas Monthly Magazine just to name a few. In October 2021 we made Texas Monthly’s Next 50 Honorable Mentions List. We have truly been blessed. Then our hearts skipped a beat when we got the call from CBS saying Drew Barrymore wants us on her show! We had the opportunity of a lifetime to meet Drew Barrymore and Ross Mathews. The Drew Barrymore Show aired on CBS 11 on April 7, 2022. We thank God for all he has done for us. Has business picked up…oh boy has it. So many opportunities are coming our way and we are ready for the next chapter so be sure to follow us @HarrisBarBQue to see what’s next.
Alright so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been a smooth road. When we moved to Cedar Hill we thought we were off to a great start but then Covid-19 became a huge issue. We had to quickly come up with a plan to keep us safe as well as our customers. We all wore face coverings, gloves and no longer allowed dine in. Everything was made togo or customers used our drive-thru. Then finding supplies, meat prices increased and wood suppliers became another issue. Yes, we survived! It wasn’t easy.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Harris Bar-B-Que?
Harris Bar-B-Que is known for excellent customer service and it’s award-winning bar-b-que. What sets us apart from others is we actually love what we do, care about the quality of the food and service our customers receive. We don’t ask our customers to check their orders before they leave. It is our job to make sure their order is correct. We have excellent reviews. We want to say thank you to all of our customers for their continued support.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Integrity! It has played a huge part in my life. As a professional business woman and wife it is important that people know that I am a good person. The love and support Kelvin and I have received is greatly appreciated. We have truly been blessed!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.harrisbarbque.com
- Instagram: @HarrisBarBQue
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057489577838
- Twitter: @HarrisBarBQue
