The Surprising Connection Between Brendyn’s BBQ and Chick-fil-A Nacogdoches
Most people in and around Nacogdoches are aware of Brendyn's BBQ. I mean, let's face it, when you land on the Texas Monthly Top 50 BBQ Joints list, you tend to turn some heads. Most people in Nacogdoches are also very much aware of Chick-fil-A Nacogdoches. That became very apparent when they were closed down to move into their new location on North Street. People were going into withdrawals because they couldn't get their Chick-fil-A - and yes, IT IS that big of a deal.
What lots of people don't realize is that there's a very deep connection between Brendyn's BBQ and Chick-fil-A Nacogdoches. Do you know what it is?
Before BBQ, Brendyn Got His Start at Chick-fil-A
Before the BBQ, the tattoo sleeves, the facial hair, the original food trailer, the bigger Chick-fil-A location - ALL of the things - Brendyn Todd, the owner of Brendyn's BBQ, started out at Chick-fil-A with the hope of owning/operating his own store one day. He worked at the Nacogdoches location under owner/operator Ramsey Parr (You've heard of the "Ramsey" on the Brendyn's BBQ menu, right? It's the sandwich with brisket, sausage, pickles, onion, slaw and BBQ sauce. That sandwich was named after his former boss!).
READ MORE: It's Back! Chick-fil-A Nacogdoches is Officially Open!
But, as they often do, plans changed and Brendyn didn't go the Chick-fil-A route. However, that didn't break the connection that I was referring to earlier. You still see both guys going to the other's restaurant, supporting each other, and staying in contact. Check out the post from earlier this week from the Brendyn's BBQ Facebook page:
I'm pretty curious to see what the corporate folks at Chick-fil-A put together for this project. It's got to be good.
What if There Hadn't Been the Brendyn's BBQ / CFA Nacogdoches Connection?
To me, it looks like both businesses have really benefitted from each other. I hesitate to ask this question, but I'm still curious: What would have happened if that connection had never been established...? I'll let you think on that a bit.
I'm curious to see what else comes out of that connection. It's been good so far, and I'm thinking it only gets better!