If someone asked me what my favorite barbecue place is, I would say Betty-Macc’s. Not Pappi’s Smokehouse or Roper’s Ribs, but Betty Macc’s. With its tangy barbecue sauce, soft and juicy rib-tips, and otherworldly potato salad, Betty-Macc serves the best barbecue in St. Louis. Yet, you have probably never heard of it. This is because Betty-Macc is a small, grass root level business that serves their barbecue at an abandoned parking lot in North Grand Boulevard in north St. Louis.

Though they may be small in size, the business still puts in a lot of work and effort. In fact, I had the opportunity to meet Macc and Betty Davis, the couple who started the barbecue stall.

“Our barbecue business started because of one of my son’s little league games. It was our turn to bring the post-game meal that day and we brought barbecue. The barbecue just started disappearing! Other parents were just flocking towards the barbecue and were asking us what the recipe was! After that, both Betty and I decided that our barbecue had the potential to become a business,” said Macc Davis.

Macc’s job is to set up the grill and to attract customers, but it is Betty who makes the delicious barbecue. When asked how it felt to see people enjoy her creation, she replied:

“It is a sensational feeling. I don’t like when people come and ask me, ‘oh how is your barbecue?’ I want them to taste it for themselves. If they like it, I know that I’ve done a good thing and it warms my heart to see people rave about my food.”

Equally important members of the Betty-Macc team are their children and grandchildren. While the Davises’ grandchildren do simple chores such as cleaning and organizing, their children, Mathew (8^th grade) and Marcus (9^th grade), have very important jobs. Since Betty and Macc are not familiar with using computers, Matt and Marcus use their knowledge and exposure to technology to help out their parents with financing and inventory.

“There is a lot to learn from this experience,” says Matt. “I have learned the importance of organization and how to work efficiently. Plus, since my whole team is my family, it is easier to work together.”

“Not only are the children helping the family business, they are learning valuable entrepreneurial skills along the way. As a father and grandfather, you can’t be happier,” says Macc Davis.

After spending time with the Davises, it is not hard to understand why their product ends up being so tasty! So much effort goes into the barbecue and that hard work is paying off. The Davises believe they can acquire the land where they sell their barbecue. Once this happens, they anticipate creating a restaurant that not only serves barbecue, but also acts as a haven for kids, a place where they can learn entrepreneurial skills.

The passion the Davises have for their business as well as their charismatic personalities has enabled them to get a good amount of customers from the North Grand area, but they want to be bigger.

“Our goal for Betty-Macc is to have one restaurant in every state. There doesn’t need to be two or three, just one per state. Then, I would be satisfied,” says Betty.

Having tasted their barbecue and having witnessed their effort, I believe this is goal is perfectly achievable.