Young entrepreneur opens BBQ restaurant

Based on signs of renovations, the community was aware something was happening at the old Church’s Chicken building where DQ’s BBQ recently held its grand opening.

The establishment is located 358 Live Oak and operating hours are Thursday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. or until sold out.

The menu includes ribs, beef, links, chicken, and pulled pork and an array of sides, peach cobbler and banana pudding. Catering is also available. The restaurant number is (254) 447-4720.

The dine-in or carry out restaurant is the vision of young entrepreneur Daquinton (DQ) Stuart. Stuart began with a BBQ food truck. This type of business was the cheapest approach but due to the high volume of customers, was often somewhat hectic.

“Because happy customers come back,” he said he became quite passionate about moving forward to opening a larger venue to accommodate the customers.

Customers were greeted with a welcoming hello and offered options to getting the best deals. In addition, a convenient order and park service is available where orders are delivered to the customers to their vehicles. The hearty chopped beef sandwich and banana pudding were my favorites.

Stuart has a strong family support including his mother, maternal grandparents, and extended family members with a total of eight employees. His advice to others who might be interested in becoming an entrepreneur is, “do not give up, be willing to face obstacles one day at a time and use each experience as a learning tool.”

He is marketing the restaurant through word of mouth, Facebook Marlin Current Events, and serving good BBQ cuisine. He prefers to address dissatisfied customers by inviting them back to discuss and hopefully rectify their concerns.

Having the BBQ skill over half of his life, he is driven by his passion, delectable food, and outstanding service.

“BBQ, that’s what I do,” Stuart said.