UGA SBDC helps Dublin entrepreneurs turn passion for barbecue into a thriving business

But great cooking was only part of the recipe for success.

“We knew we could cook great barbecue,” said Gary Lanton. “But we also knew that cooking was only a small part of running a restaurant. That’s where the UGA SBDC helped us.”

Lanton’s first encounter with the UGA SBDC came during a class on starting a food business in Georgia. At the time, he and his wife had developed their first product, a barbecue sauce, and were beginning to imagine a future in the food industry. By 2015, they were operating a food truck, serving ribs and brisket from a rented parking lot spot.

As the demand for Holy Smokes BBQ grew, so did the need for a more permanent space. Georgia’s sweltering summers and chilly winters made food truck operations difficult, and the Lantons wanted a location where customers and staff alike could be more comfortable.

They turned to Peter Williams, a consultant at the UGA SBDC in Macon, for help taking their first step. Between 2017 and 2019, Williams worked with the couple to evaluate their options—leasing, building or purchasing a building. Using the UGA SBDC’s financial planning tools, they analyzed different scenarios based on current food truck sales and future projections.

“The numbers were tight, but we could make it work. Peter always encouraged us to be conservative in our estimates,” said Lanton. “That gave us the confidence to take the next step, and it gave the bank the confidence to say, ‘How can this not work?’ And they were right. It did work.”

The Lantons secured a prime location in Dublin’s busiest Kroger shopping center, negotiated favorable lease terms, and opened Holy Smokes BBQ as a full-service restaurant. The UGA SBDC also assisted with marketing support, introducing them to the USPS Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) program to promote their new location.

In 2023, the Lantons were ready to grow again. They returned to the UGA SBDC for help exploring a second location. Williams looped in fellow consultant Rick McMurtrey from the Augusta office and his decades of restaurant experience.

Their original plan to purchase a property fell through, but soon after, an unexpected opportunity arose. The owners of Lou Ann’s Biscuits and Burgers, a beloved local restaurant known for “Georgia’s biggest homemade biscuit,” reached out. The restaurant’s founder, Lou Ann Fordham, had recently passed away and her family was looking for new owners to carry on her legacy.

The Lantons worked closely with Williams to review financials, negotiate a partially owner-financed deal, and structure the transition.

“Peter was very experienced in acquiring businesses and knew exactly what banks and lenders were looking for,” said Lanton. “He guided us through the process and answered questions that we didn’t even know we needed to ask. That type of experience is invaluable.”

Since acquiring Lou Ann’s in 2024, the Lantons have reopened the dining room, expanded hours and menu offerings, and restored the welcoming atmosphere that made it a community staple—complete with a table reserved for the ROMEOs (Real Old Men Eating Out) who have gathered there for decades.

With UGA SBDC’s support, the Lantons have significantly grown their business—expanding their team, increasing operational capacity, and more than tripling their revenue since opening their first restaurant.

“Since 2019, we’ve grown our staff at Holy Smokes by 50% and doubled our revenue since 2021,” said Lanton. “At Lou Ann’s, we had hoped to double revenue in a year, but we accomplished that in six months.”

For the Lantons, the UGA SBDC remains the cornerstone of their business strategy.

“The most significant outcome is that we’re still here, we’re growing every year, and we’re thriving,” said Lanton. “We didn’t make any big mistakes starting out, because we had the guidance we needed.”

He added, “The reason Georgia is the ‘most business-friendly state in the country’, as far as I’m concerned, is because of the resource that we have in the UGA SBDC. I would easily pay a lot of money for what I get from them.”