New business in Rexburg offering barbecue food from a ghost kitchen
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REXBURG — A new local business operating as a barbecue ghost kitchen is inviting the community to try it.
Sparks Barbecue opened a ghost kitchen on Jan. 4 at Pizza Pie Cafe at 240 North Second East in Rexburg.
A ghost kitchen serves customers by delivery and pick-up, based on ordering online or on the phone.
“We offer five different types of meats. We have brisket, tri-tip and two types of ribs: a savory salt and pepper one, and a sweet barbecue. We have turkey, pulled pork, and for our sides we’ve got mac and cheese and an elote (Mexican street corn),” said Chris Sparks, one of the managing partners of Sparks Barbecue.
They additionally offer a key lime pie and a chocolate mousse pie for dessert. View the menu below.
There are three partners involved, including Sparks, Jacob Muller and Matt Smith. Smith is the owner of Pizza Pie Cafe and Red Rabbit Grill.
“We have been working on this concept for a little over a year, and then we talked with Matt. We wanted to do a ghost kitchen,” said Muller. “We knew there was open space in the back of his Rexburg Pizza Pie Cafe, where we could do a renovation and put in our own kitchen space. We started working on that about six months ago.”
Operating as a ghost kitchen has been different and challenging in its own way. However, it is a concept Muller likes.
“We have enjoyed the push of using social media in different ways, talking with media outlets, getting our name out there, and working with other local businesses,” Muller said.
He said that they have already seen several returning customers. Some have even ordered two or three days in a row, wanting to try everything because they have liked the food so much.
“It’s been really awesome to see the support. Definitely feels like there was a need in Rexburg to have more barbecue options. The options are a little limited in the area. We wanted to bring people quality,” Muller said.
Sparks told EastIdahoNews.com that he has worked on perfecting the meats they offer.
“I took some of my recipes that I really like using and adjusted them. We also went to Texas, and we tried barbecue there. We probably went to 10-plus places in Texas,” Sparks said.
“We wanted to have a really well-rounded experience from the dozens of different places that we have gone to over the last year,” Muller added.
Muller said the connections they have with restaurants has helped, too.
“We’ve worked with Red Rabbit for a long time, and Chris has worked closely with Pizza Pie. We’ve noticed what attention to detail can do for a restaurant, building trust within your customer base. If you make mistakes, you make them right with the customer,” Muller said.
If people are interested in trying Sparks Barbecue, they can order through DoorDash or order for pickup by calling (208) 499-0421.
“We wanted to give people the opportunity to call and pick up the order themselves to avoid the additional fees with third-party delivery service,” Muller said. “We have a parking spot in the back of Pizza Pie, and they can pull around. We package it out to them hot and fresh.”
Sparks Barbecue is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
“We are not just another barbecue place. We definitely feel like we created something that is special to the area and will be unique,” Sparks said.