His ribs won national awards. Now, a retired Wichita pit master is in the BBQ business
He’s a former champion pit master, lauded for his ribs and pulled pork.
Now, John Patty is ready to share his talents with the public.
He’s just launched a new barbecue food truck called JP Custom Smoke and has been opening it from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays in a vacant lot just north of 53rd North and Meridian.
Patty, a retired gas company employee, said he was on the professional barbecue circuit for 12 years but quit competing about two years ago. During his time in competition, which sent him traveling around the country, he won several nationwide awards for his ribs and pulled pork.
When he decided to stop, he installed a commercial kitchen in one of his pull-behind trailers, and he would occasionally sell barbecue outside of a hardware store in Valley Center.
After one season, though, he decided to sell the trailer and bought an old Cintas uniform truck. He fitted a pit on the back end of it and decided he’d open a food truck in earnest.
His initial plan was to wait until the COVID-19 pandemic passed to get going, he said, but recently, he changed his mind.
“I thought, ‘Everyone else is out there with their food trucks, so let’s give it a shot,’” he said.
Patty is offering ribs, pulled pork, brisket, hotlinks and turkey breast as well as baked beans, potato salad and occasionally cheesy potatoes.
He’s had the truck out five times so far, he said, and he hopes to eventually expand his reach. He’s talking to farmers markets in Andale and Colwich about setting up there, and he’s also interested in working the Friday after-work parties at the Wichita Boathouse.
The truck is also available for caterings and private events.
Patty, whose signature spice rubs are sold in several Wichita barbecue stores, said he eventually hopes to trade in his current truck for an even nicer, newer one.
And, he said, he’s glad he found a way to keep his passion in his life, even though he’s not competing anymore.
“We treat every cook, whether it’s for a catering or just vending, like we’re in competition,” he said. “We didn’t change a thing.”
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