Houston is next up on a barbecue chain’s Texas takeover. After 26 years in business, Smokey Mo’s is eyeing an expansion with dozens of locations across the area.
The fast-casual barbecue joint has more than 20 locations in Central Texas, but its closest location to Houston is in Conroe. But Smokey Mo’s is planning to open 30 to 40 restaurants in the Greater Houston-Galveston area within the next few years, spokesperson Cia Abulencia told Chron. Smokey Mo’s is actively seeking multi-unit franchisees with the Houston push building on continued momentum across Texas.
Smokey Mo’s CEO Craig Haley told the Houston Business Journal they are “really focused on suburban areas and high-growth corridors, and Houston has a tremendous capacity of those areas.”
After the Houston expansion, Haley expects the brand’s Texas takeover to dip into Dallas.
The original Smokey Mo’s opened its doors in Cedar Park in 2000 under Morris “Mo” Melchor. “Mo,” who got started in the barbecue business as a teenager, came from 30 years in the industry but also developed his own methods and recipes too… like the restaurant’s signature smoked brisket cooked on the pit for 12 to 14 hours and made with Mo’s proprietary rub.