Dexter Bar-B-Que opens new location in Jackson

Construction is complete and Dexter Bar-B-Que’s sixth location quietly opened with the sweet aroma of barbecue Friday morning in Jackson.

Owner Bruce Vancil said a grand opening date will be announced soon.

“We just want to get our feet wet first,” he said Friday. “We pretty much have got it together.”

He had hopes of having the new spot at 2305 E. Jackson Blvd. ready by Dec. 31, “and we didn’t make that.”

Construction started in September and according to Vancil, it took much longer than anticipated. Vancil wanted a steel-framed building and because of steel tariffs, he said, it took “a lot longer” to get the steel.

The front counter of the new Dexter Bar-B-Que is seen Friday in Jackson.KASSI JACKSON

“We sat around and waited a couple months on steel, so that set us back a couple of months,” he said. “Then that got us into some bad weather.”

The location will, for the time being, be the first in the restaurant chain offering new menu items, including a deluxe cheeseburger, “a hot dog that is unbelievable,” onion rings and peach and raspberry smoothies, Vancil said.

Ribs, he said, are “the bread and butter” of the chain, but other top sellers will remain, including barbecued turkey, brisket and rib melts.

The 3,600-square-feet location holds about 90 customers, making it considerably smaller than the previous location, just down the road at 1903 E. Jackson Blvd.

“The other store held over 200 (customers),” he said, adding that capacity around 100 is “most efficient.”

Tables are seen in the new Dexter Bar-B-Que are seen Friday in Jackson.KASSI JACKSON

Vancil is excited to offer “great parking,” he said, along with three easy-to-access entrances.

“I had terrible parking at the other place. If you’re an older person, it was 100 yards uphill to our front door,” Vancil explained. “And now, you’re 20 feet from any entry, so that’s a big improvement.”

He said the floor plan for the new location is “how we like our stores to be.” The manager on duty is able to oversee every transaction, Vancil said, along with seeing “every piece of food that comes out.”

“The manager can do a better job and it makes us a lot more efficient,” Vancil said, adding the restaurant is not yet fully staffed.

The flooring is made of polished aggregate concrete, which Vancil said, “will be amazing.”

“It’s beautiful to look at and easy to keep clean,” he said, adding all new furniture also was installed.

And with the location of the kitchen, everything fits “right there together,” he said.

Rubber flooring was used in the kitchen to deter cracks and crevasses that easily acquire food particles, he said.

“My kitchen is cool. I don’t think there’s another one like it in town,” Vancil said. “The whole kitchen has stainless (steel) walls, which most people don’t do.”

The location also offers free Wi-Fi connectivity and charging stations, he added.

Dexter Bar-B-Que also has locations in Cape Girardeau, Dexter, Sikeston, Farmington, and Poplar Bluff, Missouri.

jhartwig@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3632