Sapulpa’s last mom-and-pop locally owned BBQ restaurant, Boss Hawg, has announced that Saturday, January 18th, will be their last day as a full-service restaurant.
“We have loyal customers from all around, but not enough of them often enough to keep the expenses paid,” owner Joel Carson told Sapulpa Times in a phone call where he shared the news that they’d be closing.
“We tried to hang on,” he continued. “This year would’ve been seven years, we really tried. It was just too expensive.”
Boss Hawg had a unique “Big Texas” flavor to their barbecue offerings, ranging from traditional ribs and brisket to veritable cajun-style offerings like alligator sausage and pork boudin.
Boss Hawg made headlines last year when they chose to drop their prices as a service to the community, despite the fact they knew they’d be leaving money on the table. “We’re part of the community, and we want to do what we can to help,” Joel Carson said at the time.
Later that year, they made headlines again when they competed in the Tulsa World’s BBQ Bracket contest and made it to the second round.
In 2023, Boss Hawg celebrated hitting the 5-year mark in Sapulpa, and recounted how the journey to opening a restaurant almost didn’t happen. Even then, he gave credit to God and to the community for helping them get to where they are.
“The community has supported us, got us through COVID, got us through storms, got us through lean economic times and hiring issues when we couldn’t find people who wanted work. We have been through a lot of hurdles,” he said.
In a Facebook Post shared on Wednesday, Boss Hawg made the news official as they shared a bit of their experience:
“The economy has been challenging to navigate over these last few years,” the statement said. “As the owners, we have poured every last ounce of ourselves, financially, physically, and mentally into making this restaurant work.”
The owners said they appreciated the loyalty they got from their customers who came from all around the area and beyond, as well as their staff. “We were blessed with the hardest working staff, and we are grateful for them hanging in there with us.”
Carson said they plan to take a break, but that they hope to bring Boss Hawg back as a pop-up vendor for catering and events.
“It has been an honor to serve this and surrounding communities,” they said.
Boss Hawg will remain open during their normal hours for Wednesday through Saturday starting at 11:00 am and will cease operations at the close of business on Saturday at 3:00 pm.
