By Chris Hagan
Review Staff Writer
What began as a simple stop-in for lunch has materialized into bringing one of Metro-Detroit’s best barbecue restaurants to Orion Township.
Local entrepreneur and owner of Environmental Wood Solutions, Larry Mullins, stopped into Bad Brads BBQ for lunch during a business trip to visit one of his clients. Mullins? mindset shifted from client meeting to being awestruck by food quality and the restaurant’s organization.
‘I started looking at this years ago when I brought this concept to the community of the BBQ restaurant.? he said. ‘I stopped at Bad Brads and thought ‘holy cow, this place has their act together.??
Mullins owns several properties in Orion and has had the idea to bring in a barbecue establishment there for several years. After developing the CVS on Baldwin, he had all the infrastructure in place for that property just north of CVS for a restaurant. After many attempts he finally was able to make a presentation to Bad Brads business partners, Michael and Marc Pollard.
In his presentation he cemented the keystones that make his location a worthy candidate for development. In his descriptions he noted that Baldwin Road will see a great increase in population but will also have a commitment to ‘walk-ability,? while his restaurant is turn-key ready.
‘Anybody that wants to start from scratch, especially in Orion Township, it’s a hard hill to climb,? Mullins said. ‘I had a site that was already approved for a restaurant and the BBQ restaurant was the plan for it. It was ground-break ready.?
The newest and future fourth location, located at 3437 Baldwin Road, will be 6,000 square-feet and will have a seating capacity of about 135 people. Unlike its other locations, it will be larger, featuring a bigger kitchen and patio that will accommodate dining in front, visible from the roadway.
Bad Brads started in 2009 in New Baltimore and since their opening have started several locations primarily in Macomb County. They have an expected opening date of February 2016.
‘We’ve been looking to move West for a few years now. Larry showed us this piece of property and we thought it would be a great fit for us,? Bad Brads spokesman Tony Grenat said. ‘It’s an expanding area and I’ve always felt Bad Brads doesn’t necessarily have to be on the beaten path and people will find us.?
According to Grenat, Bad Brads started with people that were passionate about food that had a fine dining background. They worked for the best restaurants in the country under the best chefs and applied their knowledge to barbecue.
Their barbecue platters are prepared on site in a large smoker which go right to a hungry person’s plate. The ribs are bought from Eastern Market in Detroit while their other food items, like beef and brisket, come from all-natural farmers.
Last year Bad Brads opened a commissary facility in Clinton Township offering carry-out and catering. In addition, that facility stands as their quality control arena overseen by one person. That individual is able to guarantee that regardless of which location a person goes to, they get the same quality.
‘We literally make every single item on the menu from scratch and that’s not an exaggeration. We don’t cheapen out on anything? Grenat said. ‘In order to control consistency and quality, we have the commissary area where anything that can be made there, and that travels well and doesn’t sacrifice quality or consistency, will get made there.?
Bad Brads, which was named Best Barbecue in 2015 by Hour Magazine in Detroit, is expecting to hire about 140 more employees and that will add to the chain’s current staffing of 210 workers. Grenat says there are many secrets that make a restaurant successful and aside from the food he says you have to have the right staff.
‘You have to be sharp. You have to care about the people along with Bad Brads, and have to have passion,? he said. ‘You have to want to be successful in your position from server to cook, to busser, to bartender.?
The decor of the restaurant will be of similar style and feel to the other locations in Macomb County, which includes variations of rustic barn wood and natural timbers coalesced with stone and metal works.
Their menu will have non-meat options, pizza and of course the barbecue. The prices are comparable to most local barbecue establishments. .
Bad Brads will not be without competition as Royal Oak-based Lockharts BBQ is currently renovating the former Village Offices in Downtown Lake Orion and the Union Woodshop just a few miles North in Clarkston.
‘Bad Brads has always been about being the best and we’ve always believed in not how successful can we be but can we be the best and continue to grow,? Grenat said. ‘There’s plenty of room for everybody and the people will decide. The only thing we can control is what happens inside our doors.?
As for Mullins, who grew up on Mill Lake, he feels nothing but excitement for Bad Brads to make an impact on the Baldwin Road corridor. He was named Person of the Year of Orion in 2009 and spending his entire life in Orion, he feels a certain commitment to improve the area. He believes there’s a lot of good that can be done for the people that frequent Baldwin Road and he believes this restaurant will be a great start.
‘It’s a real privilege to give back to the community and a lot of people don’t get that opportunity. I’m really happy to do that,? he said.