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Breakout barbecue star Pico’s BBQ has permanently closed.
The Texas-style barbecue pop-up began two and half years ago and drew long lines for founder Russell Savage’s juicy brisket, tender pork ribs and snappy sausages. In June, Pico’s BBQ relocated from Menlo Park to the Port of Redwood City, continuing to sell on Saturdays “from noon to none.”
But last Saturday, Jan. 3, was Pico’s BBQ’s final day in business. For loyal customers, the closure seemed unexpected, but for Savage, the decision was months in the making.
“I had been flirting with the idea for a few months, but just decided to pull the trigger and do what was best for me,” he said.
Savage said he’s been “burning the candle from both ends” for far too long, citing burnout as one of many reasons for Pico’s BBQ’s permanent closure. He added that regulations in the Bay Area made it difficult to run a small business and he wasn’t able to grow the business.
The decision to close was met with “about a thousand Instagram messages and text messages and phone calls,” he said. His Jan. 3 Instagram post announcing the closure has amassed more than 100 comments lamenting the pop-up’s end.
Savage was born and raised in Palo Alto and spent five years learning barbecue in Texas before moving back to open his own business. He said he’s not sure if he’ll continue to stay in the barbecue business and may move back to Texas, but nothing has been finalized.
But Savage said that if he had to do it all over again, he wouldn’t change a thing.
“I gave it my all every day,” he said. “I always put my best foot forward, so I could sleep at night and know I had no regrets. I left nothing on the table.”
What Savage will miss most, he said, is the customers.
“So many people were dependent on me to provide them that Texas barbecue,” he said. “I don’t feel great about that aspect of letting a lot of the customers down, but at the end of the day, I got to take care of myself, start eating healthier again and getting back in the gym. And it doesn’t matter how good my barbecue is, if I can’t take care of myself and I end up in a bad position.”
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