SAVOR Barbeque & Taphouse to open second spot in early May

Sue Grossardt

Contributor

March 23, 2026

SISTER BAY – Husband-and-wife restaurateurs Joelene and Corey Brydon said they are gearing up for an exciting 2026.

The Brydons said their flagship restaurant – SAVOR Barbeque & Taphouse (located at 10635 N. Bay Shore Drive next to Deck Clothing Company) – will get a fresh new identity this year as SAVOR Juicy Burgers

“The name and featured burgers were inspired by our daughter and a friend,” Joelene said. 

Also on the Brydons’ 2026 agenda is the opening of a second restaurant, SAVOR Barbeque – Grill – Taphouse, at 10663 N. Bay Shore Drive (formerly Grasse’s Grill).

The larger of their two locations, Joelene said, spans 4,000 square feet and will seat 140 guests, including an outdoor patio.

“Door County is the place to be, mostly because there are not an abundance of restaurants and casual dining [options] like ours,” she said. “We are carving a niche in Sister Bay – a spot that chose us. Let’s just say there were many signs along the way that brought us here.” 

The area north of Sturgeon Bay, Joelene said, currently lacks fast-food options.

“We are not the kind of restaurant where you have to wait hours for a pizza,” she said. “Many who vacation in Door County for a shorter time don’t want to wait to enjoy a meal.”   

Additionally, Joelene said the SAVOR food truck serves up barbeque options also featured on the menu. 

How it began

Joelene said SAVOR began operations in 2019 under a tent at the Rockford City Market in Illinois.

“We joke that our first business didn’t have doors,” she laughed. “We were only open for four hours on Fridays. What began under a tent has exploded into not one but two restaurants in Sister Bay.”

Food truck operations, Joelene said, began during the COVID-19 pandemic when restrictions were different than if one owned a dine-in restaurant.

“We started the food truck, and then the pandemic hit,” she said. “That was a very scary time because we couldn’t get meat.”

Because local farmers couldn’t get their pigs and cows to the butcher – many of which were closed during the pandemic – Joelene said they were forced to take matters into their own hands.

“We butchered and smoked our own meat and learned how to do it all,” she said. “We also enrolled in a class on smoking meats.”

The Brydons said they purchased a smoker from a supplier in South Carolina – commissioning him to build a whole hog smoker, which they later picked up in Tennessee.

Their move to Door County in 2021, they said, was driven not only by a desire to carve out a niche in “great food that was fast and affordable,” but also to provide a safer and better life for their children, even though food trucks were a new concept for the region.

Determined to succeed, Joelene said they took it upon themselves to educate the community, promote other food trucks alongside their own and highlight the benefits food trucks offer for local communities, seasonal events and businesses looking to grow without the cost and staffing demands of a traditional restaurant.

“We created an organization called Door County Food Trucks,” she said. “We represent all who live and operate a food truck in Door County. Owners can post their menu or publicize their special events on this Facebook site.”

Joelene said they are committed to running their business fairly and responsibly.

“We don’t undercut our fellow food truck members,” she said. “There is a certain code of ethics we all follow.” 

Barbeque, other options 

Joelene said SAVOR started because she and Corey are “foodies.”

“In our travels, we would ask locals about the best places to eat,” she said. “We would experience different barbeque styles and came to realize that it is a regional food with its own style.”

Corey said barbeque has its own unique culture, which they’ve incorporated into dishes like fried rice, New Orleans-style étouffée and Tex-Mex.

“Our most heavily influenced barbeque is the Texas-style,” he said. 

Barbeque, Joelene said, comes in many regional styles, including those from the Midwest, Texas, Louisiana, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee and Memphis – each with its own flavors and techniques.

“When you say the word ‘barbeque,’ there are different styles and flavorings,” she said. 

Joelene said SAVOR has developed its own style of barbeque, sometimes discovering new favorites by accident – like one dish her daughter and a friend stumbled upon one evening at home that has since become a family favorite.

“That was the case of our very popular burger, which is the hallmark menu item at the ‘smaller’ location, Juicy Burgers, and its featured SAVOR Smash Burger,” she said. “It’s two ground brisket patties, American cheese, pickles and kiddy-up mayo. Quite by accident, the kids discovered the now-famous burger with its freshly-ground brisket. This item has a fan base almost as strong as our barbeque.”

Coming up with a name for their culinary venture, Corey said, was very important to them. 

“It really sets the tone for everything we do,” he said. “We have always been more about quality than quantity, and somehow, the word SAVOR explains that.” 

Corey said the positive feedback they’ve received suggests that customers appreciate the quality of their barbeque and food in general.

“At the city market, we faced a panel of eight judges, and we scored an eight out of eight for the best barbeque, competing against prominent barbeque restaurants,” he said. “We have been awarded other accolades, including the 2024 Food Truck of the Year in Wisconsin.”

Ensuring a product can be consistently reproduced, Corey said, involves more than just controlling temperature and cooking time.

“It comes down to taste, feel, ingenuity and a tweak here and there,” he said. “We can cook up to 50 briskets at a time. Brisket is our most popular meat. Customers can choose their favorite meat plate and pick their sides, too. We have signature sandwiches like our most popular one, the Maverick, with its pulled pork, homemade slaw and pickles.”

Joelene said Corey makes “it seem a lot easier than it really is.” 

“When we first started, Corey would sit with the smoker all night, and I would make the sides during the day,” she said. “Many factors go into it, like heat, flavor and the wood we use to smoke our meats.”

Serendipity

Making the leap from food truck to their first brick and mortar in 2025, Joelene said, is being closely followed by the opening of their second restaurant, set to open later this spring – a project that happened almost serendipitously.

One busy lunch hour, which, she said, per usual included a line running out the door, proved pivotal when a customer – who happened to be a realtor – handed her a business card.

“I was a little flustered when this customer handed me his business card, noting how busy we were, and asked if we might be interested in buying the building just one block down the road,” she said. “He posed the question to me, ‘Would you ever consider a bigger spot? It looks like you might need some more seating.’” 

Intrigued, Joelene said they looked at the spot the very next day. 

“We were the first to see it,” she said. “The previous owners were on site and emotional as they said goodbye to the business they grew for the past 14 years. We were respectful of that. We ultimately bought the property. The timing and other circumstances told us it was truly meant to be.”

The Brydons said the opening of a second location is the perfect way to give more customers the chance to experience SAVOR.

“Barbeque really isn’t just one thing – it’s many things and is a process,” Joelene said. “It’s an art, rigid and simple, yet it is a set of very complex flavors along with the history behind it. We want people to truly savor time with us, savor the experience and savor food when they come to visit us. People can get so disconnected, but when they come into Door County, they are already slowing down.”

Help from family

The couple said family members have rolled up their sleeves and pitched in to help wherever needed.

“Our son has moved to Sister Bay to get more involved with the business, along with our 10-year-old daughter, who works on the customer service side of things during the summer months,” Joelene said. “Corey and I work full-time in the business.”

Though the offseason creates a challenge for some businesses, Corey said they view the quiet time differently.

“Owning a restaurant in a very seasonal area can be a double-edged sword,” he said. “Yes, there are fewer people and less revenue, but the upside of it allows more time for side projects and time to work on new and creative ideas – plus extra time with friends and family. We save projects like making our BBQ sauces, rubs and pickling and canning for the offseason. We enjoy the quieter months after a busy season.”

For more information on SAVOR Barbeque & Taphouse, find it on social media.