CLEVELAND — As one of the oldest Black-owned restaurants in Cleveland, they have been serving up barbecue with a side of history for 81 years.
“We take it as it's a badge of honor if you want to call it that, but it's something that we know we just got to maintain,” said co-owner of Whitmore's Bar-B-Q, Virgil Whitmore.
Today, Whitmore's Bar-B-Q is run by Virgil and Vance Whitmore, who was born to cook together. Whitmore’s Bar-B-Q was started by the twin’s grandfather.
“He just had a passion for cooking. He liked making people happy,” said Virgil.
The dream was first born in Mount Pleasant, Texas, where their grandfather fell in love with barbecue. It was only right for him to bring the business to life from the Mount Pleasant community to the city of Cleveland.
Soon came the opening the of the first Whitmore’s Bar-B-Q on 15301 Kinsman Road in 1942.
It quickly became a family business where their parents also worked at the restaurants and by age 14, the twins were put to work. Now, decades later, the two are keeping the family name alive by serving up those customer favorites.
“We try to be consistent everything that we do. We want them to always get what they are used to having,” said Vance.
As a Black business they say some moments along the way weren’t always easy, but their motto is, "Consistency is the right recipe for longevity."
“Unfortunately, sometimes some of these doors won't necessarily be open for you. But if you are consistent, we try to do is continue to maintain a consistent product,” said Vance.
Side by side for decades they have carried on their grandfathers' wish to not just feed the stomach but also the soul.
“We love it. We love to make the people happy and when you make a nice product, we want it exactly the way they want it, the best,” said Virgil.
Reminding everyone a dream, food and family are the ingredients for the perfect sauce.
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