In Business: Smokey Jake’s BBQ in Aitkin Makes Work a Family Affair

When you think of barbecue, you probably think of places like Texas, North Carolina, or Kansas City. But a restaurant in Aitkin is looking to change their customers’ minds.

As the staff at Smokey Jake’s BBQ wraps up their business for the day, they’re already getting ready for tomorrow’s lunch rush. The business is run by the Schanz family, who originally opened with a food truck in San Diego, California before relocating to Aitkin.

Nowadays, you can find the family manning the counter, smoking meats, or just having a friendly conversation with their patrons. Work time means family time, which they feel is making up for the many days they spent apart when owner Jacob Schanz was deployed overseas in the Marines.