Courtesy of Salt & Smoke
Salt + Smoke's brisket sandwich with a side of fresh green beans
One of the city’s most beloved barbecue concepts is coming to Kirkwood.
Oh Hey! Barbecue, a spinoff of Tom Schmidt’s popular Salt + Smoke, will be located in the three-kitchen food court, which opened inside the Kirkwood Schnucks in April 2021, alongside Seoul Taco and The Greek Kitchen. It replaces The Shaved Duck, which closed in late August.
The Name
"Just to clarify, 'Oh Hey! Barbecue' is not Salt + Smoke, which is distinctly full service with a full bar,” Schmidt says. The new concept applies the same quality principles and attention to detail, but it has a different identity and logo—which includes a mascot: a half rack of ribs with hands and feet. “I call him Robert Ribford,” Schmidt quips, “because he’s a hunky redhead.”
As for the moniker? “’Oh hey’ has been an inside joke between [pitmaster/partner Haley Riley] and I since day one,” Schmidt says. "It started as the way we greeted each other and found its way onto our T-shirts and hats, as well as the phone greeting—‘Oh, hey, thanks for calling Salt + Smoke’—so we thought that saying, 'Oh Hey! Barbecue!” suggested a more casual representation of what we do.”
The Menu
The brisket and the famous White Cheddar Cracker Mac and onion rings will carry over from Salt + Smoke, but baby back ribs will be featured instead of St. Louis-style cut spare ribs. The concept will also feature another type of coleslaw and potato salad, all made from scratch but different than what’s on hand at Salt & Smoke. “We’re also hoping to feature turkey instead of chicken,” but supply chain issues are expected to continue at least into November, notes Schmidt. ("Buy your Thanksgiving turkey now,” he advises.)
"When we opened Salt + Smoke, we loved it, and it’s been a hit, but we also like to create new things," Schmidt says. "If we changed any item at Salt + Smoke, I’d be in big trouble, so this is one way for us to experiment and grow, as well as entice people to see what else we’ve been up to.”
The Concept
Schmidt notes that besides being located far from the other Salt + Smoke locations, "there's no barbecue in that area of the county at all." So he saw a tremendous opportunity that required minimal investment. “During the pandemic, we got really good at putting together family meal packs,” he says. “Now, we have an opportunity to do it again under different circumstances. People will be able to grab one of those for dinner and knock out some grocery shopping at the same time. It’s a logical, natural service to be able to offer to people.”
In the same vein, he says the potential for catering in the area should be huge as well. Calling the location ''a catering magnet," he says smaller orders can be prepared onsite while larger orders can be run out of the commissary.
Courtesy of Salt & Smoke
Tom Schmidt
Schmidt says that the footprint and expense to build new restaurants factored into the new concept as well. “I love our Ballpark Village location dearly, and it’s been wildly successful, but it cost millions to build and takes 125 employees to operate,” he says. “There’s only so much of that that we can do. A smaller offshoot allows us much more flexibility and nimbleness.
"In Kirkwood, just like Ballpark Village, we have an opportunity to partner with one of the most iconic brands in St. Louis,” Schmidt says. “We appreciate being able to work alongside the best.
"Our experience has shown that if we’re around a lot of people, a lot of them will want to eat barbecue," he adds, "and Schnucks attracts a lot of people. Our goal is to figure out a way they walk out with some barbecue.”
