Bob Mannecke has learned to keep pushing forward.
The North County resident spent more than two decades mowing lawns before deciding to pursue his passion for cooking by launching Mann Meats alongside his wife, Holly, and chef Kenneth Gregory.
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Mannecke started by purchasing a former school bus that he planned to convert into a food truck—and then discovered it was longer than the 30-foot allowed maximum. Undeterred, he spent four months sawing, splicing, and reworking it into permissible size. Finally, it rolled out in 2018, quickly gaining a loyal following.
The following year, Mann Meats opened a brick-and-mortar location at 300 Saint Ferdinand in Florissant. They initially used the food truck’s grills to serve up a menu of Boss Brats, Mann Burgers, smoked brisket sandwiches, and Fork Steak—a 28-ounce, seasoned, smoked, and simmered pork steak.
Then, when the pandemic hit last year, Mann Meats found a way to not only keep rolling with takeout meals but also to give back, delivering meals to first responders, nursing homes, and hospitals across the area. Altogether, the Manneckes raised more than $2,000 and donated more than 700 meals, in addition to fundraising more than $8,000 for Angie’s Playground.
All of the hard work caught the attention of a producer at Live! With Kelly and Ryan, who asked the Manneckes to appear on the show and cook their soon-to-be-nationally-famous pork steaks. Mannecke quipped on Facebook that the phone conversation left him “speechless. Imagine that.”
The couple recently flew to New York City to tape a segment that will air this Friday, July 23, at 9 a.m. On the barbecue business’ Facebook page, the owners noted that they’re grateful for their journey to this point and encourage others to pursue their passions.
“Three years ago, we just mowed lawns and did some landscaping, but worked just as hard as we do today. Only difference is we couldn’t help others and make an impact by just mowing a yard for free once in a while. For anyone considering chasing a dream, and taking a chance, DO IT. You won’t know till you try.”
The couple will be fork-cutting the pork steaks and tasting them on air. Mannecke noted on Facebook that “it was truly an honor to represent a little bit of Florissant on national TV.”
