Today, Sunbird Barbecue will fire up its barbecue pit at its first brick-and-mortar location, with plans to start serving food at 11 a.m. Friday at 415 N. High St. in Longview.
David Segovia and Bryan and Kimmy Bingham launched their barbecue business with a food truck and a large, mobile barbecue pit in 2021. They've relocated where they served from a few times since then and celebrated their inclusion this summer in Texas Monthly's 性视界传媒淭op 25 Best New and Improved BBQ Joints in Texas.性视界传媒澛
In January, the trio announced they had found a brick-and-mortar building 性视界传媒 where Cace 's Kitchen was located before it moved to Green Street.
Sunbird Barbecue's new brick and mortar location Wednesday, November 29, 2023. (Les Hassell/News-Journal Photo)
The actual move took them longer than they wanted: They had to continue working in their business while working to open the new location; find the right business to build their pit room at the rear of the building that now holds their barbecue pit; and work to build it within city of Longview requirements.
They no longer will operate their food truck after they open the doors on High Street.
"It's been a long time coming," Segovia said. "We've had to endure a lot, but we got here. It was very emotional, to say the least."
The end result means they will, for the first time, have protection from the weather when they're manning the pit, with a covering over the walkway between the restaurant and the pit room. Segovia noted the rain in the forecast for today,
"We're supposed to have a little rain Thursday. Most of the time we would loathe that when we were on the trailer," but also working outside at the barbecue pit, Segovia said. "Now we're inside. As I was listening (to the rain forecast for Thursday) I was like, 'Let it rain.' "
Sunbird now has indoor dining as well as to-go orders. The wooden tables and the cashier's counter were handcrafted by Bryan Bingham's father, Chris Bingham.
David Segovia, left, Bryan Bingham and Kimmy Bingham move furniture in the dining room Wednesday, November 29, 2023, at Sunbird Barbecue's new brick and mortar location. (Les Hassell/News-Journal Photo)
"We'll be here a few years,'" Bingham said. "The next thing we'll do, we'll be building something."
Sunbird will be open 11 a.m. to sell-out Friday and Saturday, with the restaurant warning that its "resources" are limited because it was closed for two weeks for the move. The menu will expand as its operation ramps up, but diners can look for Sunbird to bring back favorites such as its house sausage and smoked hamburgers.
After this weekend, Sunbird will open for its regular hours of 11 a.m.-3 p.m. or sellout Wednesday-Saturday.