What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
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feature story BY DAVE WOODS ADVERTORIAL WRITER DWOODS@NWADG.COM E d Knight's beginnings in the barbeque business were humble. "I just started with a tent at the corner of Highway 265 and Highway 45," Ed said. "I was on a couple different corners around there until they were sold and we took a place inside and the rest is history." Since that day in July, 1993 when Ed opened his first barbeque operation on a corner lot, much has changed for the entrepreneur. After opening in a tent with few luxuries – such as air conditioning, a telephone or a cash register – Ed soon moved into a small trailer where he operated for another three years. Today, Ed operates three Penguin Ed's Bar-B-Que restaurants around Fayetteville. Uniquely named, Penguin Ed's harkens back to the days when Ed created a bevy of paper – mache' penguins to keep him company while he worked. Those penguins, and hundreds of others, survive today and greet guests at a couple of his locations. 'Doesn't happen over night' Ed became interested in the art of barbeque while living in Kansas City. A business partner of his was into competition barbeque and Ed would lend a hand. "My partner did competition cooking like American Royal and a couple others," he said. "That's where I got my interest in it. I also worked for KC Masterpiece a while." Ed's wife had a job offer in Northwest Arkansas and took it. After about a year of regularly commuting, he tired of the drive and separation and decided to move south himself. He explored many employment options and finally decided to jump into the barbeque business. "If I had been smarter I would have quit," he joked. "I didn't make money for many years. I don't know how we even got by, to tell you the truth." During the early years, Ed said, he learned many lessons. "No. 1, it doesn't happen over night," he explained. "One generation, one trial and one attempt and you know… then things stick. If you hold true to certain principles then suddenly you have something going on, which we do, I guess. I'm pretty pleased with it. " He should be. Ed's three restaurants regularly pack in the guests for lunch, dinner, to-go orders and caterings. One of his locations, Penguin Ed's on Mission, even serves up breakfast on weekends. Penguin Ed's on Mission in East Fayetteville. On the side When asked what style of barbeque he serves, Ed paused, thoughtfully. "Everybody's barbeque is a compilation of things," he suggested. "They borrowed from here and stole from there and tried to do their own thing. Barbeque is always judged without sauce. Just the meat and that's what I went for." To accompany his barbeque beef, pork and chicken offerings, Ed has developed a wide menu of traditional barbeque side dishes. Penguin Ed's Bar-B-Que keeps smoking Barbeque entrepreneur shares secrets to success 42 WHAT'S UP! DECEMBER 3-9, 2017 With three loactions, Penguin Ed's Bar-B-Que has become a Fayetteville favorite. PHOTO COURTESY PENGUIN ED'S Advetorial Feature