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The significance of the moment was not lost on the people involved, but to many passing by on the busy Rutherford corridor there was nothing strange about the smells of barbecue wafting through the air.
On Saturday, Tommy Stevenson, owner of Tommy’s County Ham House publicly handed over his restaurant space to John Lewis, owner of Lewis Barbecue. For now, Tommy’s story isn’t over just yet, the restaurant will remain open until May 30, but there was a significance in the moment. The start of archiving 36 years, and the beginning of a new story.
Just before guests arrived to what was being called the Passing of the Torch ceremony Saturday evening, Stevenson and Lewis appeared to have an easy banter. Stevenson shared stories about Tommy’s, the two traded experiences navigating the current staffing challenges and discussed the beauty of a perfectly designed, big kitchen.