Interview with Dwight “Jabo” Lawson, owner
Q: How did you get involved in this business?
A: In 1950, my father, Jerome “Jabo” Lawson, smoked his ribs on an old brick fire pit he built himself in the small town of McLoud, Okla. Folks would come from miles around to buy the best barbecue in Oklahoma at Jabo’s BBQ. He made his own sauce and dry rub, smoking the meat to perfection. I loved to follow my father’s every move, watching every little step he took and learning every technique he had. This was my dream to become a true pit master. In 1992, I opened my first Jabo’s Bar-Be-Q, naming it after my father. It was located in Five Points in Denver. We opened on Arapahoe Road in 2003 and have been going strong ever since. My father was able to see my dream come to reality, but passed away in 1996 from cancer. He handed down the well-earned crown of “King of BBQ” to me.
Q: What distinguishes you from other businesses in your category?
A: Lets start with our homemade barbecue sauce. We have more than 22 different varieties of sauce, being able to please the palate of every customer’s distinguished taste. We have created more than 60 different flavors of sauce, always keeping six of those flavors in rotation in our store. Having a true pit master operating the smoker sets us above the rest, where the meat is smoked to perfection in the true pit fashion, never burnt and never cooked with charcoal.
Q: What do you like best about your line of work?
A: Spreading the knowledge of how true pit barbecue is really done. We enjoy watching our customers sink their teeth into our food, and coming up with a big smile on their face covered with sauce and rubbing their full belly. We enjoy making our customers happy and try our best to please the most difficult client. We love creating new sauces and testing them on our customers to pinpoint which flavors will leave them screaming for more.
Q: What is your business’ biggest challenge?
A: Coming up with the capital to create retail market sales in large-scale venues for our winning barbecue sauce and sconut products is a very difficult venture. We have been wanting to remodel our business and update our look, and expand our business for some time, but sometimes the economy and paying the bills stand in our way. This all boils down to extra capital.
Q: Something people might be surprised to learn about you or your business:
A: Being an outspoken person, I doubt if asked I would hold back on sharing my views and thoughts. I am a preacher for the Church of Christ when I am not operating our business. I boxed semi pro and at 20th Street Gym in Denver for many years and sparred with Stevie Johnson before he became pro. I enjoy sports and love to read the Bible. I have been married to my wife, Susan, for 29 years and still counting, and when I came to Denver more than 35 years ago, I fell in love with this town and never left.
Profile
Business: Jabo’s Bar-Be-Q
Address: 9682 E. Arapahoe Road, Greenwood Village
Hours: 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday
Founded: 1992
Contact: 303-799-4432,
Employees: 6
