We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Marcus Stokely. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Marcus below.

Marcus, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

There is a lot of story on how Wells Station BBQ name came about. It is not only the name of my new business adventure, but it is also where my wife and I bought our first home, started new careers, raised our first and now second child. Wells Station BBQ sounded fitting, new chapter on a personal level, and now new business journey.

Marcus, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Hello my name is Marcus Stokely. I got in the food industry when I attended Culinary School back in 2009. Working in some of the top fine dining establishments in and around East Tennessee. Blackberry Farm, Atlas and J.C Holdway to name a few. One thing in common with 90% of restaurants I had worked in all had wood fire cooking element. Working every one of the stations cooking with fire is who I had become as a chef. Cooking with fire is who I am, and I have all the scares that have come with it.

Wells Station BBQ was born in midst of covid. Smoking all my meat with a traditional wood burning offset smoker built by TMG pits here in Knoxville. Something I felt Knoxville was missing. No shortcut BBQ. Doing popups where like in Texas all the meat is by the 1/2lb to 1lb and sliced to order. Working in open kitchens is something I always enjoyed, getting to interact with customers while I cook. That is the reason I do my popup services the way I do. Slicing brisket on a block, talking with customer while I build their BBQ tray, and talk to them about the process. Weather its a Popup at a brewery, Catering, or wedding I try to do services like this as it showcases true spirit and service of BBQ.

What sets me apart is my fine dining and chef background. Thinking outside of the box for dishes, the repetitive execution, the decade of recipes, techniques and food service. I simply have a knack for being and chef and cooking with fire. It is a part of my identity. Not only that, but I try to source as much as I can locally which is generally unheard of in the BBQ restaurant/food truck realm just because it is more expensive. My Beef is sourced locally, veggies from local farms, to even my BBQ trailer built here right in Knoxville. Doing specials at each popup gives me some fun culinary freedom to set myself apart. Smoked beef cheeks, smoked pork belly BLT, and house made beef sausages, Banana pudding with Peanut Butter Cookies and Peanut Butter Brittle to name a few.

I am very proud of the community and following I have developed in a short period.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Being a new and small business gaining followers and a reputation can be tough. For me I do not necessarily want to say it was easy, but was a little easier with my culinary background and restaurants I have worked at. Some of those restaurants having a high prestige, but I wanted to gain followers for the food I cooked and created, not the past restaurants I worked.

Being who I am, I am not big on social media, but this day and age you must make a presence. That being said, I wanted to gain local followers first by word of mouth. By my food, our service, and my brand. Knoxville news sentinel wrote a great article on me, naming me “The Meat Maestro”. This came out about a month before my first popup, this launched my following throughout the Knoxville, and made my name aware to the community to bring them to my first popup. This was amazing, but all I wanted, all I needed was Knoxville community to take one bite. One bite to show them Wells Station BBQ is the best BBQ in Knoxville. The community and the word of mouth after that one bite, will build the reputation I want and desire.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Building a social media audience can be tough as a small new business. Being true to who you are, your brand, but also try and be a little different. Yes, you have to play into trends to gain the following, using the right hashtags and such. But people like seeing realness. That will gain a true audience, not just the ones the click follow and never come to your popups or events.

Be real, show you truly care about your craft and community, and treat your audience like they are a part of your family at the dinner table.

Contact Info:

• Website: wellsstationbbq.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/wells_station_bbq
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/wellsstationbbq
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/wells-station-bbq-knoxville?utm_campaign=www_business_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)

Image Credits
Photo credit to Manny Limon