Chris Ford is #MadeForKnoxville

Chris Ford knows good food — specifically, good BBQ. After leaving the music industry, he decided to apply that knowledge and help add “authentic, southern barbeque” to Knoxville’s restaurant repertoire.

Ford’s food might be famous, and it’s certainly delicious, but the key ingredient that solidifies Sweet P’s spot as a Knoxville staple? Family. Ford’s barbeque pursuit was a family affair from the start, and that notion is infused throughout his business model and barbeque joints.

“I had always cooked and felt like Knoxville was missing a great Mom n’ Pop barbecue place. With the help from my wife and some great mentors Sweet P’s was born.”

 

In Their Own Words..

Sweet P’s was started out of my house in 2005 and we were strictly a catering company. Up until 2003 I had been in the music business for almost a decade and been travelling all over the United States playing music and eating a lot of barbeque. When the music career was over I was kind of back to square one.

I had always cooked and felt like Knoxville was missing a great Mom n’ Pop barbecue place. With the help from my wife and some great mentors Sweet P’s was born. In 2007 in desperate need of help my cousin Jonathan Ford moved from Atlanta to become our first employee, with the agreement we would open a restaurant as he had spent time managing restaurants.

In 2009 we got a great opportunity to open Sweet P’s Barbeque and Soul House in South Knoxville on the Little River. In 2010 we were featured on Man v Food, in 2011 we were featured on Food Networks United Tastes of America and by 2015 we had opened our second location in Downtown Knoxville.

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