Raised in restaurants. Smoking BBQ in North Port.

Growing up in restaurants

I was born and raised in Germantown, Maryland. Restaurants were part of my life from the start. My dad and my uncles owned many restaurants while I was growing up.

In 2007, I moved to Port Charlotte, Florida. I went to school there and helped out at my dad's restaurant, Soup Jungle Cafe, serving tables for tips.

From the mall kitchen to the smoker

At 15, I got a job offer at Nicky D's in the mall. That's where I learned to work in different kitchens.

Then I spent eight years working at my uncle's BBQ restaurant. Those years taught me a lot about BBQ.

Along the way, I attended UCF and FGCU, and my studies went from pre-med to finance.

Opening Dubz during COVID

I opened Dubz BBQ on June 12, 2020, during COVID. We started as a small, takeout-focused restaurant with 24 seats.

Growing next door and keeping the team together

In 2023, we leased the unit next door and took on a full expansion. We closed for five months during construction.

I kept every one of our existing employees on payroll at full-time pay during those five months, so the team would stay together.

On September 11, 2023, we reopened as a full-service restaurant with a full bar and catering.