SLO County BBQ restaurant is holding on by a thread. Here’s how to save it

A barbecue restaurant nestled in a plaza in downtown Atascadero may be forced to close its doors if business does not pick up, the owner said.

Chef Gregory’s Barbecue Smokehouse Emporium opened in the spot in the La Plaza development last summer, and it’s been a struggle ever since, owner Gregory Kalatsky, chef and owner of the restaurant, told The Tribune.

The biggest challenge, he said, has been the 8-month-long construction on El Camino Real, which is reducing the number of lanes downtown and installing more parking.

“The end of June, July, August, September were just horrible months, and October wasn’t great. November was blasé. December was extremely poor, and just being depressed more and more and more,” Kalatsky said. “I’ve reached out to the community twice. Say, ‘Hey guys, it’s not looking good, Houston.’”

The hot weather and the Mid-State Fair during the summer didn’t help business either, Kalatsky said.

“Five months of horrible business,” he said. “Visually speaking, it’s like we’re tucked away. We’re around the corner. You can’t see us.”

In an effort to save his restaurant, Kalatsky took to Nextdoor and Facebook, sharing his business struggles and asking for support.

An influx of comments and visits to the restaurant followed.

Kalatsky shared his “gratitude and appreciation” for the current support. But to keep the spot open, he said, it needs to continue.

“We need support, and if we can get the continued support, we can start doing things like beef brisket and beef short ribs that people are asking for,” he said. “Let’s see what happens.”

Kalatsky is introducing briskets on Wednesdays, something that no one else around is doing, he said.

He calls his restaurant an “emporium” due to the variety of the Memphis-style barbecue menu, which features ribs, a pulled pork sandwich, pork belly and smoked chicken.

The menu also includes baked beans, coleslaw, cornbread, signature salads and soups, as well as catering options and 30 different flavors of peanut brittle.

The chef and owner said he is also working on a cookbook: “How to Eat Successfully without Chewing.”

A motorcycle accident seven years ago made it impossible for the chef to eat solid foods during recovery, and he is now sharing his experience and recipes with others.

“How do we manage to get an In-N-Out burger, a slice of pizza, spaghetti and meatballs, tater tots, barbecue pork sandwich, all this stuff. How do we manage to consume this without chewing it?” Kalatsky said of the book. “You can do it, trust me, I’ve done it all.

For more information

Chef Gregory’s Barbecue Smokehouse Emporium is located in the La Plaza development at 65550 El Camino Real in Atascadero. It’s open from Wednesday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., or until they run out of food.

To order online, visit the website at chefgquesbbq.com or go directly to the ordering page.