When the Logan County Chamber of Commerce presented awards at its annual banquet last week, no one was more grateful or more deserving than Roy’s Bar-B-Q, which was named Small Business of the Year. Many people were amazed that they hadn’t won it before. Roy’s is so much a part of the community that the restaurant may often be taken for granted.
Accepting the award for the family were Roy Morgan and his sisters, Kathy Howard and Lee Ann Morgan, along with their nephew, Lee Morgan, who now has moved into the management spot his late father, Roger Morgan, occupied.
Sadly noticeable by their absence were the late Ralph, Jolene, Billy and Roger Morgan. Michelle Morgan, Roy’s wife, was present but is recovering from cancer, a disease which has plagued the Morgan family in recently years.
In 1983 Ralph and Jolene Morgan opened Roy’s Bar-B-Q near the entrance to the Boy Scout Camp. It wasn’t much more than a bait shop and barbecue pit. A Franklin Street location, known as the “little pit”, opened four years later. Pressured by growth, they moved the sit-down operation to a 50-seat location down Highway 431 North in 1990. Almost immediately, the new location was too small, as patrons shared tables and waited their turn for Roy’s now renowned barbecue. Before his death in 1996, Ralph secured the land for their current location. Oldest son John, who works at Logan Aluminum, helped design the 3,300 square foot facility that opened on Oct. 1, 1998. Since then, it has become a mainstay for Logan Countians and a destination for tourists!
Named for the Morgans’ youngest son, Roy’s has always been a family affair. After Ralph’s death, Jolene kept the restaurant going with the help of their children, Roger, Roy, Kathy Howard and Lee Ann Harris. Not limited to the siblings, Roger’s wife Janie, Roy’s wife Michelle, and Lee Ann’s husband Harold, and the Howard and Harris children have all played a role in the growth of the company. Son/brother Billy, a standout Panther athlete, died very young. The family lost Roger in 2010 and Jolene in 2011, but the third generation can now be found at Roy’s. Roger’s son, Lee, and Roy’s son, Ryan, are both deeply involved in the operation.
The little pit has been closed throughout the winter because of Michelle’s illness, but it is expected to reopen soon with her managing it again.
Another sister, Mary Winn, is not involved in the operation of the restaurant but is devoted in her support of the family and the family business.
Roy’s has earned a reputation for delicious pit barbecue. They’ve been featured in numerous books and articles, including Gary West’s Eating Your Way Across Kentucky and Kentucky Living’s “2013 Best of Kentucky.” Folks travel from all over to try the pulled pork they’ve heard so much about, and relocated Logan Countians frequently stop by for a barbecue fix (and a few pounds to take back home). Roy’s has won countless awards, including Kentucky Pork Restaurant of the Year in 2007 and Kentucky High School Athletic Directors’ Distinguished Service Award in 2009.
Ralph Morgan said Roy’s Bar-B-Q served the finest people in the world. To show their appreciation, they give back…constantly. It would be impossible to calculate the donations they’ve made in our community. The walls declare they are sports fans. You’ll find newspaper articles about Russellville football and Logan County basketball championships. Prints of local legends, letters from local leaders and banners from the 2009 Little League World Series Team adorn the walls too. Roy’s Bar-B-Q is a celebration of Logan County!
Recently, Roy’s paid for plaques to be created by Ronna Knuckles at Trophies to Go, featuring each of the members of the Russellville Alumni Athletic Hall of Fame. Those trophies, plus one honoring Roy’s Bar-B-Q, now adorn a highly visible wall at RHS.
During a period of over three decades, Ralph & Jolene Morgan’s bait shop and pit shack has become a Logan County institution. On any given day you can dine with doctors and factory workers, men of the badge and men of the cloth. A former UK star might stop in and share a table with a hog farmer. The parking lot can be filled with cattle trailers, motorcycles or Corvettes. If folks are passing through, they know where to stop. Roy’s Bar-B-Q brings everyone to the table…and they always come back for more!
Chris McGinnis of WRUS says, “I can think of no organization more worthy of being named Logan County Small Business of the Year than the Morgan Family and Roy’s Bar-B-Q!”