Meet Carl Winston Sr. | US Army Retired/Novice Pitmaster

We had the good fortune of connecting with Carl Winston Sr. and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Carl, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?
I have enjoyed cooking and trying new recipes since I was a teenager. My mother, my grandmother & grandfather was inspirational in me appreciating the art of cooking. Then after joining the military and having the opportunity to cook for my newly extended military family and friends, the thought of opening a business started to seem as if it was in my grasps. I would get several comments from my friends telling me that I need to “quit being scared” and open up a restaurant. Once I got stationed here at Ft Huachuca the opportunity presented itself, and with the support of my family Winston Brothers BBQ was born. The thought process behind the name originated because my brothers and I all have a fondness of cooking, and I wanted the name to directly correlate to our dream of having a family-owned business.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a recently retired US Army Veteran. I served 23 years in the Army with my last 13 years serving as a career counselor. I have deployed twice to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom I & III. Throughout my years of service, I learned to be disciplined and focused on the mission which is what helped me push through all of the obstacles we encountered during our startup. We originally started this journey right before the pandemic, and this put a huge strain on my family as the delays and friction points set us behind about 6 months. I found motivation from the huge support system that we had and we just jumped out on a limb. Our first opening was for our neighborhood at Palo Verde Ridge and even though we had major hiccups, including missing orders, long delays, and just simple lack of understanding of the proper flow of the food industry, everyone still supported us. I have to say thank you to all of my neighbors who didn’t give up on us, this was one of my proudest moments. We may have not been perfect, but we did it. At the end of the day, we just want to serve good food, I will never say that we have the best BBQ in Vail/Tucson, because we are not in it for competition. However, if we can make 1 person smile when they bite into our food, we have accomplished our mission. For all of you future entrepreneurs, please remember to never give up on your dreams. We want the world to know that failure is not an option on our menu, so don’t make it one on yours.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
As much as people may not believe, I am a true homebody and have not made it around the city as much as I should have, I will definitely be getting out to the parks on the weekends, doing some horseback riding at Medella Vina Ranch, and checking out some of the scenery in Vail as it is such a beautiful place. There is so much to see, and I have been missing it all. If you are visiting, you definitely have to stop by the Vail Coffee Stop on the 2nd Saturday of each much as we have local vendors out there displaying their talents. I do plan on getting to the Tucson Speedway, as my family and I have not had to chance to get over there. If you are looking for drinks you can stop by Charron Vineyards for wine and beautiful views or if you want to have drinks at a good price and mingle with the Vets you should stop by the American Legion on Houghton in Corona De Tucson.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have to give a special shout out to the Tate family and owners of the Vail Coffee Stop. They have been so supportive of our business, and I believe to be one of the most genuine and caring families that I have met. I have also received so much support from the Marshall, Brown, & De La O families as well as all of the Vail PTSA’s in which I have to say thanks to Lora for inviting us to our 1st PTSA fund raiser. Last but definitely not least, my family for their continuous support, I would definitely not be able to do any of this without them.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WinstonBrothersBBQ/

Other: service@winstonbrothersllc.com