Hog Heaven closing after more than 30 years

Mary Hance | The Tennessean

Hog Heaven, the tiny barbecue stand that has been serving up Hickory smoked pork, chicken, turkey and ribs for more than 30 years through a walk-up window on the fringes of Centennial Park, is closing at the end of the business day Wednesday.

Katy Garner, who owns Hog Heaven along with her husband Andy, said "it is just time, We have been at it for 30 years. There are many factors," including lease issues, she said.

The Garners bought Hog Heaven in October 1989 and were the fourth owners in three years.

The barbecue shack, which on busy days sells as much as 600 pounds of its pulled pork at the window and through its active catering business, was featured several times on the Food Network, including one episode called "The Best Thing I ever Ate" that focused on its turkey sandwich with the sassy signature white sauce.

It was also featured on Steve Harvey's "Barbecue Bash" several years ago, and has had more than its share of celebrity patrons including Garth Brooks, Spike Lee, Vince Gill, Amy Grant and Widespread Panic.

Over the years the house made sauces, especially the "Kickin' Chicken White BBQ sauce," which won Best Barbecue Sauce in the South in Southern Living Magazine’s top 13 choice for the 2012 'Cue Awards, became so popular that the Garners researched how to make them shelf-stable so that they could be sold nationwide.

And the good news is that even with the closing of the stand at Centennial, the sauces (white sauce, Punchin' Pig mild sauce and Bashin' Bull hot sauce) will continue to be available at the Spirit of Nashville Store at 116 29th Ave. N. and Made in TN at 3820 Charlotte and at 230 Franklin Road in Franklin and at www.bbqfightclub.com/Default.asp

The Garners said a major factor in their decision to close of the open air stand is that in all of these years in business, they have never been able to get more than a 30-day lease.

But they say the time for closing is right, with increased competition, rising rents and their desire to do "some other things," Katy Garner said.

"We think the main thing that kept us going all these years was that people loved our food and that made us happy. We were very proud to say we were the owners of Hog Heaven,'' Katy Garner said.

Zagat review: "A tiny walk-up window belies standout barbecue in Centennial Park, including sandwiches and plates of hickory-smoked meats, including the popular pulled pork and chicken, served with housemade sauces and classic sides. There’s not much to the place besides the itty-bitty window and picnic table, so grab the food to go, and head to the park across the street or take it home."

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