HOLLAND — An award-winning barbecue food truck and catering operation will soon open a fixed location in the former Subway on Eighth Street near downtown Holland.

Holy Smokers BBQ owners Kyle and Lisa Segar have a long history in barbecue and restaurant service.

More: Laotian barbecue, bubble tea shop Boba Q opens

More: Dickey's Barbecue Pit dishes out smoked meats, tasty sides

More: Bar-B-Que's has opened on Eighth in Holland

"It started when I was 5 years old," Kyle said. "I lived in the south, and I was the wood tote-er for my brother. We'd light the fires and get the coals ready, and my dad would come home and cook.

"My wife has been in the food industry for over 30 years. Combined, we've got probably close to 40 years of food service under our belts. We started out touring the country, competing again big names in barbecue."

Several years later, the duo launched Holy Smokers, which includes a catering business and two food trucks.

"We've been in West Michigan for quite a while," Kyle said. "We met here in high school. We've been looking for a fixed location for a couple years, but the pandemic slowed us down a bit. We just can't keep up with capacity on the trucks. I'm turning too many people away."

Kyle and Lisa hope a permanent location will fill those orders, particularly with drive-thru service.

"With a location people can visit seven days a week, they won't have to follow and find us," Kyle said. "The menu will include all of your favorites — pork, brisket, chicken, all the famous sides, some sausage, some hot links, ribs."

Subscribe: Learn more about our latest subscription offers!

The couple hopes to open Holy Smokers in mid-September or early October.

"But with supply chain challenges, it's continuing to be frustrating," Kyle said. "Still, that's our goal. We're not a franchise. We're just a mom-and-pop. It's all family run, and this is our home. So, we're hometown people and we're community minded and we hope people come out and give us a visit."

The former Subway at 544 E. Eighth St. closed in February, citing "the ongoing challenges of the past two years." The restaurant opened in 2015, replacing an aging location across the street.

Holy Smokers will be the fourth barbecue restaurant to open in Holland in 2022 — including Boba Q and Dickey's Barbecue Pit in Holland Township and Bar-B-Ques, located just across the street from the future Holy Smokers.

To learn more about Holy Smokers, visit facebook.com/holysmokersbbqllc.

— Contact reporter Cassandra Lybrink at cassandra.lybrink@hollandsentinel.com. Follow her on Instagram @BizHolland.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Former Subway to become fixed location for Holy Smokers BBQ in Holland