Fred Mendoza knows how to barbeque. His interest in the culinary art began as a kid at Lansing’s
Holy Cross School ox roast, and it has been a life pursuit ever since. He spent ten years learning from a barbeque master in Clute, Texas before coming back to his hometown.
“I had some success down there with cookoffs,” says Mendoza. “In Texas, barbeque is on every corner. So when you’re placing in the top five there, that’s something special.”
Now he’s brought that something special back to North Grand River in the Lansing with as the owner of the new
King of the Grill restaurant.
“There’s a great history there,” says Mendoza of his restaurant’s location. “It’s a blue collar area, and people who are there are there work hard and do good work. They’ve lost their jobs, got new ones and they’re still in the fight, and they come to support us on a daily basis.”
The 1,300-square foot, 78-seat restaurant portion of King of the Grill has been open for about 10 weeks, but is only the beginning of the Mendoza’s business plan. His next phases include selling his unique smoked meat wholesale, franchising his business and a program to feed the homeless.
“We’re going to help feed the world,” says Mendoza. “That’s been our mission from the beginning.”
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