September 2nd 2023.
CEO and pitmaster Derrick McCray of McCray’s Backyard BBQ and Seafood gave CNBC’s Make It a history lesson on the rich backstory of his family business on August 31. McCray, 60, explained that his great-uncle Jay Harvey started the BBQ business in West Palm Beach, Florida in 1934. He shared that his father was the barbecue expert and the only black restaurant business in the area at the time.
McCray had the pleasure of growing up around some of the biggest names in activism. He recalled meeting Jesse Jackson, James Brown, and Isaac Hayes, all of whom visited the restaurant. This was during the Civil Rights Movement and segregation laws, which led to bomb threats and death threats from the Klan. With the launch of President Nixon’s War on Drugs, the family business took a brutal financial hit.
McCray was determined to keep the family business going. It was in his DNA and he wanted to be like the Rockefellers and Posts in terms of generational wealth. After a significant career change, he decided to restore the business with hard work and good food. In the 1980s, he was a student and football player at the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. However, his educational years were cut short after partying and drinking got in the way. After being asked to go back home, he took over McCray’s Backyard BBQ and Seafood.
He made sure to keep preparing the food the same way his family always has, cooking with open pit wood only. In addition, he kept the signature barbecue sauce the same. His decisions are paying off as he reported bringing in $1.58 million in revenue in 2022, serving politicians and musicians, and being a major vendor for the Super Bowl every year except for one.
McCray hopes his hard work sets an example for generations to come. He is determined to expand the 89-year history of the business to another 100 years and wants young people of color to know that there are other ways to make money than drugs, rap music, and sports.
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