A shuttered Ashland barbecue restaurant has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.
The Smokey Pig, which shut down last September, was facing more than $600,000 in debt, according to bankruptcy documents filed Tuesday. (You can see the full filing here.)
The restaurant, owned by Robert Jeffers and his family since 1978, owes $300,000 to local community bank EVB, $230,000 to the IRS, $80,000 to the Virginia Department of Taxation, $13,000 to the Virginia Foodservice Group and thousands more to dozens of vendors.
According to several news reports last summer, the Smokey Pig had a staff of 32 and was hit hard by the recession.
Smokey Pig’s website is still live, however, and shows a brief message about its demise: “It has been a pleasure to serve the Ashland & Richmond communities for the past 32 years. It is with great sadness that we have to report that The Smokey Pig Restaurant is now closed.”
The Smokey Pig is being represented by local attorney Kenneth Paciocco. He did not return a call by press time.
Michael Schwartz is a BizSense reporter. Please send news tips to [email protected].
A shuttered Ashland barbecue restaurant has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.
The Smokey Pig, which shut down last September, was facing more than $600,000 in debt, according to bankruptcy documents filed Tuesday. (You can see the full filing here.)
The restaurant, owned by Robert Jeffers and his family since 1978, owes $300,000 to local community bank EVB, $230,000 to the IRS, $80,000 to the Virginia Department of Taxation, $13,000 to the Virginia Foodservice Group and thousands more to dozens of vendors.
According to several news reports last summer, the Smokey Pig had a staff of 32 and was hit hard by the recession.
Smokey Pig’s website is still live, however, and shows a brief message about its demise: “It has been a pleasure to serve the Ashland & Richmond communities for the past 32 years. It is with great sadness that we have to report that The Smokey Pig Restaurant is now closed.”
The Smokey Pig is being represented by local attorney Kenneth Paciocco. He did not return a call by press time.
Michael Schwartz is a BizSense reporter. Please send news tips to [email protected].
Too much debt for anyone to assume it. Too bad. That was some FINE barbecue.
Fond memories of the Pig both as a kid and during college at R-MC. Fine Q, too. Will be missed.
How can such a small business get in so much debt without knowing they aren’t going to make it? Something seems “smokey”! This was a well established business with a good following over the years, sounds like management failed and not the economy.
Hard to believe such a successful restaurant could fail so completely. The bar-b-q was great and NOBODY made hushpuppies like them!
It’s a sad day for Ashland; it’s losing an institution. I can still smell the frying oil on my hands from my first high school job as a fry cook.
Smokey Pig’s problem is they didn’t evolve with the times. There are many new BBQ options in the Richmond area now, and people’s taste change. Smokey Pig’s BBQ was good, but so are a lot of other/newer BBQ places in town. Q BBQ is now my favoritethe place felt like my grandmother’s inside. I love my grandma, but that’s not the kind of atmosphere I want when I’m going out to eat.
Such a shame-but I know that a down economy can put you in a negative tailspin that just doesn’t end. The owners were probably trying to “gut it out” until the economy turned around. Unfortunately it is taking more time than many business owners have. I don’t think they’re guilty of much more than having more hope than dollars.
I’m so sad to see that they are closed. Mr Jeffers always was such a great guy, and his daughter and son were great to work with. I worked there a year in the late 80’s and didn’t have a car. Free room and board, and never a doubt about it! The local FD, Rescue Squad, PD, always got discounts, and the food was great. Really, great.