Kelly Phair may not have the specific degree, but her culinary skills are masterful. If you’ve stopped for a bite at Country Roads BBQ in Wheeling, chances are, you’ve tasted her handiwork.
It’s been a lifelong passion for the young woman who shares co-ownership of the restaurant with her father, Scott, and brother, Kyle.
But it’s not her only love. Kelly was homeschooled throughout her academic career, but she still decided to attend Wheeling Park part-time in order to participate in the school’s award-winning bluegrass band. Her quick fingers still pick a mean banjo.
But in the kitchen is where Phair is home. Like many youths before her, her path to the working world began at McDonald’s.
Upon graduation, she decided to attend West Virginia Northern’s culinary program, but came up short from finishing. She then worked in the kitchen at various restaurants between Wheeling and a couple stops in North Carolina before returning home.
Wanting to get some money earned, she worked as a nursing assistant and wound up at Wheeling Hospital, putting in five years before calling it quits last summer to work for her family full-time.
To be fair, that was when she only worked for her family. When her dad was getting the business going and was first set up with a mobile location off Interstate-70 in Dallas Pike, Kelly put in many hours assisting and manning the station. This was in addition to her duties at the hospital.
Now, she’s part-owner of one of the top BBQ joints around, baking sides and crafting new ideas in the kitchen. All but one of the signature sauces offered at Country Roads are hers.
When did you first learn how to cook beyond the basics? How old were you and who taught you? Did you envision then being part owner in a successful restaurant, or did your original plans see you going down a different path?
I have always enjoyed cooking since a young age. I was honored to be in an article “Faces of the Future” when I was 14. I talked about baking cakes. After I graduated high school, I applied to West Virginia Northern Community College’s Culinary program. I learned so much thanks to the fantastic program and chefs teaching there. Unfortunately, I failed out right before graduation. I never planned to be a co-owner at a restaurant. It still does not seem like reality. I honestly planned on baking and cooking in the back of the house, and no more.
When your dad first started selling his BBQ up in Dallas Pike, you worked a lot of hours to help him out. Was the eventual plan to get a brick and mortar business, or was that more of a side business that kept growing in popularity? Was it easier or more difficult working out of a much smaller space?
Dad was selling BBQ for months before I started helping him, and he was doing an amazing job. I worked at the hospital full-time as a Nursing Assistant, bouncing back and forth a lot. We eventually got a food truck. We did plan on a brick and mortar business, but we were unsure how long it would be before we ended up finding one. My younger brother, Kyle, who is also a part owner in the business, ended up finding our building here on Carmel Road. I personally prefer working in a food truck. I felt it was easier at times, but there are so many positive aspects of having a building.
What are some of your specialties or areas of expertise that you concentrate on at Country Roads? Can all three of you handle every aspect of it if need be, or does everyone have a role and stick to it?
One of the most enjoyable jobs that I really enjoy consists of coming up with new sauces. Dad created the main BBQ sauce we have, and I took over from there. I think my favorites are the pineapple and coffee sauces, which are still new. I bake the cornbread and desserts as well. We all have our own roles here for the most part. Dad does a lot of the smoking, Kyle does a lot of the marketing and photography, and I do a lot of the baking and sauces and other random jobs.
How have you had to adjust during this pandemic? Obviously, you are doing a lot of carryout, but in terms of limiting the amount of food prepared, or hours open or worked, or did you try to operate as close to normal as possible and hope for the best?
We had no idea in the beginning of how things would play out. We have had our ups and downs like most others, but we are still here. We cut back on the amount of food we were smoking for a few weeks. We maintained normal business hours unless we sold out. Labor was cut to a minimum; therefore my family worked longer hours.
Do you foresee an expansion of the business, either what’s offered in the present store, a food truck for festivals, or even potentially another location on the other side of the Ohio River? Is that something you three have talked about, and, if so, has the pandemic situation put a hold on any of those plans?
We have talked about a lot in terms of growth. We are finishing up working on our food truck, which is soon to go out to Moundsville. We look forward to the festivals. Right now, we are focusing on growing inside our restaurant and hiring more employees before we expand to a new location. The pandemic has put a hold on us getting our food truck out into the community, but we believe to be operational soon.
