When Jim Higgins moved to North Carolina at the age of 20, he sunk his teeth into a pulled pork
sandwich and was immediately transformed into a BBQ fanatic. Jim began to dream about
bringing authentic BBQ back to Maryland, until a friend suggested they experience life in
a Colorado ski town for a season. Jim agreed and worked as a cook at several exclusive
hotels and resorts, and put his BBQ dream on hold while he refined his culinary skills.
Brooke Higgins grew up in Northeast Philadelphia in a foodie family. On Saturday afternoons,
her dad would take everyone to the Italian Market to experience the flavors of cheeses from
around the world, fresh seafood, and top grade meats. Brooke loved these trips, and after graduating from Indiana University of PA,
she moved to Colorado and began her culianry career. There she met Jim,
and the culinary couple fell in love while cooking together in the kitchen.
They moved to Hyde Park, NY where Brooke attended the prestigious Culinary Institute of
America and graduated with Honors and a degree in Culinary Arts. The couple moved to
Boston, and Brooke worked under the acclaimed Todd English at Olives Restaurant.
With Brooke and Jim’s hectic schedules, they missed cooking together. In 1999, they
returned to the kitchen together and started Food Matters, a personal chef and catering
company. There they cooked for Boston’s top socialites. In 2002, Jim’s long-time craving
for BBQ began to grow, and Brooke wanted to return to her family in Philadelphia. They
packed their bags and moved back to Brooke’s hometown to open a BBQ restaurant.
