Roy's Hickory Pit BBQ is a family tribute in Hutchinson

By JUDD WEIL
Hutch Post

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Roy's Hickory Pit BBQ in Hutchinson is more than a local hotspot with a name that people can just smell when they hear it.  

It is a service with community in the hearts of the family that run it, and a tribute rooted in love. 

The current iteration of Roy’s begins when a sauce met a building.  

“That came from my late husband and he had a barbecue sauce recipe, and later found a barbecue restaurant, which was Roy’s, being sold, and we came in here, that was 40 years ago,” owner, Anne Armstrong said. 

Michael and Anne Armstrong bought Roy’s in 1982, and kept the name of the previous owner.  

Roy Fry, the previous owner, operated the restaurant for 13 years prior to the Armstrongs purchase, and also worked fulltime at the Reno County Correctional Facility.  

For a good story, or possibly two, people are encouraged to ask Anne Armstrong why she and her husband never changed the signs. 

The Armstrongs ran the restaurant together for over 20 years until Michael Armstrong passed away from cancer in 2007.  

“In the meantime, my oldest son had been working with us,” Anne Armstrong said. “When we found out Mike wasn’t going to be able to do what he does, nobody could do what he did, that was my husband, my son stepped up and said, ‘if you guys want to keep it going, I’ll learn how to do all of this.’ So, for ten months he trained with my husband before he passed away, and we’ve been on our own for 15 years.”   

Today, Anne Armstrong owns and operates the restaurant with her son, Ryan Collum as pitmaster.  

Michael Armstrong’s barbecue sauce is sold locally via Smith’s Market and Dillons stores, something Anne Armstrong is very proud of.  

Roy’s Hickory Pit BBQ is a community institution. Locals often recommend the establishment to people passing through or new arrivals to Hutchinson.  

“I do think people do think of us like that, and I still find that hard to believe because I’m not that old,” Anne Armstrong said. “And we’re a little bitty place set in the middle of nowhere.”  

 Anne Armstrong looks back at feeding three generations of community families with a great fondness.  

“It’s a privilege to be in somebody’s memory,” Anne Armstrong said. “Think of that, to be a part of somebody’s special memory, and it’s a restaurant and they remember us. I don’t think it gets any better than that.”  

Anne Armstrong sees Roy’s as a tribute to her late husband, Michael Armstrong.  

“It’s a tribute, it’s something I strive for every day,” Anne Armstrong said. “He was a perfectionist, he was a wonderful, wonderful cook, and I think he set the bar for where we’re going to be. As far as that part of it goes, it [Roy’s] is a tribute.”

Anne Armstrong said her son, Ryan, is the reason Roy’s has stayed open.  

“He does all of the cooking now, Ryan does,” Anne Armstrong said. “That is definitely a man’s job. It’s heavy, hard work, a lot of hours he puts in, and like I said, [Ryan] learned from Mike.”  

Ryan Collum sees what he does as Roy’s pitmaster, as an honor.

“I feel like I have really big shoes to fill still,” Collum said. “It’s really cool to continue on something that meant so much to Mike. It makes me feel proud and I think he’d be proud of me, so it’s like a big honor.”  

Roy’s limited operating hours paired with their status as a community gem means that they see a lot of foot traffic.  

“By 10:30 a.m. on weekends, we’ll have people standing in line, waiting to get in,” Anne Armstrong said. “Which is a pretty big compliment.”  

According to Anne Armstrong, there are so many people she cannot do a headcount.  

Roy’s Hickory Pit BBQ seats 36 people.  

As for the menu, it is a heartland carnivore’s paradise.  

“Ribs, beef, ham, pork, we have hot sausage, mild sausage, and turkey,” Anne Armstrong said. “Then our sides are potato salad, macaroni salad, and we have two kinds of coleslaw, an Italian slaw and a creamy slaw. The side bar is small, but it’s mighty.”  

Roy’s also grills French bread for sandwiches. They have one person on their staff dedicated to just toasting bread.  

The beef brisket is the item most talked about coming out of Roy’s kitchen, along with their pork ribs and turkey breast.  

Roy’s is located at 1018 Nickerson Blvd., and is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. They can be reached at (620) 663-7421.  

Be sure to visit their website and Facebook page.  

“I hope it stays forever,” Anne Armstrong said.