January 10, 2023 – With options by the half pound such as brisket or tri-tip, pulled pork, pork spare ribs, and even house hot links, Kemp BBQ is the latest restaurant to bring traditional and classic barbecue to the town of Clovis.
Just as the food remains true to form, the story of how Kemp BBQ began is also a classic story.
“Dom just started barbecuing for fun. And people really liked his food, so in 2019 he decided to open up a restaurant,” said Claire Graves, part owner of Kemp BBQ.
“He did it in a small town over by Los Banos called Gustine. We met in 2020 and started dating and wanted to be closer together so we decided to move the restaurant here in Clovis.”
They did bring their business to Clovis in December of 2021 in fact, and have been a mainstay restaurant in the Clovis North region.
The significance of the January 10th date was their induction into the Clovis Chamber of Commerce, a true symbolic move into the lore of Clovis business.
Claire ended her brief statement to the sizable crowd of supporters and onlookers by stating, “We hope to just do well and serve really good food!”
Dom Matthews, owner, operator and founder of Kemp BBQ made an even briefer statement that warranted a hearty laugh from the crowd, illustrating the humbleness and comedic timing of the now Chamber of Commerce member, murmuring, “Hi, I’m Dom,” before inviting everyone inside.
Members from the Chamber of Commerce as well as staff, family and friends all then filed inside the restaurant located at 2220 Herndon avenue in Clovis to enjoy a hosted event by the barbecue joint in which food was served and laughs were had. The restaurant seemed to be ready for the lunch crowd, much as they do every Tuesday through Saturday from 11-5.
Kemp BBQ is located at 2220 Herndon Avenue and more information including a menu can be found at their website kempbbq.com.