By Layton Norris

Intern

PORTAGE COUNTY – To celebrate the opening of B3 BBQ & Patsy’s Mac, the Portage County Business Council hosted a ribbon cutting on Aug.11 at Central Waters Brewing Company.

B3 BBQ & Patsy’s Mac, which opened earlier this summer, serves the Portage County area and specializes in smoked meats and meals derived from a traditional favorite – mac & cheese. 

Owner, Brandon McCormick-Guthu, said he was motivated to start his food truck business because of his passion for the culinary arts along with the financial freedom that comes with owning your own successful business.

“Oh man, there’s too much to love. It has created more family time which is beyond measurable. As a chef you work 80-90 hour weeks and don’t ever get to see your family. This way I can still live out my passion of being a chef and see my family,” said McCormick-Guthu.

“Another great thing is working with my family. I get to watch my oldest son develop and grow and learn and do good and get complimented by random strangers for the job he’s doing, which is very fulfilling.

“I want to make something of myself in this grand world, and owning your own successful businesses is definitely one way to do that and I’m trying to work my tail off to do that.”

As a whole, McCormick-Guthu wants to offer the community great food and a sense of community through his business.

“I think we’ve evolved away from that awesome small town atmosphere of oh, ‘hey, George, how’s it going?’ And I think that community camaraderie goes a long way as far as our mental health and our mental prosperity goes. I think if you look at generations in the past, we had that,” expressed McCormick-Guthu.

“I’m trying to create some happy faces and if I can fill your bellies in the process, rock’n’roll.”