KATY MAGAZINE NEWS
March 8, 2021
By Natalie Cook Clark
After last month’s devastating fire, the Midway BBQ restaurant has found a temporary home in Crown Kitchen across from Katy High School. The relationship between these two business-owning families shows the true spirit of the Katy community.
Popular Katy Restaurant Moves, Temporarily
Midway BBQ, 6025 Highway Blvd., suffered a devastating fire on the morning of February 20. Rebuilding the Old Katy restaurant staple could take a full year. Fortunately, the popular Midway Meat Market, located nearby, is still operational.
Katy Business Owners Helping Katy Business Owners
After the fire, the McClelland family, owners of Willy Burger and Crown Kitchen in Katy, responded. Colburn McClelland said his wife reminded him that their family has been blessed and they needed to help.
McClelland approached Herman Meyer, owner of Midway BBQ.
“He was sitting in his truck. Tears in his eyes,” says Colburn McClelland. “Looking in his eyes was like looking at my Granddaddy.”
The McClellands offered the Meyer family to use Crown Kitchen as a transitional location to open Midway BBQ. The temporary location, located across the street from Katy High School at 6191 Highway Blvd., opens in a few weeks. Midway BBQ will operate there, for about a year, until the renovations are completed at the stand-alone restaurant.
The Midway BBQ sits empty, with a blue tarp on the roof. Photo: Jennifer Miko
“It’s down the street, everybody knows where it is at,” says McClelland.
“This gave us hope for the future of Midway,” says Midway BBQ General Manager Jason Carlisle. “We will need a few weeks to retro fit Crown Kitchen to our needs.”
A Relationship and a Plant
The relationship between McClelland and Meyer goes back many years.
Midway BBQ, the restaurant opened in the mid-90’s after a successful run of a meat market and processing center evolved into the restaurant industry.
“Meyer bought me a plant when I opened up Willy Burger as a welcome to the Katy community,” says McClelland. “It sits on the corner in the restaurant to this day.”
See photo, shared by McClelland.
Over the years, the two businesses have been known for supporting Katy sports and local groups.
“I know what it takes to make this a successful business and the community is part of that,” says McClelland. “The community is part of the landscape.”
Many members of the Katy community have united to help the Meyer family. A Go Fund Me page was quickly set up after the fire, and The Oaks Kitchen and Bar in Cane Island held a fundraiser.
But the biggest help has come from the kindness of the McClelland family.
“It was a chance to help out a strong Katy business that does so much for the community,” says McClelland. “He’s a tough old bird and gentleman, and this was something we could do for him.”
More than the restaurant has suffered from the fire at the Midway BBQ.
“It’s not just the restaurant but the employees. They and their families count on you,” says McClelland.
Over the weekend, more than $16,000 was raised at the MKT Distillery to help support the employees at the Midway BBQ restaurant.
“We’re just overjoyed and overwhelmed with the support we’ve seen,” says Carlisle.
Midway BBQ hopes to re-open soon at their new temporary location at Crown Kitchen. Follow them on their website and Facebook for updates. Customers can still support their business at their meat market at 5901 Highway Blvd.