My City August 2022

”It was a good move! We want to thank all of the people who supported us through this transition.”

And this business is all about family. Canup’s grand daughter, Emma Reading, is the bartender and grand son, Matthew Reading is the manager. “We consider our sta as family, too,” he admits. “I created the look and feel of the restaurant and Lisa has an extensive background in the restaurant business.” According to Canup, moving to the new location took a lot of hard work and a lot more time than they planned. “We wanted to open in December or January but it was delayed; the City of Fenton required us to do more work on the kitchen,” he explains. “We had to get bids from contractors and approval from the city and redo the kitchen. But when we ‡nally opened for busi ness, it was a lot more eˆcient.‰e kitchen is larger, we have a larger sta and three times as many customers!” ‰e new Beale St. Smokehouse BBQ has a large dining room and a banquet room for rental. “We have already hosted several banquets here,” Canup says. “It’s been really busy. We’ve had a full restaurant and a ban quet going on at the same time.”‰e restaurant also of fers full-service, on-site catering for all kinds of occasions such as wedding receptions, birthdays, corporate events, graduation parties and reunions.‰e full bar has 16 beer taps, 16 seats and a small dining area; it is known for a large variety of Michigan craft beers, bourbon cocktails and specialty drinks served in Mason jars.

For co-owners Phil Canup and his daughter Lisa Reading, Beale St. is all about family.

Continued on pg. 85 

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