After owning Clay’s Bait and Tackle for nearly a decade, the retail landscape started to shift dramatically. The arrival of big box stores in our growing city—and the rise of online shopping—hit us with a one-two punch that took a serious toll on bait shop sales. Summers in Mississippi are brutal, and winters weren’t much better for business. There was just too much downtime between seasons. I could see the writing on the wall: I had one more spring season left before I’d have to shut the doors for good. I needed to act fast.

​

I spent a lot of time in prayer and deep conversations with my wife, Jinnie. With the last bit of money the bait shop brought in, I took a leap of faith and started a BBQ joint. That spring of 2017, I worked nonstop cleaning out a back room in the bait shop, converting it into a kitchen. My plan was simple: buy a convenience store warmer, make a few BBQ sandwiches, and see if I could convince my fishing customers to keep stopping by—no matter the weather.

 

There was no safety net. I had three months before bankruptcy. It was all or nothing. I pushed in every last chip and swung for the fences. I told myself, “If I’m going to fail, I’m going to fail so epically and so publicly that they’ll write books about that guy in East Tupelo.” Because if I gave it my all and still failed, at least I’d know I left nothing on the table.

 

So I showed up at 3:00 AM every day with one thought: “You can’t kill me today. Maybe tomorrow—but not today.” My old man used to say, “If you’re going to be a bear, be a grizzly.” So that’s exactly what I did—I went into full attack mode.

 

The rest? It’s history in the making. My crew and I are committed to serving the best BBQ we can, no shortcuts. You may have more talent than us, but you won’t outwork us. We come in hungry every day—driven to get better, to push harder. This is about more than food. It’s about honoring the Coleman family name, the craft, and the Lord who blessed me with this opportunity. This business belongs to God. I’m just here to manage the chaos.

 

In Loving Memory

Clay lost a hard-fought battle with COVID in January 2021. Today, the crew he loved like family continues the grind, keeping the smoke rolling in his honor.

 

His passion was contagious.
His legacy lives on.