Mission BBQ (stylized as MISSION BBQ) is an American barbecue restaurant chain based in Glen Burnie, Maryland. Bill Kraus and Steve Newton opened the first location on September 11, 2011, as a way to support the military, police, firefighters, and first responders.
History and ownership
Mission BBQ was founded by Bill Kraus, a retired Under Armour marketing executive, and Steve "Newt" Newton, a former regional vice president with Outback Steakhouse. The two met through their Ellicott City parish shortly after Kraus moved to Maryland in 2001.[2] Neither Kraus nor Newton are military veterans, though Kraus's father, grandfather, and two sons served in the U.S. military.
Kraus and Newton decided to start a company together after the former's two sons joined the military in 2008, eventually choosing to start a barbecue restaurant. After touring barbecue restaurants throughout the southern United States, they came up with the idea for a restaurant that would combine the all-American flavors of Fourth of July celebrations and backyard barbecues with a focus on supporting first responders and service members.
Kraus and Newton opened the first Mission BBQ in Glen Burnie, Maryland, on the tenth anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks