It's the pits: barbecue—ribs, pulled pork, brisket and chicken—sweeps the country

Cheers, March, 2003 by Aurora Gallagher

Arthur Bryant's in Kansas City, Missouri, considered by many the quintessential barbecue restaurant, started serving barbecue in 1930. When it was bought in 1982, it had passed from its original owner to Arthur Bryant's brother Charlie then to Arthur himself. Only now is Arthur Bryant's considering opening "across the river," in Kansas City, Kansas. 'But that's a whole other state," Eddie Eccles, the general manager points out, "with different liquor laws."

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Tony Roma's recently studied their entire beverage program, re-engineered many drinks, improved the classic cocktails, introduced new drinks and projected a series of LTOs (limited-time offers). The new program is on a shake-down cruise in the Orlando store for evaluation and fine-tuning. "It's too early to cite numbers," Morgan Hull, vice president for food and beverages, Tony Roma's, says, "but we know we're moving more product, and we're excited about the energy the innovations are generating."

Among the new drinks are Strawberry-Mango, Raspberry and Grand Margaritas (the last one made with Grand Marnier), strawberry swirl and mango swirl variations on the Pina Colada, and Lynchburg Lemonade (Jack Daniels, triple sec and lemon-time mix). Among the classic cocktails that have been refreshed are the Bay Breeze, Cape Codder and Long Island Iced Tea, Cosmopolitan, Sour Apple and Chocolate Martinis.

Limited time offers will be themed; the first, for example, featuring the Caribbean, Hull says, "and drinks that are popular in that part of the world, such as the Mojito. The next one will have an Italian theme, enabling us to pair our food with pinot grigio, showing how well they go together, and to feature our Italian Martini, made with amaretto."