The Spark Behind the Flame
In 2001, founder Matt Pearce moved to San Luis Obispo (SLO) to attend Cal Poly where he quickly fell in love with the traditional Santa Maria-style BBQ of the Central Coast. Matt’s degree in Civil Engineering would lead to him working at Diablo Canyon, where he would compete in company-wide “cook-offs” for fun. It wasn’t long before Matt realized his real dream was to open a restaurant and take his barbecuing to the masses.
In 2010, he opened a small catering business using authentic Santa Maria-style BBQ recipes developed over several generations by local families who were born and raised in San Luis Obispo. Over the years, Old San Luis BBQ built a cult following by doing local Farmers Markets across the Central Coast at Avila Beach, San Luis Obispo, and beyond.
As his food grew increasingly popular, Matt and his wife Danae, grew their small BBQ business from a simple take-out window to multiple full-sized restaurants. The flourishing Old San Luis BBQ locations are accompanied by a professional catering service for events and weddings. The brand has furthered its growth and hit the road with a tap truck called Old San Luis Draft Motors and a Santa Maria-style taco truck named the Old San Luis Taquero which are both available for events and can be seen out and about.