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A Brief History of Pit Stop BBQ & Grill

Don Davis established
Pit Stop Bar-B-Que
in 1995. The original
location was literally
a “pit stop”. Barbeque
was sold out of walk-up
and drive-thru windows
on the corner of Central
Avenue and US Hwy 82
in Tifton. There was not
a dining room. After
much encouragement
from loyal customers to expand, the current location on I-75 was purchased.
The size of the restaurant went from approximately 600 to 8,000 square feet
with a current seating capacity of 180.
Due to the huge following of loyal customers all over the south, Don decided
to keep the same name but added “& Grill”, making it Pit Stop Bar-B-Que &
Grill. The menu also grew to offer more choices to its customers. Today, Pit
Stop is not only known for its excellent barbeque, but is has been nominated,
voted and won awards for The Best Steaks, Best BBQ, Best Family Dining,
Best Hamburgers, Best Catering and Best Place for Lunch in the area.
Pit Stop’s business thrives on local and repeat clientele, as well as travelers
along I-75 looking for something new and different from the same old fast food.
Once customers dine at Pit Stop Bar-B-Que, they always come back. Travelers
often comment that they make travel plans just so they can time their trip to eat
at Pit Stop. How is that for an accolade?
Although Don doesn’t personally greet the customers anymore, his legacy
lives on in his food and his staff. Since his death in October 2008, Don’s wife,
Carole, and his daughter, Denise, continued to own and operate Pit Stop. Then,
in April of 2020, Carole joined Don, the love of her life. They would have
celebrated 60 years of marriage in September 2020. Denise, who got a great
big dose of her daddy and her mother, continues to keep the family business
open with the help of their very loyal staff, some who have worked at Pit Stop
since the beginning, and others marking more than a decade of service to this
family and to this popular eating spot in Tifton.
Don was a perfectionist whose attention to serving only the highest quality
of meats and food was never compromised. He always looked for ways to
improve the quality of his food, even if it meant raising his own costs. This
same passion for excellence is evident today. The same recipes are precisely
followed creating the same quality of food that Pit Stop’s customers have
grown to expect. Some changes have been made to the menu, but Don would
give his girls two thumbs up for keeping pace with the times while maintaining
the original recipes. Now that Don and Carole, both, are not actively making
decisions with Denise, she knows of the passion her parents shared for Pit Stop,
and she strives to maintain that with
each and every decision she makes
without them.

Denise and all the staff at Pit
Stop Bar-B-Que & Grill welcome
you! They hope you enjoy the
food, and they certainly appreciate
the opportunity to serve you. The
biggest compliment you can give
Pit Stop is to return and bring a
friend or a family member.