New BBQ spot Rollin Nolen's opens at Midtown Global Market
Rollin Nolen's BBQ has officially opened to the public, marking a major milestone in owner TJ Nolen's decadelong journey in the barbecue business.
Nolen, who left a construction job 10 years ago, began learning how to barbecue with his father from a trailer-mounted smoker.
"My dad's dream was to always have to have food trucks or smokers and feed people," said Nolen.
Looking for a way out and into this dream his father had, they traveled down to Missouri to get a custom-built smoker.
"We got it built custom, we used a car trailer to get it back and we just went on the street from there," Nolen said.
They started off parking outside of local barbershops, and in those early years, he and his brother brought their barbecue to the Minnesota State Fair.
Rollin Nolen's began as a tailgate-style operation with a smoker strapped to the back of their trailer. The family team built a following, one parking lot at a time, eventually growing into a food truck business.
This last year, Nolen was approved for a space at Midtown Global Market, and opened six months later. Today, during their grand opening, Nolen got help from his siblings.
"I get a lot of support from my family, my brothers and siblings that help me out," said Nolen. "My sister Jessica, she does everything from cashier to help me smoke meats. She's one of my crutches in the game."
Nolen's father still operates the trailer under the same name.
As Nolen settles into his new space with his siblings by his side, he says his work isn't over and hopes to spread his knowledge on.
"I want to do some culinary classes for the youth, show them how to smoke meat," said Nolen.
Rollin Nolen's BBQ is open Monday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sundays 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.