“Kansas City did not invent barbecue, but we did perfect it,” said author, Doug Worgul.
The beginning of Kansas City’s barbeque passion is traced back to 1907 when “The Barbecue King,” Henry Perry, began selling his creations out of his push-cart barbecue stand. By the time Perry passed away in the late 1930s, he had three standing barbecue restaurants – and many fans imitating his technique to create their own recipes.
Fast forward to 1976, Zarda Bar-B-Q was founded by brothers Jerry, Mike and Steve Zarda. One of few original family-owned Kansas City barbeque businesses, Zarda continues to provide timeless Kansas City barbecue that will be around for many more years to come.
From humble beginnings to a worldwide phenomenon, learn more about the story behind the history of Kansas City barbecue in the VisitKC video below.