Mark Wilson, owner of Holy Smoke That’s BBQ!, 718 N. Lake Park Blvd. in Carolina Beach, has spent the past several months gearing up to launch a new food truck to take his wood-smoked barbecue on the road.

While the upfit and permitting process took a bit longer than expected, Wilson has done a few test runs at local benefits, as well as at Good Hops Brewing. He said that for a business owner who operates on an island, this is a way for him to diversify and reach a larger customer base, particularly in the off-season. Wilson said that with an increase in competition on the island, he needs to stay ahead of the curve.

For Wilson, in addition to launching the food truck, that also means cutting back his hours of operations during the off-season. 

“We stayed open for our regular hours during the last off season,” Wilson said. “But the flow of business is so unpredictable during these months that it makes more sense for us to scale back a bit.”

Wilson announced this week that his winter hours will be as follows: 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday.

Holy Smoke That’s BBQ! Serves house-smoked brisket, pork and meatloaf; burgers and fried chicken; along with traditional sides such as cornbread, slaw, mac and cheese and baked beans. Brisket and pork are available by the pound, and large orders of fried chicken can also be ordered for carry out.

“We are a simple barbecue restaurant that focuses all our attention on our food,” Wilson said. “I don’t serve alcohol or have big TV’s for the games, and I don’t have live music so it’s hard for me to compete with other places on the island that do offer those things. But what I can promise is my complete attention to serving the best quality food I possibly can, along with the best customer service.”

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