The smell of smoked turkey legs drew hundreds of people to Smokey John’s Bar-B-Que on Saturday at the State Fair of Texas.
“We were a little concerned that our turkey leg supplier would step in, but they kept up, so everything went well,” said Juan Reaves, co-owner of Smokey John’s Bar-B-Que and Ruth’s Tamale House.
Reaves said the restaurant had dropped from around 125 employees last year to just 75 this year.
Still, he said the business was stable.
“I think Smokey John’s may be a little bit down, but Ruth’s tamales looks like it’s going up so we’re really excited,” he said. “I think we will be satisfied in the end. We have two days left and these are two great days for us. “
The 2021 fair marked Lupita Valerio’s 26th year of serving gorditas and smiles.
She travels from San Antonio every year to greet new customers and familiar families.
“I thought it was going to be slow, but it turned out to be great,” said Valerio, owner of Lupitas Gorditas.
When six of her regular workers failed to show up this year, Valerio said she hired a family from Dallas to help.
“I’m surprised. We’re doubling our sales, and only four people do that,” she said.
She said she could use an extra pair of hands.
“I even have a sign right on my ticket box. I saw a sign that said ‘Help wanted’. “
Many of the providers were understaffed this year and affected by the national labor and supply shortages.
They asked customers to be patient with waiting times and long lines for the most popular dishes at the fair.
The organizers said that the number of visitors this year was lower than normal. The State Fair of Texas ends on Sunday.
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