Manhattan BBQ Spot's Smoker Storage Clears Village Board

MANHATTAN, IL — A highly anticipated BBQ spot is one step closer to opening in downtown Manhattan, after the Village Board on Tuesday voted unanimously to allow the owner to use a cargo container as smoker storage.

Manhattan resident Mike Bacon is readying his Arrowhead Smoke Works to open at 195 S. State St., and previously pitched use of the container to house the smoker to Village trustees. To be built on the property but separate from the restaurant, the concept initially met with some resistance from officials, with concerns about aesthetics in the developing downtown.

After a public hearing and approval from the Village's Planning and Zoning Commission, the proposal went back to the board on Tuesday, this time receiving unanimous approval. First, though, trustees voted to amend a zoning ordinance to allow similar containers to be used in commercially zoned districts. The amendment requires any business seeking to use a similar container apply for a special use permit, with the commission and board having final say.

"The process is designed to regulate the placement of storage containers, ensuring they are not placed arbitrarily," Adrieansen said previously. "The village board retains discretion to approve or deny these permits.

"This process ensures orderly placement and oversight of storage containers, maintaining the village’s aesthetic and functional standards."

Renderings of the container show it matches the exterior of the main building—painted black, with the same Arrowhead Smokehouse branding and gold accents, including a hammered gold awning to match the building's front facade. A door and window are shown, with the firebox and wood rack outside. A smoke stack extends out of the roof. Keeping with the branding, "Seek the fire, follow the smoke," will be painted on the side of the container that faces the train tracks.

This storage container concept is common, Bacon said when he previously pitched it to the board, with the closest example at Matt’s Barbecue in Lemont. The container is needed to shelter the smoker from rain, while also keeping the public safe and storing materials. The container would be accessible only by staff. The fire is outside, with the interior of the chamber hitting 250 degrees.

"I would just like to say I appreciate the board’s decision to allow the container," Mayor Mike Adrieansen said. "This will be a great addition for our downtown area and Manhattan. I want businesses to know that we want to work with them, and this is an example of working together."

Originally outspoken in his disapproval of the container, Trustee Dave Beemsterboer on Tuesday acknowledged the due diligence taken throughout the process, stating his previously voiced concerns had centered around the legality of the container under existing code.

"At the time when it was presented to us at the prior meeting, it was not allowed under the ordinance, it would have been an illegal act for us to let him put the container there unless we change the ordinance," he said. "Now we have changed the ordinance, and it’s now a legal thing."

He also said when first proposed, the property on which the container will sit was not included in the original lease, rendering the Village liable for any unforeseen damage or issues. That was also remedied in an amended lease approved on Tuesday, he acknowledged.

"I appreciate everything you did to address my concerns," Beemsterboer said. "I just wanted the public to know what my concerns were. Everyone here wants your business to open, we all want businesses to come to town, but we can’t just keep acting on things and worry about consequences later. We have to sit here, go through all the specifics, and look at the worst case scenario and hope it doesn’t happen. Once we know we’ve got past that point, then we can vote as a board and pass it. We’re at that point now."

All agenda items surrounding the container—the zoning ordinance change, the special use permit, and the lease addendum—passed unanimously.

Beemsterboer thanked Bacon for his efforts to improve the appearance of the container.

"... I really appreciate the way you painted it, it looks really nice," he said during the meeting. "I look forward to this business being open, I really want it to be open."

Trustee Justin Young said he had welcomed the debate and thought they'd reached a sound decision to move forward.

"I just want to thanks to Mike for working with us, and thanks to Trustee Beemsterboer for your comments," Young said. "It’s good to have debate. ... Everyone’s opinion matters."

Bacon previously said he hadn't foreseen such hurdles in the process, but that he understood and was happy to comply each step of the way.

"I wasn't aware of the hot topic storage container rules when I mentioned the concept," Bacon said previously. "I explained my vision with examples and incorporated the guidance given to me by the fire department at the board meeting.

"The smoker currently being fabricated in Texas is large and needs to be enclosed and protected for many reasons. I was open to any and all ideas that the Village recommended for an enclosure. A modified storage unit is common for this application. When done right, they can be pretty neat. I truly appreciate the village board working with us to find the best option."

Bacon, who owns Arrowhead Ales Brewing Company in New Lenox, picked Manhattan for his newest venture because of his ties to the town.

"I truly appreciate the efforts and understanding from the Village of Manhattan in helping us find a home for our smoker," Bacon said following the vote. "They wanted to make sure this was done the right way, and I was happy to work with them to get there. We have a building that's almost 100 years old and have worked through a handful of setbacks inside as well. But as of now, it's all starting to come together."

Meanwhile, the 500-gallon smoker fabricated for the business was completed July 29 and was said to be en route shortly after, the business announced on Facebook.

"Who is ready for some killer bbq, slow smoked over premium hardwood?" the announcement reads. "Our crew is more than ready to get this furnace fired up."

With the smoker storage approved, Bacon said he now hopes to be open early- to mid-September.