TOKYO, Japan — If you're looking for a new place to get a bite to eat, an Iowan barbeque restaurant might sound like a great spot. Don't go making any dinner plans yet, though; Big Iowa BBQ, located in Tokyo, Japan, is over 6,000 miles away!
It's the result of a partnership between restauranteur Mark Spencer and Nick Jones, CEO of Berkwood Farms. A chance encounter at Bacon Fest led to a fast friendship and an invitation to come visit the state.
Jones said remembers Spencer's excitement when he first visited the Hawkeye State.
"He was just entranced with everything Iowa," Jones said. "So when he came over, we did all the fair food, we did the fair."
After that meeting, the idea for Big Iowa BBQ was born. Spencer chose to renovate one of his restaurants in the Roppongi district of Tokyo, near the U.S. Embassy and the Tokyo America Club.
Everything from the Berkwood Farm's pork to the smokers used to prepare it came from Iowa. This also included a fair share of relics unique to the state.
"We've got different memorabilia from around the state to showcase the different aspects of what Iowa has to offer," Jones said. "Wood from the bridges of Madison County, to Snake Alley in Bullington, to the Hot Air balloons in Indianola."
Jones is especially proud of the opportunity to bring Iowa nice to the international stage.
"That's what it's all about," he said. "It's really bringing Iowa to the other cultures on offer, showing them what we have to offer."
The restaurant has been a local hit.
"There's a very good response and people think that barbeque is underrepresented," Spencer said. "This original barbeque in Tokyo, in Japan, there's not many places offering it. So the Japanese media and the Japanese people are very interested to find out what real American barbeque is."
It's been so popular that the restaurant was even featured on Japanese television, leading a surge of public interest.
"The next day, we were inundated with Japanese customers who had watched the program and came, and we offered them some free bacon as well," Spencer said.
Spencer's Iowa dreams aren't over yet. He hopes to visit the 2021 Iowa State Fair and gather even more inspiration for Big Iowa BBQ. He's also still looking for more Iowa memorabilia to add to his restaurant's collection. Iowans with treasures they'd be willing to share can visit Berkwood Farms.
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