After 29 years running Bailey Tools & Supply, its president and CEO, Rob Bailey, thought it was time for a career change.

A longtime grilling and barbecue enthusiast and contest veteran, Bailey had heard his friends say, “Go pro!” enough times to force him to make the leap to foodservice by opening up Rob-A-Que last month.

Located at 4712 Pinewood Road (off Poplar Level Road), the smoked meat stop is currently open just for lunchtime carryout service from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. But come April 19, the day of Rob-A-Cue’s official grand opening (from 3:30-5:30 p.m. if you like ribbon cuttings), store hours broaden from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. In addition to fetching ready-to-eat grub on site, Bailey will be taking orders for catering as well. He plans to sell vacuum-packed, heat and eat at home meals soon, and he’ll be teaching grilling and smoking classes during this summer.

Bailey’s got some smokin’-hot creds, too. In a recent Chesapeake, Va., competition (sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbecue Society), his smoked chicken took fifth place out of 27 contestants and his pork won sixth place. In another KCBS contest held in Jeffersonville, Ind., his pork won second place out of 43 teams and his meat in all categories won seventh overall.

In October he became a certified judge during the Jack Daniels World Championship Invitational Barbecue in Lynchburg, Va.

For more information or to order place an order, call 502-618-3007, visit www.robaque.com, or email rob@robaque.com.