by Amy Haggerty

Tracy and Ken Kitley are the new owners of a traveling food truck called Kitley’s Smoke Shack LLC. Good barbecue doesn’t only come from restaurants. This smoker-on-wheels is an idea that came about just two years ago. Voted number one brisket by Ken’s mom—it says so, right on the side of their trailer 😊—Ken has had a passion for smoking meats for many years. He and his wife, Tracy, bought a trailer with the idea of smoking brisket and pork and providing several sides to the public.

Kitley’s Smoke Shack will cater for any event, including weddings, graduation parties, private events, birthdays, corporate and community events and more. They are equipped with heat and air conditioning in their trailer, so they are able to set up for any weather. The owners have a passion to expand and even reach beyond Michigan, but so far their barbecue is making a name for itself locally. Marketing is primarily handled through their Facebook page at Kitleys-Smoke-Shack-LLC

According to Ken, they had to get many permits and licenses through the Health Department, which took a while. But by April 18 they were open to the public from their parking lot in front of Native Tan & Boutique and Kitley Auto on M-106.

Kitley’s Smoke Shack is a family effort. Tracy’s mother, Brenda, takes the orders, and the sides are a joint effort—Tracy’s son-in-law Sean handles the macaroni and cheese and Tracy makes the coleslaw and baked beans. Meanwhile, Ken handles all the smoking. Everything is homemade and has excellent reviews on Facebook.

The brisket and pulled pork are Ken’s recipes, which he said can take up to 14 hours to cook in his pellet smokers. Ken currently has four pellet smokers; this enables them to offer a variety of meats and side options.

“I am having so much fun,” Ken says as he truly enjoys preparing and smoking the meats. He explains that this is his dream to carry him into retirement.

Ken and Tracy have worked hard to run a business and feed people who are spending their hard-earned money on food and they take the job very seriously. The Kitleys have recently been certified by IROL (Inspection Reports Online), a web-based software platform used to track and manage fire and life safety compliance and provide food truck registrations. While not currently a requirement, the Kitleys are thinking ahead to what is likely to be a future requirement for all food trucks to operate in the state of Michigan.

Ken and Tracy are delightful residents of the Stockbridge area and have supported the Stockbridge community for many years. Look for them at Veterans Memorial Park on Fridays, during the Open Air Market from 4-7 p.m.