At Mission BBQ in Orange, patriotism is cooking all day, 'the best two minutes' when the national anthem plays - New Haven Register

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ORANGE — Patriotism and admiration for first responders is being served along with pulled chicken at Mission BBQ, where all the workers and customers stop each day at noon for the singing of America’s National Anthem.

“It literally brought me to tears,” Carol Richards of Ansonia said Saturday when the Star Spangled Banner sung by the military choir of Annapolis came across three huge screens the restaurant at 550 Boston Post Road. Her son is an EMT.

Mission BBQ restaurant manager Ty Rundle, Orange, Conn., Wednesday, August 11, 2021.
Peter Hvizdak / Hearst Connecticut Media

Jim Biorkowski of Milford, stopped eating and put his hand over his heart as the anthem was sung in perfect clarity.

Mission BBQ restaurant in Orange is adorned with United States military, law enforcement and first responders.
Peter Hvizdak / Hearst Connecticut Media

“I love it…I’m very patriotic,” he said.

Some customers salute the screens, most stand and the hands or caps of many goes over their hearts.

The restaurant, one of two in Connecticut and 108 restaurants in 17 states, gives discounts, and free perks to veterans who sign up, and often delivers food to area police, fire and EMT stations. They also run sales promotions — the current one is a red “Heroes” cup — that benefit patriotic and first responder causes.

When Fire Marshal Tim Smith was killed in a traffic accident, Mission BBQ “showed up on our doorstep,” from the Southington Restaurant — as Orange wasn’t open yet — and “ brought enough food to feed an army,” said Orange Fire Marshal James Vincent.

“Not only did they bring food, but they stayed and served all of the police and firemen that were at the firehouse preparing for the funeral,” Vincent said.

Orange Mission BBQ restaurant manager Ty Rundle works in the kitchen feeding a lunch time crowd, Wednesday, August 11, 2021.
Peter Hvizdak / Hearst Connecticut Media

Orange Volunteer Fire Department Chief Vaughn Dumas said the department participated in the grand opening eight months ago to raise the outside flag and the Police Department brought their honor guard.

“They’re a great community partner with emergency services,” Dumas said. “We appreciate them.”

West Haven police this week gave Mission BBQ a shoutout on their Facebook page after a delivery of free food.

The Facebook Post reads: “WHPD would like to extend a huge shout out to Mission BBQ for their donation of dinner to our evening shift! This is not the first time Mission BBQ has fed our first responders and I am certain it is not the last! Thank You!!!”

On special holidays, such as the anniversary of 9-11-2001 and Veteran’s Day, the anthem is sung live, usually by a military person or first responder, said TY Rundle, area director of operations.

Mission BBQ, looking to open another restaurant in Shelton, offers a variety of meats and sauces.

“We dry rub and oak smoke everything and we have different sauces, from Texas, from Kansas City, from down South,” Rundle has said. “Everything we make, we make from scratch at the restaurant. We keep our smokers going low and slow all day.”

The patriotic-themed barbecue restaurant were founded by Bill Krause and Steve Newton in Maryland. Neither is a veteran or first responder, but they’re patriots with the utmost respect and gratitude for those populations, Rundle.

Krause has two sons and a daughter who are active military, Rundle said.

Mission BBQ restaurant in Orange is a patriotic place to eat and is adorned with United States military, law enforcement and first responders.
Peter Hvizdak / Hearst Connecticut Media

“They wanted to give back to first responders,” Rundle said of the business partners.

They opened the first restaurant on Sept. 11, 2011, the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of 9/11/2001 — and that was not a coincidence, as there is a special emphasis on the war on terror.

There’s a military feel to the place when customers pull up to the restaurant located in part of the old Bertucci’s Restaurant. An American Flag flies high above the building and a military-type vehicle is stationed in the parking lot.

The inside décor is filled with patriotic sentiment on every wall — framed photographs of military salutes, graduations, events, football games,that include every branch of the military. There are football helmets and jerseys hanging for U.S. Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force. There are images of aged veterans saluting the flag, the hero firefighters of 9/11 and a framed photograph of the Twin Towers.

Firefighter helmets hang on the wall, including Orange, and police patches from area municipalities as well as far beyond abound. A framed collection of hero medals hang by the beverage machines, as does a big red sign bearing the “Soldier’s Creed.” Nearby a framed quote from Ronald Reagan: “Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they’ve made a difference to this world...the Marines don’t have that problem.”

Mission BBQ restaurant in Orange is a patriotic place to eat is adorned with United States military, law enforcement and first responders.
Peter Hvizdak / Hearst Connecticut Media

There is a framed salute to veterans from Gen. Peter M. Pace that speaks of loss of phyical parts such as an arm, a leg, an eye, by soldiers as, “gifts to your nation so that we might live in freedom.” Pace goes on to say: “And to your families of the fallen and families of the wounded, you’ve sacrificed in ways that those of us who have not walked in your shoes can only imagine.”

Bumper stickers and signs read, “Have you hugged a veteran today?”, “Support Law Enforcement,” “Thank you first responders,” “Home of the free because of the brave,” “FDNY, 9-11-01 — all gave some, 343 gave all.”

For special events that include Veterans Day and Armed Forces Week, there are free meals for veterans.

At noon each day, all the busy hustle, bustle in the kitchen and ordering at the counter stop, and phone calls are put on hold, as workers join customers in pausing for the National Anthem. Whether customers know what’s coming or not, they all seem to fall right in with the patriotism.

“We call it the best two minutes of every day,” Rundle said. “When we recognize those people who look like veterans we go over and thank them for their service.”

He said you can usually tell who the veterans are because they hold their arms straight by their side or salute.

He said that in the Southington restaurant a group of 10-15 veterans come in every other Monday to eat and hear the anthem.

“It gives me goose bumps when these guys are there and sing out loud,” Rundle said.

Even at a young age, the significance of the noontime tradition isn’t lost on worker Emily Reed of Orange, who will be a senior at Amity High School and whose brother is in the U.S. Marine Corps. She wears one of his Marine hats to work.

“I appreciate everything the veterans and first responders do,” she said. “They risked their lives for everybody.”

On Saturday they were to cater a football party for 250 at West Point.

Joe Ginnfrancesto of Stamford and his family stopped in for the first time while shopping in Orange recently — and caught the noontime show.

“I think it’s great and a very patriotic thing for them to do this,” he said after the national anthem played.

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At Mission BBQ in Orange, patriotism is cooking all day, 'the best two minutes' when the national anthem plays - New Haven Register

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