Pig Floyd’s Urban Barbakoa is taking over the former Bubbalou’s Bodacious Bar-B-Que location, which had been open for 35 years, on Lee Road in Winter Park. (Bubbalou Founder Sam Meiner died in January 2021.)
The second Pig Floyd’s — the original one is located at 1326 N Mills Ave. — will have a drive-thru. It will open sometime in 2022, depending on many things, such as how soon it can be built with the problem getting supplies as the pandemic comes to an end. Owner Thomas Ward said he hopes it will be a prototype for more locations.
The restaurant made the announcement on its Instagram page earlier this month: “New ‘Pig’ on the block! The Iconic Bubbalou’s on Lee Road is now a Pig Floyd’s. We’re so excited for this next chapter and grateful for all the support from you and our awesome team that helped us get here. P.S. You’re going to love the drive-thru.”
Ward, who moved to Orlando from Puerto Rico in 2001, first got into the food business in 2011 with a food truck called Treehouse Truck that served burgers and grilled cheese. In 2014, he decided he wanted a brick-and-mortar and was convinced to open a barbecue place.
What sets Pig Floyd’s apart from other barbecue places?
“It’s international barbecue,” he told Florida Foodie, explaining the non-traditional flavors in his dishes. He said he always wanted to open a restaurant in one of the parks and so wanted food that would appeal to people from around the world. He still has a dream of doing that someday.
His rice is a fan-favorite. He said its a Puerto Rican version of rice and beans that is made with pink beans and extra salt and oil — because that’s the way he likes it. The street corn, another top-seller, is topped with house made cilantro sauce, never mayonnaise. Pig Floyd’s also smokes its own meats to keep the quality consistent.
He said he would like to eventually expand his business into the Miami and Tampa markets.
