“After 36 years of serving the Winter Haven community,” Winter Haven’s Sonny’s BBQ location closed its doors at 4600 Recker Highway in August of 2022. But if you’ve been feeling the loss of Sonny’s St. Louis Ribs, Pulled Pork, Beef Brisket, and other barbecue classics, fear not: the barbecue chain is at work on a brand new Winter Haven restaurant, this time at 347 Ave O SW.
“We’re so excited to be right back in the Winter Haven community at a new location,” Scott Frantz, president at ACG BBQ, LLC, a franchisee of Sonny’s BBQ, told What Now on Monday.
That means more of Sonny’s Pitmaster Plates like the Sonny’s Sampler (Pulled Pork, Sliced Brisket, 1/4 BBQ Chicken and Sweet & Smokey St. Louis Ribs) and the Pork 3 Ways (A tasty trifecta of the meat that made us famous – Pulled Pork, Sliced Pork and Sweet & Smokey Ribs). And don’t forget appetizers like BBQ Pork Egg Rolls, Loaded Tots, Corn Nuggets, and Fried Okra.
The location is expected to create 60 jobs with hiring set to start as the opening approaches later this year, says coverage by the Winter Haven Sun published in November.
Frantz told What Now the restaurant is currently in the permitting stage, with hopes of starting construction in the first few months of 2024.
“We’re anticipating that it will be open and serving the Winter Haven community by the end of next year!” ACG BBQ, LLC senior marketing manager Tara Boyle says in the Winter Haven Sun coverage.
The new Winter Haven Sonny’s will be ACG BBQ’s 31st location. Frantz said the company is currently searching for future sites in the Greater Tampa Bay market.
