By Josh P. Crotzer
It takes a lot to restore power after a historic storm— a lot of materials, a lot of labor and long hours.
Frank Hobbie knows it also takes sustenance. That’s why the owner of Smokey Beard BBQ, a local food truck and caterer, wanted to help after Hurricane Helene.
“I knew no one in our area had power, and I knew nothing was open,” says Hobbie. “So, I reached out to York Electric. I figured I could feed these people.”
The cooperative had plenty of people to feed—about 200 employees, YEC lineworkers and crews from other electric cooperatives who had come to help get power back to York members. All these workers were treated, at no cost, to pulled pork plates one day and hot dogs and hamburgers the next, as the co-op was in the thick of restoring power to more than 34,000 members who had lost it during the storm.
“I had my daughters, my son, my wife, and grandpa,” says Hobbie. “It’s a family thing, and we just want to do our part.”
Feeding lineworkers wasn’t all the Smokey Beard and Hobbie clan did to help those affected by the storm. They also took the food truck and donations from the York County community to Swannanoa, N.C., where residents had lost more than just their power.
“It’s a good feeling to be able to help people out,” says Hobbie. “If the rest of the world could just do a little bit, it would be a whole lot better place for all of us.”
Smokey Beard Food Truck & Catering
ESTABLISHED: 2021
SERVING: York, Rock Hill, and Clover
MENU: Pulled pork, ribs, brisket, chicken, and sides
PHONE: (704) 502‑5115
EMAIL: eat@smokeybeard.com