by Mary K. Wilson
Visitors to Grandview’s historic downtown will soon smell
the barbecue in the air. A new catering business is set to open, and the
smokers are ready to be lit on the property now home to Any Event Catering at
506 Main Street.
Owner Casey Lueck is busy making finishing touches on the
inside of the building, which he says he wanted to look old-school, sort of
like a farmhouse. He has completely refinished the interior, including a
storefront, a full commercial kitchen and barbecue equipment on the back patio.
“I’ve been in the lumber business my whole life, and I’ve
always cooked,” said Lueck. “Since I was doing all of this anyway, I just
decided to make money doing it. That’s literally how it got started.”
He purchased his first meat smoker around two decades ago,
and fell in love with barbecue. While at work one day, he decided he didn’t
want to work for someone else anymore, and put together a plan. Lueck’s
parents, Greg and Vicki Lueck, live in Grandview and found the building on Main,
which Lueck wasn’t sure would be big enough for what he wanted to do.
“When I got inside, it was 1100 square feet, and was bigger
than I thought,” said Lueck. “So, here we are.”
While he waits for final approval on certain aspects of the
business from the City of Grandview, Lueck has been working to complete minor
things that don’t require permits.
Any Event Catering will have a country store at the front,
where Lueck will sell homemade barbecue sauces, salsas, beef jerky and an
assortment of homemade goods, including breads and desserts. He’ll also sell
meat out of the store. After smoking or grilling, all the meat will be
available to buy frozen with instructions on how to heat.
“I like to stop into stores like that, and that’s what I
wanted to have here,” said Lueck. “It is catering. People won’t be able to come
into the store and order a sandwich. But, if they call ahead, the next day I
could have whatever it is they need.”
Lueck has a unique catering style, which he refers to as
stop-and-drop, where he can serve meals for a small meeting or a large party.
He offers to deliver the food, or customers will be able to stop by his shop to
pick up their orders.
He also plans to serve food at area events or business
locations, like the new winery in Peculiar, where he can showcase his talents
and grow his customer base.
His recipes come from his family, and he will continue to
cook the food that he grew up with. As a kid, Lueck remembers visiting Wilson’s
Meat Market in Grandview, and he said that is similar to the feel that he
recalls visiting that shop.
“That was an awesome place, and that’s what I want to be,”
said Lueck. “We’ll be so much more than a barbecue catering place. I don’t want
to be categorized as strictly catering. Of course, we cater, but I want people
to know that we’ll do more.”
A self-proclaimed workaholic, Lueck is anxious to open his
doors to the public. He looks forward to the opportunity of working with other
businesses in the downtown corridor, where he can help provide food for
different events.
“I wanted to be able to go to work every day and have it
feel like it’s not work,” said Lueck. “It hasn’t felt like work so far. I’m
excited to start cooking. The food is good and the barbecue is good.”
Any Event Catering prides itself on being family-owned and
operated. When you walk through the door, you’ll see Lueck, and possibly hear
his 12-year-old son, Aiden, playing video games in the back room. He looks forward
to being a part of the downtown community and having the locals join his
food-loving family.
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