BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. — Palm Beach County - A decade of loyal customers, award-worthy barbecue and a reputation built one brisket at a time — and still, it wasn't enough to keep the doors open.
Pigsty Barbecue recently closed its original South Florida location after years of mounting financial pressure, becoming one of the latest casualties in a wave of neighborhood restaurant closures sweeping Palm Beach County and the broader South Florida region.
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Owner and Pigsty Tom Rhodemeyer said the decision came after costs climbed from nearly every direction.
"It's been a whirlwind, that's for sure. A lot of different things played into having to close that location. By the time you're done checking all the boxes, you've got to decide: Can I take a paycheck this week?" Rhodemeyer said.
Road construction outside the restaurant hurt customer traffic while operating costs continued to rise. Nationally, restaurant operating costs have increased about 36% since before the pandemic — a figure Rhodemeyer said reflects what owners across South Florida are experiencing firsthand.
"It's not just the rent. It's everything from the cost of containers, souffle cups and to-go boxes. You name it. Everything has a dollar sign on it, and they're all getting bigger," Rhodemeyer said.
Industry leaders say Pigsty's experience is becoming increasingly common across Florida.
Samantha Padgett, vice president of government relations and general counsel for the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, said rising lease costs and longer lease commitments are pushing many longtime operators toward the exit.
"It has to do with both the cost of their leases and the length of their leases. You have individuals that have had restaurants for a very long time. They may be getting to a point in their lives where they're not sure how many more years they want to stay open," Padgett said.
Many landlords are raising rents while requiring restaurant owners to commit to 10-year leases or longer — a risk some operators are no longer willing to take.
"They're making the decision of, do they want to pay that much for the commercial rent, and do they want to make the commitment for 10 more years?" Padgett said.
Some closures happen with little warning. One Palm Beach County tea shop that operated for nearly 3 decades recently received an eviction notice after its landlord decided not to renew the lease. In other cases, property owners see greater profit in redeveloping land for commercial or residential use.
"There's always the possibility that they've decided that there is another, a higher and better and more profitable use for the land," Padgett said.
A new model for survival
For Rhodemeyer, closing the original Big Sky location did not mean giving up on barbecue — it meant reinventing how he serves it.
After announcing the closure on Facebook, he was contacted by partners at Bungalow Bar and Grill, who invited him to bring Pigsty's barbecue operation into their existing venue. The partnership combines barbecue, drinks and live entertainment under one roof while allowing both businesses to share over head costs.
"We were contacted from the partners here at the Bungalow Bar and Grill, and we started a conversation, and it's been fantastic. I think it's the direction a lot of small businesses are going in — partnerships and collaborations," Rhodemeyer said.
The new setup creates what Rhodemeyer describes as a "synergy" between different customer groups.
"It allows us to bring our barbecue people to the Bungalow's bar people, and we've got a new guy coming in that's going to do all the entertainment. It's all of us bringing the lanes together," he said.
The revamped venue will feature barbecue alongside bands, karaoke, DJ dance parties and other events designed to create a more social, entertainment-driven atmosphere.
Padgett said that kind of adaptation is exactly what many restaurants across Florida are now being forced to pursue. Operators are simplifying menus, emphasizing takeout and delivery, restructuring operations and sharpening their brand identities to survive.
"Sometimes we see restaurants do things like simplify their menus. They may focus their menus, which can lower their food costs, and it can also give their customers a different choice and kind of cement their identity," Padgett said.
Menu changes and price increases
Big Sky has already embraced those changes. Rhodemeyer redesigned the menu to include lower-cost "bar bites," baskets and appetizers better suited for outdoor dining and entertainment crowds — while keeping the traditional Texas-style barbecue sold by the pound.
"We reinvented and restructured the menu. You'll still be able to get your meat by the half pound, by the pound, good old Texas-style barbecue. But we've also introduced some basket options that will be friendly to a nice outdoor venue like this," Rhodemeyer said.
He also raised prices.
"I'll tell you straight out: to buy the pound, the price went up. I had hundreds and hundreds of people tell me on my Facebook page, 'Just raise the prices, we'll keep coming.' Well, I did, so come on down," Rhodemeyer said.
Even loyal customer support, however, does not erase the financial realities restaurants face. Padgett said operators are battling labor shortages, inflation,rising food and transportation costs, credit card processing fees and shifting consumer behavior simultaneously.
"At every turn, the cost of doing business is going up," Padgett said.
Consumers are under pressure too. Rising housing costs, property taxes and everyday expenses are forcing many families to cut back on dining out.
"They are having to make hard decisions about how they allocate their resources. Do we eat out tonight or do we eat home? And we're not always on the winning side of that," Padgett said.
A call for local government support
Rhodemeyer believes local governments also play a role in the struggles facing independent restaurants. He said municipalities often prioritize large national chains — which can commit to expensive build-outs and long-term leases —over smaller local businesses.
"A lot of the municipalities really want the big national brands. Everything is going corporate, and that's just not the way we roll," Rhodemeyer said.
He argued cities should offer more support, grants or incentives for independent operators trying to stay afloat.
"That's what we need in our local government — to partner with the small businesses and give them some incentives, give them some help. Good luck.Trust me, I've looked," Rhodemeyer said.
Despite the challenges, both Rhodemeyer and Padgett said neighborhood restaurants remain vital community gathering places worth preserving.
"We hope that people will continue to seek their neighborhood restaurants because without our customers, we can't continue to operate," Padgett said.
Rhodemeyer still drives past his former restaurant location every day, but he said he sees it as part of the past.
"It's a chapter that's closed, and this is a new chapter that's opening. Let's just hope for the best on it," Rhodemeyer said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
