AHS Alumnus breaks into BBQ food truck business

AHS Graduate Ian Howell is the owner of The Piggy Pot, a BBQ food truck. Howell graduated from Aurora High School in 2009.

Howell said, “In high school, I wasn't 100% sure what I wanted to do with my life but the pressure of college was very real.”

So, he applied and was accepted to the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. This non-profit private school is one of the leading culinary institutes in the US, offering both associate’s and bachelor’s degrees. Howell graduated with an associate’s degree in May of 2011.

“In college BBQ wasn't a subject taught,” Howell said, “It's not considered French classic cuisine. However, the education I received in school was priceless and made me the confident chef/owner that I am.”

When he graduated from AHS, he had about two years of experience at Cafe Tuscano, a classic Italian style restaurant on Route 82 in Aurora. He went to work a sous chef at the Barrington Country Club after college, but returned to Cafe Toscano after about two years.

Howell began to plan The Piggy Pot in October of 2015.

“The idea came to me through a lot of thought and planning. I wanted something with the food truck scene, not a lot of help needed, and delicious!” Howell said.

He attributes much success to his fiance, Leah Shusky.

“[She] works with me on and off the truck making sure things are operating properly. She is the key to the success of the Piggy Pot. From social media to planning menus she literally does it all.”

Howell also accredits one of our own: Senior Nick Capretta. Capretta designed The Piggy Pot’s website and created the logo.

“[Nick] was wonderful to work with and I wish him luck as he is a senior at AHS this year.”

Questioned about The Piggy Pot’s BBQ, and Howell gave a response that was rather enlightened:

“BBQ is often loosely used and usually misinterpreted. I remind people that BBQ is the most primal of all cooking. It is what changed humans forever! Cooking protein and/or vegetable with fire made food more tender allowing for less jaw muscles and more room for brain development.”

BBQ is often classified into broad regional categories, each with different meat, rubs, techniques, and sauces. The well-known categories are Carolina, Memphis, Kansas City, and Texas barbecue. Howell breaks the mold, saying that he wouldn’t name his BBQ as anything but Ohio Style.

“The BBQ is unique and speaks for itself,” said Howell.

Uniqueness in BBQ is determined by a variety of factors. These factors are normally well-hidden, but Howell was willing to share some. Their food is smoked with Hickory and cherry wood. Both the food and the wood is locally sourced. A huge factor of BBQ, or cooking meats in general, is how long the meat cooks.

“We try and cook our 'meats low and slow' for as many as 14 hours.”

As to the future of The Piggy Pot, the possibilities are endless. The truck launched in August of 2016, so really, the business is young.

“We only did catering services for the first year and just tried to start slow and work out kinks before overwhelming ourselves and potentially hurting our business. We are open to any opportunities and are currently booking for spring of 2017! “

Howell has high hopes for his business, and rightly so.

“In the future we hope to win many awards for our recipes.”