Kansas City Hickory Provisions (KCHP), the independent production company created by the family ownership group behind Jack Stack Barbecue, is converting a former Walmart building in Harrisonville, Missouri, into a 72,000-square-foot barbecue production and distribution facility slated to open in early 2027. The project represents one of the most significant foodservice manufacturing investments in the region and signals growing institutional demand for authentic, commercially produced Kansas City-style smoked meats.
The Fiorella-Dorman family, which has nearly 70 years in the barbecue business and 17 years operating a USDA-inspected production facility, established KCHP to scale premium branded and private-label smoked-meat products for retail and foodservice operators nationwide. The Harrisonville site, located on North Commercial Street just south of Jack Stack's Martin City roots, was chosen deliberately — both for its proximity to the brand's heritage and its opportunity to revitalize a long-vacant property.
What Operators Get
For foodservice buyers and retail category managers, KCHP positions itself as a full production partner rather than a traditional co-packer. The new facility will be both USDA-inspected and SQF-certified — credentials that matter to national grocery chains, club stores, and restaurant supply chain operators evaluating protein sourcing. Keaton Dorman, President of the KCHP Family Ownership Group, said the expansion is designed to deepen the company's private-label capabilities while simultaneously growing Jack Stack-branded products in retail and club store channels.
The facility will handle processing, packaging, and warehousing under one roof, giving KCHP greater control over quality and lead times — a competitive advantage in a smoked-meat and BBQ category that has seen sustained retail growth as consumers seek restaurant-quality proteins at home.
Jobs and Timeline
KCHP expects to bring upward of 20 jobs to the Harrisonville community, with new hiring set to begin in Q4 2026 ahead of full operations in Q1 2027. Kirk Durham, Vice President of Retail Operations, framed the investment as a community commitment as much as a business decision, noting the company's intent to create real economic opportunity in a market that lost a major retailer when the Walmart closed.
For foodservice distributors and retail buyers tracking premium barbecue sourcing, the Harrisonville facility adds meaningful domestic production capacity rooted in a brand with decades of pitmaster credibility. As covered by Food & Beverage Magazine, regional food manufacturers with strong heritage brand equity are increasingly expanding into private-label production to capture national scale without diluting their core identity — a model KCHP is executing directly.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
