One of Cincinnati’s favorite barbecue spots is unexpectedly closing its doors for good.
Kristen Bailey and Anton Gaffney, co-owners of Sweets & Meats BBQ in Avondale, posted on Facebook yesterday that they had “officially closed our restaurant, food trucks, and catering operations,” and that the decision “was not made lightly.”
“For the past 12 years, this business has been more than a livelihood — it has been our life’s work,” Bailey wrote. “We poured everything we had into serving this community, making countless sacrifices along the way in hopes of building something lasting and meaningful.”
Bailey cited a recent health diagnosis as part of the reason to close their doors.
“I had to make the difficult choice to prioritize my well-being,” she wrote. “At the same time, the financial realities of expanding into a dine-in restaurant and the new convention center created a level of debt that our sales simply could not sustain. Despite our efforts and reaching out for community support, we were unable to overcome those challenges.”
Sweets & Meats became a local staple when they began selling their barbecue in a tent outside Mount Washington’s Creamy Whip in 2014. Two years later, the business expanded to a proper food truck and began a catering service, which eventually led to a full brick-and-mortar in 2024. Their food even drew nationwide attention, thanks to an appearance on the PBS docuseries “Start UP.”
The Facebook post explains that before the public announcement of their closure, all employees were properly compensated, and all clients were refunded in full.
It might not be the end for their barbecue, either; co-founder and executive chef Gaffney plans “to carry the legacy forward and is currently seeking investors to help make that vision a reality.”
“None of this has been easy. What remains, above all, is gratitude. Thank you to every customer who stood in line at our truck, trusted us with your events, dined with us, shared our story, or supported us in any way over the years,” Bailey wrote. “You allowed us to live out a dream longer than many ever get the chance to, and for that, we are deeply thankful.”
