Johnson County Community College has a new outdoor space for people to learn about barbecue and meat smoking.
At the end of 2022, the college unveiled a new pavilion for barbecue and smoking classes.
The space serves as an outdoor classroom for JCCC students, local high school students and folks interested in improving their grilling skills through the college’s continuing education program.
The pavilion and new classes are geared toward Kansas City barbecue
- The pavilion is next to the Wylie Hospitality and Culinary Academy.
- The new barbecue curriculum is an extension of the culinary department.
- The academy is on the south side of the Johnson County Community College Campus at 12345 College Blvd.
- The pavilion’s features include rotisserie grills, competition smokers and a wood-fired pizza oven.
Kansas City business leader Jack Wylie funded the space
- Missouri native Wylie owned and operated Kansas City’s B & B Meat Company.
- He was residing in Leawood at the time of his death in 2014.
- The Wylie Hospitality and Culinary Academy was named after him in 2016, after the Jack and Wylie Foundation donated $1 million to the school.
- The foundation dedicated $250,000 of those funds to construction of the barbecue pavilion.
The pavilion will open for classes in a few months
- A JCCC spokesperson said some students have already used the pavilion’s grills and smokers for a class on American Regional Barbecue.
- Some students in the pastry and baking program have also used the pizza oven.
- The pavilion will open for more classes this summer.
- Through a partnership with JCCC’s Continuing Education program, the department will offer those classes to people who aren’t enrolled in the culinary program.
- The college will also offer barbecue classes to local high school students.
