By Sarah Richardson
Last weekend, visitors to the Washington Street Pub were treated to the Greenbrier Valley’s newest pop-up kitchen, Smash Pots. Spearheaded by Chef Thaddeus Brandon, Smash Pots is bringing loaded potatoes to several area hotspots this summer. With a pop-up kitchen, the eatery doesn’t have its own, permanent spot, but “pops up” at locations for a limited time.
Brandon, who was raised in White Sulphur Springs and graduated from Greenbrier East, says that he has always had a passion for cooking, and knew he wanted to start his own business for the last several years. While he loves his day job of producing barrels at the WV Great Barrel Company, he said that he still felt a drive to follow his vision and pursue his passion project in his free time.
“I worked at the Livery Tavern for five years, and was Head Chef for three of those years,” he said of his culinary background. “I wanted to start my own business, but I didn’t know exactly what yet. Where I have that love of cooking, I kind of put those two things together, and here we are.”
When asked why he chose potatoes, he said that he was brainstorming late-night food ideas that were easy, filling, and sort of a fan favorite. “Who doesn’t like potatoes?” He thought that a pop-up kitchen would help fill a late-night food need in downtown areas outside of standard restaurant business hours.
“I’m a people pleaser, to an extent. I want to be creative, but also have food that makes people feel good,” he said. “Cooking is just a nice little love language.”
He said that his first pop-up event last weekend at The Pub was a success, with a mix of in-house and to-go orders each day. The next Smash Pots pop-up will be held at the Washington Street Pub on Friday, Mar. 29, and Saturday, Mar. 30, from 8 p.m. to close. Future pop-up sites on the radar include the Sportsman Tavern and Greenbrier Valley Brewing Company.
“As long as you’re doing something that you love, with care, it’s going to turn out. You have to have a passion about something,” he said. His ultimate goal is to expand into a full food truck, but for now, the menu is a “tight and simple” variety of dishes he aims to be something different and filling.
Other pop-up events will be announced in the future, follow “Smash Pots” on Facebook or Instagram at “smashxpots.”
