The first Messy Smokehouse restaurant started from humble beginnings in a small rural community outside of Stickton, MS. Stickton was famous for its production of lumber and charcoal. When the stock market crashed in 1929, the lumber market took a hit and a Great Depression ensued. This forced all the factories in Stickton to close and by 1932 the town was all but desolate.

          As families prepared make a mass exodus; the great mayor, Walter Messy, called a town meeting to hold a week-long festival. In order to relieve families that were out of work, the festival included a giant barbecue contest as a fundraiser. People came from all over to not only show their support, but also to compete in the great contest for a great cause.

          Stickton had never experienced anything like this. Tents lined the streets as far as the eye could see. Previously vacant hotels were so full that people were renting bedrooms from local families. After the festival was over and all the tourists left, the town was a wreck and the streets were a mess.  Some residents called this a disaster and called for Mayor Messy's resignation. That is…until the numbers came in.

          Through all the mess, Stickton raised enough in one week to rebuild and sustain their economy for the next year. Mayor Messy was heralded as a hero for saving the city. What started as a charity event for displaced families has now become an annual festival dubbed The Messy Festival. The small town of Stickton managed to create a municipal enterprise to incorporate Messy Smokehouse and regionally franchise the restaurant all across the southeast.

          What makes Messy Smokehouse unique and stand out above all the competition is not only our story, but more so our recipe. Each year, we change our menu to reflect the winning recipes from our festival! This is what keeps our selection fresh and keeps our customers coming back for more. The Messy promise is to deliver the best tastes of our time with the best flavors of our region. Our mission is to simply Make Food Great Again. The best food is Messy food. It really do be like that!  – Mayor Messy