A popular Mississippi Coast barbecue restaurant is closing for good. Here’s why.
A popular Kiln barbecue restaurant is closing its doors permanently, but the owner hopes customers will come out one last time this weekend to say goodbye and support his faithful employees.
Dustin Saucier, owner of The Thumpkeg on Highway 603, announced on Facebook the restaurant would be closing for good at 9 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 25.
“I ask that you would consider coming out this week and helping us make this a strong last week ... for the employees, so they have a strong week going out of this,” Saucier said in a video posted to the Thumpkeg’s Facebook page.
Saucier said there’s a multitude of reasons why he’s decided to close down, citing that the financial burden of the restaurant has become “unbearable.”
“This has been one of the most exhilarating and most stressful things I’ve ever done in my life,” he said. “I bear the burden of it. I’m responsible for it. I will hold that to myself appropriately.”
The Thumpkeg opened in November 2021 with a unique twist on barbecue. Their menu included a Pig Mac sandwich — pulled pork topped with mac and cheese — and potato kegs stuffed with meats and cheeses and a mac and cheese stack that could be topped with barbecue and your favorite sauce.
Saucier renovated the building and added modern lighting and wood accents to give the restaurant a brewery-type vibe.
The Thumpkeg has been several bars and restaurants over the years and is in a prime location in Kiln, which is growing rapidly with new housing developments.
Saucier said the circumstances of the restaurant industry, personal matters and some poor decision making ultimately led to his decision to shut down.
“I’m being completely straight up,” he said. “It’s time for a reset. It’s time to get back to a good place in life, financially, all of those things.”
The restaurant has smaller staffing now to prepare for the closing, but Saucier hopes that the community will rally together to support his staff as they move on to new ventures.
“I pray that you will consider coming out this week to make it a big ending week for the employees, the business,” he said.
