Who We Are

I’m Justin Potts, owner and founder of Pasatiempo Barbecue. We’re a family business that includes my wife and three daughters. We were officially founded in 2019, but our barbecue lifestyle has been many years in the making.

After growing up in a household that viewed food more as something to be eaten than enjoyed, I quickly became a “foodie”, searching out the best restaurants I could find while traveling for work. I sought to learn about different food cultures and broaden my horizons far beyond small town Ohio.

Seven years living in New York City — in a one-bedroom apartment with a tiny galley kitchen and no backyard — allowed me to do just that. While I couldn’t develop my own cooking skills during that time, having any type of food imaginable available at any hour of the day or night gave me a great appreciation for it and a desire to dive in when the time was right.

In 2011, we moved to the Chicago suburbs and I inherited my first smoker from the previous owners of the house. It was a cheap drum smoker, but it gave me my first taste of smoking meat. I was hooked. In the years since, I’ve upgraded and grown my collection of cookers. I’ve learned from others, competed in BBQ events, and started my own line of rubs and seasonings.

It’s a passion, not a full-time job. The way it brings people together — from family and friends to complete strangers — is why I do it. I enjoy introducing my products to people to enhance their cooking. I love having my wife and kids alongside me throughout it all.

While I love and respect classic, old-school barbecue, I use barbecue as a creative outlet to push boundaries and cross cultural tastes. I’m always tinkering with recipes and flavors, dreaming up ways to take a classic dish to the next level. And in doing so, I love sharing it with you.

It’s a barbecue lifestyle. A pastime. And pastimes are best shared with others.