Courtesy of Bryan Furman
Talking to pitmaster Bryan Furman and Owens & Co. founder Robert Owens is like listening in on a conversation between best friends. They’re teasing each other, laughing, and finishing each other’s sentences. They’ve been buds for more than a decade, having once bonded cooking for 2,400 people in three days. Now, they’re making turning their relationship to business. Bryan Furman is the “official pitmaster” at Owens & Co. Back from a nine-month residency in Oregon, he’s cooking the barbecue dishes he’s known for, along with Owens & Co. staples, at the Smyrna restaurant.
“I just want to f***ing cook,” Furman exclaims. “I’ve been in the industry. I’ve had restaurants. It’s a headache managing people and having all the responsibility.”
Furman is best known for B’s Cracklin’ Barbecue, which he originally opened in Savannah and then Riverside, Atlanta. Both locations closed due to fires. He briefly ran a barbecue counter inside BeltLine Kroger on Ponce, and had announced plans to open an eponymous barbecue spot in 2024 before abandoning the idea and heading across the country.
Returning to Atlanta, he’s found a home for notable dishes like South Carolina hash and rice and peach-mustard sauce at Owens & Co. The new menu will be available starting November 1. Expect brined and smoked turkey, smoke beef cheeks, cornbread, tasso ham, Brunswick stew, Marsh Hen Mill grits, spicy guava wings, and a Greek-style burger. Brisket and short ribs will be available Friday through Sunday with preorder.
Owens & Co., too, has gone through recent changes. Formerly Owens & Hull, the name was changed last year after a split between original co-founders Owens and Bryan Hull. The restaurant continues to serve Texas-style barbecue, now with the addition of Furman’s South Carolina twists.
“It’s nice for me to work with true professionals like Bryan. He’s one of the best pit cooks in America,” Owens says. “We vibe really well—always have.”
