Educator Mike Jones Relaunches Dream Started 10 Years Ago
When Mike Jones returns to school this fall and his students ask him how he spent his summer, he can proudly respond by saying, “I pursued my dream with the relaunch of Big Mike’s BBQ and Catering.” The dream, which started 10 years ago when Mr. Jones opened his first restaurant in the old Taste and See building next to the Hardeman County Criminal Justice Center, was relaunched in the summer of 2025.
Mr. Jones is an automotive technology teacher at Bolivar Central High School for the Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) Jackson. He loves cooking barbecue almost as much as he loves teaching, which he has done for the past six years. As he headed for the summer break at the end of the school year, ready to enjoy the time off, Mr. Jones was prompted to do something different this time.
“People were asking, and I noticed there was very little BBQ being cooked in Bolivar. I just saw the need and since I had the summer free, I thought, ‘why not?’,” said Mr. Jones, who shared BBQing is a passion or stress relief for him. “It feels really good to be back in my own food truck being my own boss. I started out selling off the grill and God has blessed me to increase my business. This is my third food truck, and this has been the best one I have had thus far.”
Stepping out on faith with his business looks a lot different this summer. Big Mike’s BBQ and Catering has become a familiar sight around Hardeman County. Behind the scenes as well as in front, Mr. Jones gets the pleasure of working alongside his family, which includes his wife, daughters, sons, and sister. He has been able to apply his teaching skills and experience in the classroom to running his business. Characteristic similarities he has as a teacher and business owner are drive, focus and motivation. All three, along with being a “people person” has helped Mr. Jones promote and maintain his business.
“I managed O’Reilly Auto Parts for years and with all the training and conferences we attended, I apply that daily. Customer service with a positive attitude is a plus,” said Mr. Jones, who shared what also pleases his customers. “Everything we produce is a signature dish. My top two sellers are my loaded potatoes and my handmade cheeseburgers. I also have a burger called a triple threat burger, which is a specialty. What sets up apart is quality! I cook BBQ the old way; low and slow.”
Although Mr. Jones enjoys working the Big Mike’s BBQ and Catering food truck, he notes his career as a teacher comes first. Since opening the business this summer, several of his students as well as colleagues have come to support him. He has even been invited to set up at the TCAT campuses in Whiteville, Jackson, and Stanton.
Mr. Jones now dreams of expanding his food truck and catering to different areas and states and having more multiple mobile units running daily.
“I always share with my students to get your degree and always have multiple streams of income, and to never give up on your dream. This experience has taught me to keep pushing and never give up on your dream. Faith over fear is the key,” said Mr. Jones, who will have more lessons to teach to his students when he returns to the classroom in the fall. “Keep pushing and stay focused. You can do it! Keep God first and you can make anything work.”
You may find where Big Mike’s BBQ and Catering is located daily by calling (731) 212-1791 and follow Big Mike’s BBQ on Facebook.
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