From Food Truck to Michelin Star | Sawyer Lewis of LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue

Sawyer Lewis has spent 22 years in hospitality, and today she co-owns LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue, one of the first barbecue restaurants in the country to earn a Michelin star. On this episode of Five Seats, Dr. Kelsy Vick sits down with Sawyer to talk about how a food truck that ran for almost eight years became an Austin destination with a line out the door before it even opens. Sawyer shares how they built a barbecue spot for people who wouldn't call themselves barbecue people, what it takes to keep a Michelin standard with no reservations and sometimes thousands of guests a day, and why they still break the HR rule about calling your team family. She also tells the LeRoy and Lewis origin story, from a UT friend group and a brisket that kept showing up at parties to a lease they walked away from before COVID, and gets honest about leading a team of 70 while raising a 4 year old. We close, as always, with the people Sawyer would seat at her own dinner party, including chef José Andrés, who she says never actually sits down at dinner; Amy Poehler, the friend she hasn't met yet; Anthony Bourdain, her favorite culinary and travel guru; and Chris Brundrett of William Chris Vineyards, a friend she grew up with who is championing Texas wine. Five Seats is a dinner party style interview series from By Maven Media, where ambitious women share how they earned their seat in the room and who they'd want at their own table. New episodes every Tuesday. Welcome to the dinner party! Five Seats Instagram Dr. Kelsy Vick Instagram Youtube Tiktok Smart Girl Newspaper