Leon Finney Sr., 92, founder of Leon's Bar-B-Q chain was Chicago's "master" of barbecue
ZapRat
LEON FINNEY SR. | 1916-2008 Founded chain of restaurants known for ribs;
supported other black businessmen
April 5, 2008
BY MARY WISNIEWSKI - Staff Reporter
http://www.suntimes.com/news/obituaries/879398,CST-NWS-xfinney05.article
Before Hecky Powell opened his own rib place 25 years ago, he called
Leon Finney Sr., the "master" of barbecue, for advice.
"He told me to come down and talk to him," recalled Powell, owner of
Hecky's Barbecue in Evanston. "He taught me how to buy ribs, when to buy
them, how to store them. He was just incredible."
A promoter of African-American businesses -- even when it meant
potential competition -- Mr. Finney died Friday at the age of 92. The
founder of Leon's Bar-B-Q chain had battled Alzheimer's disease.
"It's a huge loss to Chicago," said Powell.
Mr. Finney was the father of the Rev. Leon Finney Jr., community
organizer and chairman of The Woodlawn Organization. Finney Jr. is also
pastor of the Metropolitan Apostolic Community Church in Chicago.
Born in Mississippi, the son of entrepreneur T.J. Huddleston, the senior
Mr. Finney came to Chicago around 1938, hoping to join the military,
according to his son.
Mr. Finney's aunt Bertha Montgomery Brody worked for a man who ran a
barbecue shop on Garfield Boulevard with a bookie joint in the basement.
When police broke up the bookie joint, the owner offered to sell the
barbecue restaurant for the price of the refrigerator -- $700. Mr.
Finney's father wired him the money.
The business has been open continuously since 1941, except for a break
in the 1950s when meat prices were too high, Finney Jr. said. Mr.
Finney's late wife, Adeline, helped run the restaurants.
The younger Finney said his father was active in promoting and
supporting African-American business and community organizations.
"He was one of a kind in terms of businessmen," said Finney Jr. "He
believed firmly not only was it important for him to be successful, but
he helped a number of other people get into business."
Mr. Finney was active in running his restaurants until his health began
to decline in 2002.
Leon's Bar-B-Q, with four South Side locations, is frequently on food
critic lists for the best Chicago ribs. Sun-Times food critic Pat Bruno
enthused in 1989 over the ribs' "deep, rich, smoked taste" and "spicy
and sensuous" sauce.
Hecky Powell credited Mr. Finney's seasoning, the way he cooked the
meat, the time he put into it, and the sauce, for his success.
"He's the master -- I'll never be better than him," said Powell, who
said that when reporters would praise his restaurant's barbecue, he
would send them to Leon's. "He had his barbecue sauce on the shelf
before any of us did."
Donna Carson Giannis, a member of the family that owns Carson's The
Place for Ribs in Chicago, called Mr. Finney, a "giant" in the industry.
"He will be sorely missed," Giannis said.
Mr. Finney had six children and many grandchildren. Funeral arrangements
are pending.
--
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Signed, Bill Cmelak of Antigo, Wisconsin
J.D. Baldwin
Like fun.
> LEON FINNEY SR. | 1916-2008 Founded chain of restaurants known for
> ribs; supported other black businessmen
Good for him. His chain's ribs just aren't that great. You can get
(much) better ribs in Indiana.
--
_+_ From the catapult of |If anyone disagrees with any statement I make, I
_|70|___:)=}- J.D. Baldwin |am quite prepared not only to retract it, but also
\ / bal...@panix.com|to deny under oath that I ever made it. -T. Lehrer
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