Chef Andrew “Drew” Tobin spent years cooking professionally and traveling around the country before realizing the place he wanted to build something of his own was closer to home in New York State.
Today, Lil’ Piece BBQ & Catering has grown from its home at Island Green Golf Club in Greenville, NY, to a second Greene County location at the James Newbury Hotel in Coxsackie, bringing Tobin’s distinctive take on barbecue to a rooftop setting overlooking the Hudson River. (Both open to the public.)
Tobin attended the Culinary Institute of America before heading to New Orleans, where he worked in the French Quarter alongside accomplished chefs. While he and his wife continued traveling as he built his culinary career, barbecue remained his passion.
Tobin described the realization that ultimately brought him back to New York State. “I lived in different places for five years. I always felt like I was on vacation,” Tobin told America’s Best Restaurants Roadshow in a video feature of Lil’ Piece. “It was only when I came back home that I actually felt, you know, okay, I’m home. I’m home again.” When he decided to open his own restaurant, Greenville, NY was the clear choice. Tobin told the Roadshow that he wanted to create “a really good, special restaurant, a place for people to hang out and enjoy”—and he knew it had to be barbecue.
Building a Local Following
Building a Local FollowingLike his homemade barbecue sauces, Tobin brings a kick of spice to marketing Lil’ Piece, particularly on social media. One ongoing wing challenge has turned the restaurant’s two locations into a friendly rivalry: after Greenville customers set the bar for the most wings eaten, Tobin challenged Coxsackie to beat them, with a Lil’ Piece hat—and bragging rights—on the line.
Behind the cheeky promotions, however, is a chef who takes the craft of barbecue seriously. Tobin and his team work in shifts to keep the pit burning around the clock, cooking brisket for 14 hours and smoking wings for three before chilling them overnight and flash-frying them to order. The fire is fueled by locally sourced hardwoods, primarily hickory, and the restaurant sources its meat from farms throughout the Northeast.
The result is Tobin’s own Catskills’ take on barbecue, shaped by his CIA training, Southern family roots and upbringing in the region. “People talk about terroir with wine, but I think it’s the same in barbecue—you can taste the region,” Tobin told the Times Union.
Growing in Greene County
Now, Lil’ Piece is taking its next step without leaving Greene County. Its new location at the James Newbury Hotel extends the business from Greenville to Coxsackie and puts Tobin’s food in front of a new audience on the Hudson River waterfront.
The expansion began when Aaron Flach, owner of the James Newbury Hotel, visited the Greenville location and approached Tobin about opening a location in Coxsackie. After several meetings, the two hit it off and decided to join forces, bringing together what they describe as some of the best food and best views Greene County has to offer. With a shared passion for improving the local community, the partnership was a natural fit.
For an entrepreneur who returned home specifically to build something his community needed, the expansion represents a new chapter for a business that was grown in Greene County—and is choosing to keep growing here.
If you want to learn more about how to Make It In Greene, check out our free helpful business guides and contact the Invest In Greene team by email or phone at 518-719-3290.
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Topics: Success Stories
