From Puerto Rican Roots to Renowned Pitmaster: Hector Garate's Palmira Barbecue Journeyfrom Pop-ups to a Growing BBQ Empire (Charleston, SC)

What began as a solo endeavor now is a bustling ecosystem every day the restaurant is open.

There are people picking up orders, others waiting in line, and a small platoon of employees cooking and serving it all.

Palmira habitually sells out of its daily slow-cooked meat offerings.

You're like that.

That is one of the things-

Mm

... that I really value about our conversations is you really taught me the idea of being a student of something new.

Yeah.

When you got interested in barbecue, you became a student.

Understand patience.

Mm-hmm.

In this whirlwind of press, Food Network-

Yeah

...

the awards, the, the restaurant full of 30 employees, I know that it's really important for you to stay centered and focused, right, so you can stay locked in on your goals.

Where do you find the quiet spaces within the world that you have created?

Um, I think there's, like, a lot of things.

Obviously, like, I mean, I do travel a lot, and you can find, I guess, peace in that-

Mm

... as well too.

Like, I know how to-- I'm like a Aries, you know? I like, I don't like to be in one spot.

I'm a fire element.

[chuckles] I don't like to be in one spot for a long time.

So I like to move, you know, essentially to different places and stuff like that.

So I think I can be in the business for this amount of time, and then I have to get out the business and, like, do something else that helps the business.