About The Owner

My name is Chris Joyner, a proud native of Columbia, SC. I began my journey at South Carolina State University (SCSU), where I attended on a music scholarship and earned my B.S. in Marketing. While attending SCSU, I met my beautiful wife Rhonda and four years later, we married and had three wonderful children. We will be celebrating "30" years of marriage in 2025. After graduating from SCSU, I later pursued my M.B.A. at Webster University in Webster Groves, MO.

For over 20 years, I built a successful career in banking, holding Assistant Vice President and Vice President roles across Branch Management, Consumer Lending, Community Development, and Information Technology. However, my passion for cooking has been with me since childhood, nurtured by the teachings of my mother, Rosa Joyner, and my grandmother, Georgia Scott. They instilled in me the art of making homemade food, which became the foundation for my culinary skills.

Over the years, I expanded my expertise to grilling and smoking meats, honing my craft at church events, children’s sports gatherings, and family functions. I used these opportunities to refine my recipes and gather invaluable feedback, quietly laying the groundwork for what would later become my full-time career.

In 2018, I took a leap of faith and had my first custom smoker built, giving life to CJ's BBQ & MORE. Initially catering small events for family and friends, the business began to grow steadily. Then, in 2022, after being displaced from my banking career, I was faced with a decision: return to the corporate world or fully commit to my passion. Following God’s guidance, I chose the latter, secured a food trailer, and began my journey as a full-time caterer and food truck entrepreneur.

Since then, I’ve catered events ranging from intimate gatherings of 25 to large-scale groups of 1,200. I’ve also had the honor of becoming a preferred food vendor for the Carolina Panthers and the RTR Vehicles Race Team. Additionally, I compete in BBQ competitions across North and South Carolina, earning recognition as an original Countrystyle Pitmaster with one 1st-place finish and over 12 Top 10 finishes. One of my proudest moments was being selected as an official alternate for Season 2 of the Netflix hit series, American Barbecue Showdown.

In just five years, I’ve been blessed to turn a lifelong vision into reality by the grace of God. From my humble beginnings to this journey as a caterer, pitmaster, and food truck entrepreneur, I am deeply grateful for the opportunities and accomplishments I’ve been given.