Pancake House owners branch out to barbecue with new North Cocoa Restaurant

Kelly and Steve Mardis joked about the state of their mental health as they put the finishing touches on My Island Smokehouse, the barbecue joint in North Brevard they plan to open Nov. 27.

They already stay busy with three large, successful restaurants: Merritt Island Pancake House on Merritt Island and My Island Pancake House restaurants in Rockledge and Melbourne. Why throw another log on the fire?

Because that log will smoke meat, and Steve Mardis loves to barbecue.

"I'm a backyard smoker," he said. "It's fun for me to cook it."

He also knows it's going to be a lot of work.

The Mardises signed a lease on the former Woody's Bar-B-Q at 4885 U.S. 1 in north Cocoa.

Woody's opened in 2014 on the former site of Corky Bell's, a seafood restaurant that originally opened in 1983, according to FLORIDA TODAY files. Corky Bell's closed in 2004 after an electrical fire. The restaurant was rebuilt and reopened in 2007 before closing permanently in 2013.

From our archives: Woody's Bar-B-Q reopens in Cocoa two years after kitchen fire forces closure

Woody's also fell victim to a fire and closed from 2017 until 2019. Woody's went out of business a few weeks before the Mardises took over the building.

Steve said he and Kelly, who live in Titusville, often stopped at Woody's on their way home from their restaurants. They talked about what it would be like to open a barbecue joint.

They're not concerned about another fire on the property, but getting the restaurant ready to open hasn't been seamless.

"Between the day we signed our lease and the day we walked into the building, a power surge killed 60% of the lights and fried all the electronics in the office," Steve said.

They also ran into major plumbing issues.

"In barbecue, you've got an amazing amount of grease," Steve said. Having plumbing in good working order is a must.

With help from their landlord, they replaced all the lighting fixtures, much of the furniture and all the toilets.

They've also made some changes to the restaurant's business model.

Instead of table service, My Island Smokehouse will offer counter service. Diners will order at what used to be the Woody's bar and get their own drinks, then their food will be delivered to the table by brand ambassadors. .

The three Pancake Houses are full service, Steve said, which is an expensive way to run a restaurant. Labor costs continue to rise. It takes 22 to 27 people to run the Pancake House in Rockledge. It will take about 10 people to fully staff the Smokehouse.

Less staffing costs mean the savings can be passed on to guests with more affordable food costs. Most meals cost between $12 and $22 and include at least one side.

"We did this to do a couple of things," Steve said. "We wanted to test counter service, and we wanted to test barbecue."

Steve's daughter, Katie Mardis, who manages the Rockledge restaurant and helps out at the others, also wanted to add barbecue to the menu.

"We originally were going to put smokers and try barbecue in Rockledge," Steve said. "But we didn't want to damage the reputation of breakfast."

Eventually, they plan to add counter-service breakfast to the Cocoa restaurant, but for now, Steve is learning barbecue.

For now, the menu will be simple, with sliced pork, pulled pork, smoked turkey, St. Louis-style ribs, sausage or brisket. There's a smash burger and a Smokehouse Salad. Sides include house-made chips, cornbread casserole, baked potato, green beans, corn, coleslaw, baked beans, fries and corn nuggets.

Until they figure out the rhythm of the barbecue business, Steve said they may run out of some items before closing time. And until he perfects cooking with the restaurants smokers, some dishes might not make it out of the kitchen.

"When in doubt, throw it out," he said.

He also knows barbecue can be very personal. People stop by daily to tell them how they should prepare the meat and what kind of sauces to use.

Steve grew up in Kentucky, so that will influence his cooking style. He's using his mother's recipes. Sauces are made by Old Mule Company in Columbus, North Carolina, and include smoked chipotle, mustard, hot, original, mild and mountain apple.

"We'll live here for the first four or five months," Steve said. He'll be in the kitchen manning the smokers while Kelly runs the counter and dining room.

It's hard work, and it's far from glamorous, but the Mardises like the idea of working for themselves.

"I probably have a little glutton for punishment personality," Steve said.

His wife chuckled and shook her head.

"He enjoys the challenge of building a business," she said.

"We think this place has amazing potential," he said.

They're also eager to offer another dining option to North Cocoa and Port St. John.

"This area is continuing to grow at a fast pace, and it's underserved," Steve said. "There are new neighborhoods going up all around. We have 15 people a day stopping to ask if we're open."

As opening day approaches, Kelly said they're nervous and a little scared, but they're also excited.

"Steve has a vision," she said. "Nobody works harder than Steve."

My Island Smokehouse opens Nov. 27. Hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Call 321-305-4938 or visit myislandsmokehouse.com.

Suzy Fleming Leonard is a features journalist with more than three decades of experience. Reach her at sleonard@floridatoday.com. Find her on Facebook: @SuzyFlemingLeonard or on Instagram: @SuzyLeonard. 

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Former Woody's BBQ in North Cocoa now home to My Island Smokehouse