SJM_Whole Hog Cafe_Profile - kelly_profile 8 / 17 / 23 4 : 05 PM Page 2 PROMOTION B U S I N E S S S P O T L I G H T soul - feeding satisfaction that he garnered inspiration from back in Arkansas . According to Feed My Starving Children , MannaPack meals were created by food - science and nutrition professionals . While there are now three different meal formulas , the original MannaPack Rice was created by Cargill food scientists and Pillsbury and General Mills col - leagues in 1993 specifically for malnourished children , as it’s rich in vitamins and minerals . Wing It Forward has donated over 8,000 of those nourishing meals since joining Feed My Starving Children’s efforts . In July of 2021 , Whole Hog Cafe and Wing It Forward made even greater strides in the restau - rant scene . With Whole Hog Cafe’s Medford lease coming to an end , the team decided to move the location to another part of town : The Feed Mill , where there’s room for both Whole Hog Cafe and Wing It Forward storefronts . The A South Jersey Staple restaurants ’ neighboring brewery even adds a bonus to the move and subsequent expansion . “ King’s Road Brewing Company is right What started as a hobby for three men from Arkansas led next door , which is very complementary to to feeding thousands of starving children around the world . ourbusiness . We’re good for each other . They can’t sell food , we can’t sell beer , but you can hile the world - class barbecue and introduction to Whole Hog’s mouthwatering takeour food to the brewery or bring cans of charitable wings of Whole Hog Cafe barbecue.Three years later , a second location theirbeer to our restaurant , ” Maynes explains . Wand Wing It Forward are local favorites poppedup , this time in Medford . Since opening up two Whole Hogs and for Medford and Cherry Hill residents , the While Whole Hog continued to grow in one Wing It Forward in New Jersey , Maynes delectable and philanthropic journey didn’t SouthJersey , another business was sprouting , hasn’t returned to compete at Memphis in start in South Jersey . again as the result of another winning recipe May , which he admirably regards as “ the Super Flashback to 2000 , when three men from and some Arkansas inspiration . Just months Bowlof barbecue . ” However , sending thousands Little Rock , Arkansas , decided to enter their before the Cherry Hill location opened , the of meals to children across the world is even ribs in the annual Memphis in May World WholeHog team entered their wings into the morerewarding than any first - prize trophy . Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest . Memphisin May wing competition . “ For me personally , the business has The team of Mike “ Sarge ” Davis , Ron Thewings placed first out of 123 submis - taken over my life , ” Maynes says . “ We’re Blasingame and Steve Lucchi took home sions and were immediately added to Whole lookingforward to possibly opening up more second place in the highly acclaimed com - Hog’s Cherry Hill menu . While they did well of these dual concepts and trying to grow petition . there , Maynes knew that the wings could be theWing It Forward brand . ” n Just two years later , they entered the contest thefoundation for another great brand while again , reclaiming the second - place title for creatingan even greater impact . their ribs while also becoming World Cham - In July 2020 , at the height of the COVID - pions in the “ Whole Hog ” division . 19 pandemic , the team started that other “ And that’s when we became Whole Hog brand . Wing It Forward , a virtual storefront Cafe - World Champion Barbecue , ” explains thatran through Whole Hog’s Cherry Hill loca - Chris Maynes , President of Whole Hog Cafe tion , was born as an outlet to sell those world - and Wing It Forward . The award - winning class wings . Maynes credits his wife for the trio opened the original Whole Hog Cafe in clever name , which incorporates the savory Little Rock in 2000 , adding the Championship food and the “ pay it forward ” aspect that the title to its name two years later . restaurantembodies . The original restaurant became an instant Withevery 10 wings sold , Wing It Forward success , and the Whole Hog brand was donatesone meal to Feed My Starving Children . growing quickly . Then , in 2009 , Blasingame The Christian nonprofit organization was Whole Hog Cafe passed away , and his wife Kathy asked her founded in 1987 and provides nutritional younger brother , Chris , to take over Ron’s mealsto starving children in over 70 countries and Wing It Forward duties as the “ business guy ” of Whole Hog aroundthe world . Cafe . Chris Maynes , who was working in Maynes says he got the idea for the phil - Medford : Philadelphiaat the time , took a leap of faith anthropicaddendum from a past dining expe - 67 N . Main St . | ( 609 ) 678 - 1808 | ( 609 ) 451 - 5851 and joined his sister with plans to bring rience . “ There’s a chain in Arkansas that does Whole Hog Cafe | Cherry Hill : WholeHog to the East Coast . the same thing , and I’d eaten there and was 1811 Route 70 W . | ( 856 ) 910 - 8060 like , ‘ Wow , this is pretty cool , ’ ” Maynes explains . TheCherry Hill location opened in August Now , he can give his customers the same 2013 and became New Jersey’s first official WholeHogCafe.com | WingItForward.com SOUTH JERSEY MAGAZINE volume 20 issue 5 SouthJerseyMagazine.com | 69