Porter’s opens second location with free barbecue

People from across the area could not wait to get free barbecue Thursday at the new location of Porter's Real Barbecue.

On the first day the restaurant opened, Co-Owner Reed Kinney says they decided to offer free food for about a thousand people as a way to say thank you to their customers.

"It's a very surreal moment, it is something we have worked toward for many years. We secretly have hoped that we would be successful enough to be able to expand and bring real barbecue to more people in the Tri-Cities, it is very rewarding, it is a little nerve-wracking but mostly it is exciting," says Kinney.

Their customers did not disappoint, with Ronnie Haney from Kennewick the first to show up about two and a half hours early before the doors opened.

"I heard it's free food and I just wanted to try it, I've never ate at Porter's before. I have ate a lot of barbecue in my lifetime but I've never tried Porter's, so I'm game to try something new," says Haney.

The line of customers continued to grow behind him, wrapping around the sidewalk and up Columbia Center Blvd. All customers were given a 1/2 pound of meat, a side and a drink from a limited menu, until food runs out.

Kinney says on Friday the store will open during its regular hours from from  11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and then on Monday through Thursday the hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Porter's started as a food truck in the Tri-Cities about three years ago and has grown to two Tri-Cities locations. Kinney says if the business continues to be successful, they will look at opening a location in Pasco.