Meat Church to Relocate to Historic Boyce Feed Property in Downtown Waxahachie

WAXAHACHIE, Texas — Meat Church BBQ Supply, the nationally recognized barbecue brand founded by pitmaster Matt Pittman, is preparing to relocate from its current storefront on the downtown square into the historic Boyce Feed property on South College Street, bringing one of Texas' most recognizable barbecue brands into one of Waxahachie's most prominent historic landmarks.

The company announced June 20 that it has purchased the property at 441 S. College St. and plans to open its new location in August.

"We were fortunate enough to purchase the iconic Boyce Feed Store location," Meat Church said in a Facebook announcement. "We lease our space today and couldn't pass up the opportunity to own a piece of historic downtown Waxahachie."

According to the company, the new site encompasses approximately three acres, offers dedicated parking and provides roughly three times the retail space of its current location at 114 W. Main St.

Christian Brewer, son of Meat Church founders Matt and Tracie Pittman, said the redevelopment will occur in phases.

"We're trying to do it in, I want to say, phases," Brewer said. "Right now, our focus is on the retail space to the left of the main section of the old Feed Store. We have that whole section gutted out and we're working on remodeling."

Brewer said the larger Boyce Feed property will give the company significantly more room for retail operations, demonstrations, classes and special events.

Construction and renovation work is currently visible inside the former feed store complex, located along the railroad tracks across from the historic Missouri-Kansas-Texas train depot that now houses Fresh Market Coffee.

While detailed plans for future phases have not been finalized, Brewer said the property will eventually include cooking facilities for filming barbecue videos, producing tutorials and hosting expanded educational programming.

"Right now, we have our grill stand where we offer free samples," Brewer said of Meat Church's current location on the square.

"We've had people from all over the world come to take our classes," he added.

With the move, Meat Church hopes to expand its reach and increase capacity for demonstrations and classes.

The move represents another milestone in the growth of a company that began as a backyard barbecue passion project.

Pittman, who grew up cooking alongside his grandmother in Alabama, became fascinated with Texas barbecue after what the company describes as a life-changing brisket experience in Central Texas. His competitive barbecue career eventually led him to an appearance on the television series BBQ Pitmasters in 2014, where he launched the seasoning blend that would become Meat Church's first commercial product, Holy Cow.

Today, Meat Church has grown into an international barbecue lifestyle brand with more than 1.18 million YouTube subscribers and a reputation that draws barbecue enthusiasts from around the world to its classes and events.

Despite Meat Church's growth into an international barbecue brand, Brewer said the company remains focused on education and community-building within the barbecue industry. The company's plans center on retail, barbecue classes and content creation rather than focusing on serving food to the public.

"The world of barbecue is fierce competition," Brewer said. "There's a lot of guys out there trying to make the magazines’ top 25—we're just happy to be a part of the conversation and get mentioned by magazines like Texas Monthly."

While Boyce Feed moved into the site in 1964, the property's history stretches back even further. The grain elevator and silo complex was originally constructed in 1940 as William's Grain. The site includes five grain silos and a grain elevator that have remained prominent features of Waxahachie's southern downtown skyline for decades.

According to a 2016 historic resources survey commissioned by the City of Waxahachie and funded by the Texas Historical Commission, the property is recommended as eligible for local landmark designation, identified as a contributing resource to a potential historic district, and recommended as individually eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

Brewer said the property's five grain silos and historic grain elevator are not expected to be removed as part of the redevelopment. While there are no immediate plans for the structures, he said future phases of the project could potentially expand classes or operations into the rear portion of the property.

City officials believe the relocation will further strengthen downtown Waxahachie's role as a destination for visitors throughout North Texas.

"Meat Church has developed a strong and loyal following," said Alice Jauregui, Waxahachie's Director of Communications and Marketing. "Their presence adds to the unique charm and appeal of Waxahachie, especially as they settle into their new location in the heart of our Historic Downtown."

According to city data, Waxahachie welcomed approximately one million visitors from a 50-mile radius during 2025, highlighting the city's growing reputation as a tourism and entertainment destination. Meat Church has become one of the square's most recognizable retail destinations, drawing customers from across Texas and beyond. With the move further south, some local businesses expect the foot traffic to soon follow, and the City of Waxahachie expects that the space around Railyard Park will see more pedestrians.

"We are excited about the possibilities that this poses for our residents and visitors alike," Jauregui said.

Real estate group The Stevens Team, which is marketing the property, confirmed that Meat Church's current location at 114 W. Main St. is under contract. While details remain confidential until the transaction closes, the confirmation suggests the prominent downtown storefront may not remain vacant for long.

If successful, the redevelopment could transform one of Waxahachie's most recognizable historic properties into a regional destination for barbecue enthusiasts while preserving a landmark that has stood along the city's rail corridor for more than eight decades.

Meat Church expects the new location to open in August.

Editor's Note: This article has been updated with corrections to include additional information and comments provided by Meat Church representatives following publication. Before the update, the article incorrectly indicated that Meat Church would use the new location to get involved in the restaurant business.