Billy Sims, the 1978 Heisman Trophy winner and former University of Oklahoma running back, has opened a new barbecue restaurant storefront in Oklahoma City. The Heisman winner and ex-NFL first overall pick plans to swing by the location for a couple of hours this Saturday, Aug. 22, giving local fans a shot at meeting the gridiron legend in person.
News of the opening was first reported by The Oklahoman, in a piece by reporter Richard Mize published Thursday. The restaurant marks the latest addition to a chain Sims co-founded more than two decades ago, one that has turned his sports fame into a sprawling regional barbecue business.
From Heisman Glory to the Smokehouse
Billy Sims Barbecue traces its roots to 2004, when Sims and business partner Jeff Jackson, who had a background in sports marketing, opened the first location at The Farm Shopping Center in Tulsa, according to Wikipedia. The business expanded into multi-unit franchising in 2008 after its first six locations proved successful, and the chain now operates more than 40 fast-casual restaurants spread across Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Texas, Iowa, and Michigan. As of 2022 reporting from 405 Magazine, roughly 25 of those locations sat in Oklahoma alone, making the state the brand's core home market.
Every location smokes nine varieties of meat on-site daily over pecan wood, per the same Wikipedia account, including brisket, pulled pork, ribs, chicken, turkey, and traditional Oklahoma-style bologna. The daily pecan-wood smoking process has remained a hallmark of the chain's operations since its founding.
A Storefront Built on Sooner Nostalgia
Sims' legend in Oklahoma predates the barbecue business by decades. During his Heisman-winning junior season at the University of Oklahoma in 1978, he led the nation in rushing with 1,762 yards and scored 20 rushing touchdowns, according to the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. He finished second in Heisman voting the following year. The Detroit Lions then selected Sims first overall in the 1980 NFL Draft, and he earned NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors that season after rushing for more than 1,300 yards and 13 touchdowns, per The College Football Blog.
Sims played five NFL seasons with the Lions before a severe knee injury in October 1984 abruptly ended his career, according to the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame. He retired with 5,106 career rushing yards and was, at the time, Detroit's all-time leading rusher. The University of Oklahoma later honored his legacy with a bronze statue in Heisman Park near Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, a nod to his enduring status in central Oklahoma noted by 405 Magazine.
Part of a Steady OKC Expansion
The new storefront fits a pattern of continued growth around the Oklahoma City metro. Earlier in 2026, the chain opened a location inside the Wilshire Gun complex at 615 W. Wilshire Blvd, owned by franchisee Joe Day, according to Wikipedia's entry on the chain. That location, open to the general public alongside more traditional storefronts, reflects the brand's willingness to plant itself in unconventional retail spaces as it grows its Oklahoma footprint.
The chain has drawn national attention for its commercial scale before. CSP Daily News named Billy Sims Barbecue to its 2015 “Future 50” list of top fast-casual chains after the company posted an estimated $31 million in systemwide sales across 44 units, with more than 37 percent annual sales growth during that stretch.
Sims' Personal Touch Remains the Draw
Restaurant locations lean heavily on Sims' playing career for decor and menu inspiration, featuring sports-themed items like the Heisman sandwich, according to Patch. Fan autograph sessions with Sims himself have long served as a way to drive attendance at grand openings, and his planned Saturday appearance at the new Oklahoma City location continues that tradition. It remains unclear whether the new storefront is a corporate-run location or an independently owned franchise unit, and details on its seating capacity or local hiring have not been reported.
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