Craig ‘Gump’ Garmyn, barbecue pitmaster behind REO eatery Gump’s BBQ, dies at age 58

LANSING — Before Craig “Gump” Garmyn, who died Nov. 6, became a pitmaster known for serving up breakfast burritos stuffed with brisket or smoked bacon from the small kitchen at Gump’s BBQ in REO Town, barbecue was his hobby.

When Scott Simmons first met him about a decade ago, Garmyn, a Lansing resident and Lansing Catholic High School graduate, was still in his first career, working as an excavator for his family’s business Vic Garmyn and Son Company.

But even then Garmyn’s passion for food was evident.

When he visited Simmons at his restaurant, the Waterfront Bar & Grill in Lansing City Market, Garmyn would bring trays of his barbecue with him.

And it was delicious, Simmons said.

Craig “Gump” Garmyn, right, with Scott and Andy Simmons. Garmyn died on Nov. 6, 2023.

“I want to open up a barbecue place sometime,” Garmyn told him one day. “If I don’t do it now, I’m never going to do it.”

And even though Simmons owns Gump’s BBQ, he said Garmyn was the architect and chef behind its success. The pair partnered to open the restaurant in a building Simmons owns at 1105 River St. in 2016, serving up barbecue dishes Garmyn created and perfected.

Garmyn’s food made the eatery what it was, Simmons said.

Those who knew him said his death on Monday, at age 58, leaves a hole in the Lansing community.

A loyal following

“People love the feeling in here,” Garmyn told the State Journal in August 2017. “It’s comfortable. It’s a family, homey vibe.”

Gump’s BBQ had been open for about a year and a half then. Although the business never advertised, it had established a loyal following.

Garmyn built the breakfast and lunch menu around bacon he cured himself, homemade sauces he developed and ribs and brisket he cooked on-site.

“I’ve got so many regulars, so many people who come in,” Garmyn said. “They’re all very loyal customers. They’ve become friends.”

Garmyn had no shortage of friends, Simmons said.

“I think that many people came down just to see him,” he said.

And plenty of people loved his food, said Patrice Drainville, operations manager at Gump’s BBQ.

“He took his barbecue and recipes very seriously,” she said, and it took him years to perfect the restaurant’s sauces. “People asked for the ingredients all the time, but he wanted to keep that a secret. He had a huge following.”

The eatery had a good catering business and customers loved the breakfast menu, Drainville said.

“They had a huge breakfast crowd. Actually, the busiest time of the day was first thing in the morning.”

Continuing Garmyn’s legacy

Craig “Gump” Garmyn, pictured with patrons at Gump’s BBQ in REO Town, died on Nov. 6, 2023.

Garmyn had been struggling with health issues in recent years, Simmons said.

After a fire in the building next door in July of 2022 caused smoke damage to the restaurant, Gump’s BBQ closed for about a year.

When it reopened in September, Erica Manns came on board to help Garmyn run the day-to-day operations.

“I was able to learn his recipes and kind of come up with my own and kind of work together and make it a little bit better than it was,” Manns said.

“It is with deep sadness and heavy hearts that we share the news of our dear friend and exceptional BBQ enthusiast, Gump Garmyn,” said a Nov. 7 post on Gump’s BBQ’s Facebook page. “Gump’s love for BBQ was unparalleled, and he was not only a skilled BBQ-er but a cherished friend to many. Gump’s BBQ family wishes to convey our most sincere condolences. The memories of his delicious creations and the warmth of his friendship will be forever etched in our hearts.”

There are no plans to close the restaurant, Manns said.

“The plan is to continue his legacy of what he created there, what he made, what he started,” Manns said.

Funeral services for Garmyn are scheduled at 11 a.m. on Tuesday at St. Therese Catholic Church, 102 W. Randolph St., in Lansing. Visitation is set for 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. on Monday at the Palmer, Bush & Jensen Family Funeral Homes, Lansing Chapel, at 520 E. Mt. Hope Ave.

Contact Rachel Greco at rgreco@lsj.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, @GrecoatLSJ .

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This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Craig ‘Gump’ Garmyn, barbecue pitmaster behind REO eatery Gump’s BBQ, dies at age 58