Family Works: Paul’s Rib Shack

by Katelynn Mouton

For many Southwest Louisiana residents, their first taste of Paul’s Rib Shack came from a food truck parked at a local festival. But according to Hannah Pettefer Sutherland, marketing leader for the family-owned restaurant and daughter of owner Paul Pettefer, the story began years before the business ever opened its doors. 

“If you ask me, it started with Sunday rib tastings in the driveway of my childhood home,” Hannah said. “All kinds of people would pull into the driveway to share in my dad’s ribs and this makeshift community he started.” 

Those informal gatherings laid the foundation for Paul’s Rib Shack, which launched as a food truck in 2017 before opening its permanent Nelson Road location in 2019. 

For Paul, barbecue became more than a hobby.  

“I discovered that my new love of making the best barbecue merged perfectly with my primary love of making friends and helping people see Jesus more clearly. This is how the Rib List was born.” 

The Sunday cookouts inspired a vision for a restaurant where guests could find more than a meal. 

 “Those Sunday afternoons spent sharing barbecue and connecting with people sparked the idea for a restaurant,” said Hannah. “A place where people could feel connected, enjoy some shade under our trees and share an experience together.” 

With the first two ingredients, ribs and connection, locked in, the business expanded from four meats and three sides to nine meats and nine sides with a variety of sandwiches, nachos and other entrees to choose from. 

The growth did not come without challenges. 

“In classic Pettefer fashion, we improvised, adapted and overcame to bring Rib Shack to life,” explained Paul. “We’ve faced food cost increases of more than 60 percent since opening, but necessity inspires creativity.” 

One of the greatest rewards has been the opportunity to build the business as a family. Today, Hannah oversees marketing while her sister, Abigail, also contributes to communication efforts. 

“It’s easy to work with family when they are rooted in the love of Christ and committed to relational health before business health,” Hannah said. 

Paul calls working alongside his daughters a blessing. 

“Since Hannah is in charge of communications, it’s great that she knows me and our story so well,” he said. “We have a shared mission, and I want nothing more than to spend time with my family.” 

Looking ahead, the family continues to find new ways to serve customers. One of the restaurant’s most popular recent additions has been the 2026 Burger Passport, which features a new specialty burger each month. 

While new menu items and future growth remain exciting, Hannah hopes the restaurant’s identity continues to evolve and believes that the restaurant’s greatest accomplishment may have little to do with what’s on the menu. 

“Maybe when we get to heaven, we’ll realize how many people encounter hope because of my dad’s mission to cook ribs,” she said. “Until then, we keep sharing the love of Christ, one rack of ribs at a time.”