About Us

An abandoned gas station right off of 80 in Sunnyvale, TX was transformed into a BBQ joint in 2008, by Brad and Yolanda Cole.

Yolanda’s father, who owned a trucking company, had an idea to turn the gas station into a tire shop. When that idea didn’t fall through, Brad and Yolanda decided to turn it into a small convenience store with only $500 to their name, selling drinks, candy, chips, etc.​

They decided to name the place Shorty’s, after Yolanda’s Father’s CB Radio Nickname.​

Brad and Yolanda bought what they needed and decided to sell brisket and hot link sandwiches. With no idea how to cook brisket or BBQ, they took a trip to the local Walmart and spoke with the butcher to get instruction.

They were able to buy one brisket to start out with. ​They even had to figure out how to properly cut a brisket.

Business was great at first. But over the years, they struggled to keep the business afloat, as the other businesses around them shut down or moved to new locations.​

​They lost everything, including their family home. They had to spend a little over a year living in their restaurant with their children.

They started selling all kinds of stuff to make ends meet.

The main seller was firewood. ​

Brad would stay up all night, manually splitting wood for anyone that needed it. At one point during a cold winter, there was a line of cars needing wood. They waited as he physically chopped the wood to place into their cars. ​

Through lots of prayers, tears, and hard times Brad and Yolanda have persevered…

Now the family caters for churches, schools, weddings and businesses.
They also donate food and clothing to churches and the homeless all over Dallas.​