The smoke is spreading at Atwood Hwy BBQ in South Milwaukee because the business is (metaphorically) on fire.

Owners Donteah and April Morehouse opened their barbecue business at 925 Madison Ave. on March 10 and less than three months later they are expanding due to extremely high demand.

The couple are working on plans for outdoor parklet seating, adding 10 tables to the three already outside. The plans show the parklet extending out seven feet and stretching 35 feet across the full length of the restaurant.

The tables in the parklet will have umbrellas. A new awning will cover the tables immediately in front of the restaurant, which serves about 100 people around 1,000 pounds of meat each day. Atwood is so popular sometimes it runs out of meat.

“I think the parklet is gonna be a great thing,” Donteah Morehouse said. “Enjoy the outside and we’ll pump some music and food out there.”

The restaurant takes its name from a highway in Tennessee where Donteah Morehouse, a Milwaukee native, split time growing up. The Morehouses wanted to bring some of that southern-style barbecue to South Milwaukee.

“South Milwaukee’s been great,” Donteah Morehouse said. “I can’t express enough how much people embrace what we’re doing.”

Local traffic is great, but customers come from all over southeastern Wisconsin, April Morehouse added.

What is the secret to success?

“Being authentic,” April Morehouse said. “If (one customer) says no, someone (else) will say yeah. Just have faith in your product.”

“People will respond to your product,” he said. “We started off with pig skins, who would have thought we’d be here now?”

The Morehouses started in a 12-foot by 12-foot pop-up tent until they rented space out of a Masonic hall in Brookfield until the owners realized they needed a permit to lease the space.

From there, the smell of the couple’s barbecue continued to fill the air of many farmers markets and South Milwaukee’s Crusherfest where a few customers told the couple about the space available on Madison Avenue.

The couple hopes to expand inside as well with a larger dining space, bigger kitchen and another smoker out back.

“The first phase is the parklet, the next phase is the rest,” Donteah Morehouse said.

Atwood Hwy BBQ will partner with Tri City National Bank across the street for loans and for some events including a potential pop-up BBQ station on the corner, Donteah Morehouse said.

“We still have to finalize some details,” he said.

The Morehouses have partnered with other businesses in the city including South Milwaukee Sausage & Meats, which makes all of Atwood’s hot links, and JB’s Tee Shirt Factory for branded clothing.

Some of the most popular items include the brisket, burnt ends, pork belly bites, ribs and rib tips. Be sure to bring a toothpick.

Atwood offers recurring daily specials and the Morehouses are planning a new one every Thursday starting May 26: a whole hog barbecue.

“We’re probably the only ones in the state that will do a whole hog regularly,” Donteah Morehouse said.

The Morehouses are also planning to add custard to their menu by the end of June and their own wine label, Atwood Hwy Winery, by the end of July. The wine will be sold by glass or bottle and, for now, will be bottled by a winery in California. The couple hopes to eventually get licensing to produce it locally.

While inflation has been affecting many industries, April Morehouse said it hasn’t been too bad for them.

“Some supplies have hit us hard, and we can’t keep some stuff in stock, which is one reason we run out fast,” Donteah Morehouse said, adding they had to raise prices slightly because of inflation. “We’re going to try and keep the prices the same.”

The couple suggests people come early if they want a full selection as the barbecue can sell out in a hurry.

For Atwood Hwy BBQ fans who can’t make it to South Milwaukee often, the Morehouses are planning to take their big trailer grill to markets in Butler, Menomonee Falls and Thiensville in the coming weeks.

Contact Erik S. Hanley at erik.hanley@jrn.com. Like his Facebook page and follow him on Twitter at @ES_Hanley.