AJ’s Pit Bar B Q was founded by husband and wife team Jared and Amanda Leonard in Chicago in 2010. What started as a small take-out BBQ joint has grown into a successful restaurant known for its wood-fired cooking techniques. The Leonards’ dream was to pair Amanda’s love for hospitality and event planning with Jared’s passion for American BBQ.

Over the next decade, their vision expanded into Campfire Concepts, a full-fledged hospitality group. By 2020, the group had grown to include five full-service restaurants, offering catering, BBQ cooking classes, and full-service event production, all centered around wood-fired cooking techniques for BBQ, steak, and pizza.

A significant milestone came in 2023 when AJ’s Pit Bar-B-Q was awarded a MICHELIN Guide 2023 Bib Gourmand, making it one of only five BBQ restaurants in the world to receive this accolade.

During their restaurant journey, the Leonard family fell in love with the Bahia de Banderas region in Mexico, particularly Punta De Mita. Drawn by the people, the ocean, and the opportunity to share their love of wood-fired cooking with a new community, the Leonards are now bringing their family brand to Mexico. In May 2024, they will open AJ’s Pit Bar BBQ Punta Mita at the newly opened Ancora Punta Mita, partnering with local hospitality industry veterans. This new venture will continue their tradition of cooking with live fire, using high-quality USDA Prime meats, and serving scratch-made American sides and desserts in a beachfront setting in Punta De Mita’s historic downtown.