Numbers whiz traded Wall Street career for Mostly Smoked BBQ restaurant in Manalapan

MANALAPAN – Rob Sankovsky always had a deep-seated interest in food, but starting Mostly Smoked BBQ Inspired Eatery in Manalapan in November 2022 came late in his professional life.

“I always loved food and cooking for my close friends and relatives,” Sankovsky said. “Having my own restaurant has been a long time coming.”

Sankovsky remembers his entrepreneurial spirit being present from a young age.

“That’s just the way I was growing up,” Sankovsky said. “I always had little side hustles as a kid like raking leaves and other things. As I got into my college years, I would do events at different clubs and make money on the side. It wasn’t like I was in third grade and decided, ‘This is what I want to do when I grow up,’ or anything like that, but I did have that way about me.”

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Sankovsky was good with math and went to college to become an accountant.

“I knew that I wanted to do something with finance or numbers,” Sankovsky said. “I went to school as an accounting major,” Sankovsky said. “After graduating with an accounting degree, I took a job at Deloitte & Touche in New York City, where I worked for two years.

“I did not love accounting because I was mainly doing spreadsheets and numbers, which was kind of quiet,” he continued. “I made a change and decided to go to trading at J.P. Morgan for the next decade of my life. That’s where I got into the corporate world.”

‘Everything was always moving fast’

That worked out well for him.

“I found it to be way more exciting,” Sankovsky said. “Everything was always moving fast and there was a lot of yelling and screaming. There was a lot of action going on and it was a very exciting place to be. The age I was at was perfect because I didn’t have a wife or any kids. I could work as many hours as needed and I loved to work. I was always a hard worker, so that was never an issue.”

Two of Sankovsky’s main passions were his love for food and his love for music.

“As long as I can remember in my life, there has always been food involved, especially since I come from a big food family,” he said. “We were always taught to try everything as kids. Even as I got into my early adult years, everything was about food for me.

Robert Sankovsky, owner of Mostly Smoked BBQ Inspired Eatery, slices smoked brisket at Mostly Smoked BBQ Inspired Eatery on Route 9 North in Manalapan, NJ Wednesday, January 24, 2024.

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“When I worked in corporate America, I was out to dinner many times a week and it was a passion for me,” he continued. “I cooked for my family and friends and in college for my housemates. It was there for me, but it was something that I never thought I would do professionally.”

In music, Sankovsky’s learned the trumpet in third grade, picked up the guitar in eighth grade and played the drums in tenth grade, which he still plays to this day.

“The drums have been my favorite since I began,” Sankovsky said. “It was a release for me, and it was something that I could go and connect with. I could sit there for hours and hours. I had a little bit of a temper as a child, and it was an outlet for me. Instead of punching a hole in the wall, I found an outlet through music. It doesn’t have to be just rock and roll. I love jazz and rap, among other genres.”

Sankovsky officially abandoned his job in corporate America in July 2014, trading out of his home for the next five years.

“I was doing a lot of trading out of my house, and I also got into the art of smoking, which is a method of cooking food, like barbecue,” Sankovsky said. “With smoking, I use logs and air and it’s all about science. It’s basically how much moisture is in the wood. It takes a lot of time, money and patience. You must throw out a lot of things that don’t come out right. In 2014, I got my first smoker and learned how to do it.”

Robert Sankovsky, owner of Mostly Smoked BBQ Inspired Eatery, checks on ribs in the smoker at Mostly Smoked BBQ Inspired Eatery on Route 9 North in Manalapan, NJ Wednesday, January 24, 2024.

‘I’ve never worked more hours in my life’

As Sankovsky shifted his focus from corporate America to food, he began to take that part of his life more seriously.

“At this point, I started looking for restaurants,” Sankovsky said. “I investigated the smoking business and realized it was one of the hardest business models around. Most people in New Jersey don’t know too much about it. I started doing unofficial catering out of my house on the weekends. It grew quickly and I eventually decided to take a brick-and-mortar retail space. I signed the lease in February 2020, but I ended up not taking that location because of COVID-19.”

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In June 2021, Sankovsky found his current location on Route 9 in Manalapan.

“I completely renovated everything from floor to ceiling,” Sankovsky said. “I brought in a custom-made smoker, and I opened my current store in November of 2022. I love it and I work seven days a week. I’ve never worked more hours in my life than I did at this job. There are so many factors that go into this job, but that is what makes it interesting. I don’t like to be bored and I’m part of a great community. Everything is family-run here. It’s been a journey.”

Everything that is made in Mostly Smoked goes through the smoker.

“We do smoked ribs, turkey, pork and pulled chicken,” Sankovsky said. “We also make sandwiches and sides and fried wings. Everything is made from scratch. We do all the stuff here. We don’t have any pre-made sauces and everything from our macaroni and cheese to our baked beans is all varied and we can do a lot with the smoker.”

Sankovsky has bigger plans to come.

“We want to continue to grow what we have started,” Sankovsky said. “We also want to potentially add a food truck and do online delivery. We want to make that all happen within a short time span. I’m not looking to open another location, even though people have told me to do so.”

Exterior of Mostly Smoked BBQ Inspired Eatery on Route 9 North in Manalapan, NJ Wednesday, January 24, 2024.

Mostly Smoked BBQ Inspired Eatery

Location: 520 Route 9, Manalapan

Owner: Rob Sankovsky

Phone: 732-792-3636

Website: www.mostlysmoked-nj.com

Hours: Noon to 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Numbers whiz traded Wall Street career for Mostly Smoked BBQ restaurant in Manalapan