Johnson County Community College has finally opened their long-awaited outdoor barbecue pavilion next to the Wylie Hospitality and Culinary Academy. The pavilion gives instructors at the culinary academy the opportunity to teach students how to make Kansas City-style barbecue as part of the culinary curriculum approved by the Kansas City Barbeque Society. They also plan to offer adult barbecue classes this summer to those in the community who want to learn tips on making everything from great backyard barbecue to competition-style smoked meats. The pavilion has brand-new first-class equipment, including competition smokers, a wood-fired pizza oven, and la plancha and rotisserie grills so students can master award-winning barbecue techniques right on campus. This outdoor classroom was gifted to the college by Jack Wylie’s family. Wylie passed away in 2014 and was owner of Midwest Boneless Meat and later B & B Meat Co. The barbecue pavilion seems like a fitting homage to a man who built his fortune in the meat industry and allows a whole new generation of chefs to carry on Kansas City’s rich barbecue tradition.