COLLEGE STATION, Texas — “To me, he was the best… the best,” said owner of Jesse's Taqueira, Jesse Ocaña.
“C is for chip - the one who started it all”, could be seen as cars passed by one of the C&J Barbecue restaurants in Bryan, as the community said goodbye to owner, Chip Manning.
“Everybody knew him,” Ocaña said.
“He went above and beyond and always made sure we were taken care of,” said General Manager of C&J’s Barbeque (Bryan), Danny Reyes.
After a year-long battle with cancer, Chip Manning died on Monday at 72-years-old, at home with family by his side.
Ocaña told 15ABC’S Chris Talley that he remembers when Chip got his start back in 1981.
“He was right on Highway 30 — he had a convenience store," Ocaña said.
"He had maybe two briskets in there already barbecued, and we would go get the early one for our employees before we started business on Sundays."
As Manning’s cooking started to grow in popularity, Ocaña witnessed the growth as the community asked for more.
"'Hey Chip, how ‘bout some sausage?', so he got a little sausage — 'Chip, how ‘bout the chickens, Chip?' — he got the chicken,” Ocaña said.
Eventually growing what was once a gas station, into three barbecue restaurants that are in business today.
“With Chip, it wasn’t about the profit or business-wide success, it was about building people,” Reyes said.
People like Reyes.
“I hope I’ve taken that from him and built our staff like he built me and our other GM's, Mark and Taylor at our other stores," Reyes said.
"This is one of those places where you’re here and you never want to leave because of how you feel, and how the whole management makes you feel as a family here.”
Reyes says family is something Chip put first.
“It was always about family — 'What are the kids doing? How’s your wife?' — that’s always something I’m always going to miss, is the conversation other than the restaurant.”
Visitation services are on Thursday at Hillier in Bryan from 5 to 7 p.m. — the funeral will take place Friday at 12:30 p.m. at Westminster Presbyterian Church.
Chip’s obituary can be read here.