Illinois Made Program Helped Local South Side Restaurant To Gain Statewide Recognition

Dominique Leach is the owner of Lexington Betty Smokehouse, located in Pullman. PHOTO PROVIDED BY PURPLE GROUP.
Dominique Leach is the owner of Lexington Betty Smokehouse, located in Pullman. PHOTO PROVIDED BY PURPLE GROUP.

Illinois Made Program Helped Local South Side Restaurant To Gain Statewide Recognition

By Tia Carol Jones

Dominique Leach established Lexington Betty’s Smokehouse in 2017, with a food truck. After a setback with the food truck, Leach worked to get the business on food delivery and catering platforms. Lexington Betty Smokehouse opened three locations, closing two of them and keeping the location in Pullman. Since then, Leach has appeared on the Food Network television show and was named Best Barbecue in Chicago by Good Morning America. 

Leach’s Lexington Betty Smokehouse is part of the Illinois Made Program. The program highlights businesses across the state of Illinois, while supporting those businesses by encouraging people to visit the Illinois Made Makers, through road trip itineraries, videos, the Enjoy Illinois travel magazine and the Illinois Made holiday gift guide.

Leach said she wanted to apply for the Illinois Made program because she knew it would be beneficial for the business to get recognition. The program also aligns with her values while ensuring that food and beverage businesses do not get left out of conversations.

The “Illinois Made Program, the purpose is to highlight the business. I really appreciate them because they’re able to mention me and where my retail products can be found. I’m glad there is an outlet representing Illinois made products,” she said.  The program provides awareness for people who might not have known about her products. 

Leach said she would encourage other Black women-owned small businesses to apply for the Illinois Made program. She said Black women-owned small businesses need the exposure and the support a program like Illinois Made can get them. She said the program has enabled her to expand her visibility and enabled her to get introduced to other opportunities.

Leach and her wife, Tanisha, have been able to make a name for themselves and made it their mission to be unapologetic, bold and to demand the spotlight they deserve. Leach said as a Black woman navigating entrepreneurship, she has worked hard to maintain the business and to be the type of leader she needed when she was a young chef and a young entrepreneur. 

She made it her goal to speak up about the South Side and Pullman and always mention it in any interview and conversations she having. She said what makes her business unique is that Lexington Betty Smokehouse was one of the only restaurants on the South side of Chicago where people could find brisket.

“We want to embrace the Chicago barbecue culture because its important, the origins of it, but we do offer a craft barbecue style that the South side hasn’t seen, that sets us apart from everyone,” she said, adding that she loves and celebrates barbecue restaurants like Lem’s. 

Lexington Betty Smokehouse is located at 756 E. 111th St. For Women’s History Month, the Wagyu Beef Franks, which are usually $15, are buy one, get one free. The Wagyu Beef Franks has the best quality of beef in it.

For more information about Lexington Betty Smokehouse, visit www.lexingtonbetty.com. You can follow Dominique Leach @chefdominiqueleach on social media and follow Lexington Betty’s Smokehouse @lexingtonbettysmokehouse on social media.

For more information about the Illinois Made program, visit www.enjoyillinois.com/plan-your-trip/illinois-made.


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