History of the Smokehouse

In 1943, R.K. Dunbar bought six South Texas ice plants that would become known as the New Braunfels Smokehouse. Customers could store their hams, turkey and bacon in the locker plant. They could also have them custom smoked by Benno Schuenemann, the manager of the ice plant, who used old German family recipes for his curing and smoking. In 1952, the Dunbars built a tasting room and retail shop on Highway 81 to sell the items they produced. This store was Mrs. Dunbar's pet project and she took an active interest in every aspect of the business, from the atmosphere to the recipes. She found that the early Texas primitive furniture, found in abundance in the New Braunfels area, was an inexpensive and unique way to furnish the new store.

Business was brisk in the Tasting Room and soon people wanted more then just a little taste. In 1954, the Dunbars aped one room to the tasting area and meat store. A few years later, they built another dining area and a porch. With each apition came more Hill Country charm and atmosphere. In 1967, increasing business prompted the Dunbars to pick up their entire building and move it across the street to its present location off IH-35. The new site is a 4 1/2 acre tract, complete with giant oak trees and a natural spring. With the new restaurant came two new dining rooms and a menu that covered all the basics, from breakfast to dinner, seven days a week.

Thanks to the success of the restaurant and its popularity with out-of-town customers, a sizeable mail order business gradually developed. For several years, the Smokehouse handled in-state orders only. Some of the early items offered included slab bacon, bone-in ham and sausage. The Smokehouse was one of the first to offer hickory smoked turkey by mail. The mail order business grew more quickly than anticipated and, with an increasing number of inquiries coming from out-of-state, the Dunbars decided to go nationwide. In 1969, the Smokehouse secured USDA approval and began shipping to customers all over the country. The holiday season is the busiest time of the year for the company, with over 1.9 million catalogs printed and over 250,000 customers across the country.

Current ownership and management of the Smokehouse features the second generation of Dunbars. Susan Dunbar Snyder received her BA degree from the University of Texas at Austin. In 1968, she married Montana native J. Dudley Snyder, a University of Texas business and law school graduate. In 1973, Dudley began learning the family business and helping the Dunbars run the financial end of the company. Once Susan's children were old enough for school, she decided to take a more active part in the family business. Along with her sister, Jane, she opened the New Braunfels Smokehouse deli-style restaurant in San Antonio in 1980. In 1985, with both of the Dunbars deceased, Susan and Dudley took over management of the company. The Snyders have continued to expand the business with the help of some key employees. Mike Dietert currently serves as Vice President and general manager of the Smokehouse. He has been employed by the company for over 35 years and moved into his present position in 1975. A graduate of Southwest Texas State University, he is a native of New Braunfels and is very active in the local community. Rocky Tays, the Smokemaster, is in charge of all meat smoking and processing. Also a New Braunfels native and Southwest Texas State University graduate, Rocky began his career with the smokehouse in 1965 and has experience in every area of the business.

For over sixty years, the New Braunfels Smokehouse has grown and adapted to meet the needs of its customers. The Yard was aped in 1988 outside our main dining rooms as an outdoor dining area to handle the overflow of business in the summer months. The continued supervision and dedication of conservative family management promises the New Braunfels Smokehouse a future of continued success.