Michael Quessenberry is the younger son of Jim Quessenberry and the author of Quess: The Arkansas Trav'ler — the memoir of his father's championship BBQ legacy. Like his brother Lee, he grew up on the circuit; in family footage from 1989, a five-year-old Michael is already learning the craft.
When Lee and Michael revived the brand in 2014, Michael took on the role of author and co-owner — ensuring that the stories behind the sauce were told as carefully as the sauce itself was made.
His book documents Jim's journey from the backyard pits of Birdeye, Arkansas to two World Championships in Ireland, written by someone who was there for part of it and spent years reconstructing the rest from recordings, notebooks, and memory.
Michael leads the community outreach and catering efforts, continuing the Arkansas Trav'ler tradition of giving back. He has organized charity fundraisers, raised nearly $1,400 for Northeast Arkansas families through the Northeast Arkansas Legal Support Professionals, and works with CASA and other family assistance groups throughout Northeast Arkansas.