As temperatures dip, people can extend their enjoyment of the outdoors with fire pits that produce heat as well as ambiance.
“Depending on the size of the fire pit, heat can radiate from a radius of six to 16 feet, providing a nice, cozy feeling while sitting outside in cooler weather,” says Sam Schmucker, co-owner with his son, Darren, of The BBQ Store and More, 17007 Doty Road, New Haven.
Sales of fire pits have greatly increased as people want to expand their home entertaining to include the outdoors, Schmucker says.
The local family-owned business opened five years ago, having merged with S & W Swing Sets that was in business for 30 years. The store has all things to do with BBQ, including a wide assortment of grills, griddles, smokers and more.
To help customers make the most of cooking outdoors, they also sell patio furniture, playsets, gazebos and pavilions. The 4,500-square-foot showroom also has outside displays. The goal is to provide customers with everything they need for a complete backyard makeover, hence the store’s slogan, “Your Backyard Headquarters.”
It’s important to Schmucker to sell products that are known for their quality, comfort and durability.
For example, BBQ Store and More carries “Breeo” and “Warming Trends” brand fire pits, both quality products with good warranties, Schmucker says. Both brands are also made in America.
Breeo invented the first smokeless fire pit in 2011, which can be used to grill food. The fire pits are about 90 percent smokeless after burning for 12-15 minutes. Breeo fire pits work through a double-wall secondary combustion design. When the fire is burning, the walls heat up and the hot air rises through the gap between the two walls. The air exits the wall cavity through a series of holes around the rim. The pressurized heated oxygen mixes with the smoke and causes it to reburn. Available in three sizes and 15 styles, Breeo fire pits can stand alone or be surrounded by a brick or stone outer wall to give a different look and blend with landscaping.
The Warming Trends fire pits have a patent-pending technology behind the brass crossfire burner that uses an air-to-gas ration to produce a taller, brighter, and fuller flame, resembling a natural wood burning fire.
To give customers an advanced visual of their backyard, BBQ Store and More also has design software that can create a 3D rendering of a customer’s project. That way, customers can see their vision before committing to it.
“What sets us apart is we know our product and have the best customer service to help people know how to accomplish the look and result they want to achieve,” Schmucker says.
For more information, call the store at (260) 632-0620. ❚