What happens when pigs fly in Sharon?

SHARON — Bennett Chinn, proprietor of When Pigs Fly barbecue restaurant and catering company in Sharon, has spent his entire working life in culinary pursuits. As a youngster, he was most influenced by his mother, who was a chef. When he got a bit older he trained at the world famous Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. He then worked his way up the professional ladder (with a detour into military intelligence). Returning to the work he loves, Chinn worked in food service at the 1999 Olympics in Atlanta. He then headed to the CIA — no, not the spy agency but the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. Chinn’s professional growth continued as he worked in several hotels and restaurants. His days as an employee came to an end thanks to one of his golfing buddies, real estate broker Chris Garrity, who manages the Bain Real Estate office in Sharon (which is next to what is now the barbecue restaurant). “One day Chris called and said there was an empty building on the corner by his Sharon office property. Would I be interested in it?” Chinn recalled.The little red building had been the home for many years of the Little Brick House pizzeria, but by the time Chinn saw it, it was just an empty building; the entire interior had been cleaned out. Chinn went to work researching what culinary business might make economic sense. As a chef with southern roots, he said, “The idea of a barbecue establishment came to me, primarily based on the economy. I realized we could offer high-quality southern barbecue at prices customers could afford. That’s how When Pigs Fly got started. We opened a little over two years ago, in July 2009.” Chinn, who lives in Amenia with his wife, Cory, and four daughters, soon sensed there was an opportunity to expand. A former ice cream store in nearby Mabbettsville, N.Y. ,was available. That store became the second When Pigs Fly in May 2010, and is now managed by Cory Chinn on a half-year basis. It is currently open from mid-April to mid-October. The Sharon store is open all year. In addition to managing the Mabbettsville location, Cory does the bookkeeping for the company.Chinn is still operating the catering business he started in 2002. When asked if he just caters barbecue meals, Chinn replied, “We can and do, but we also cater high-end plated events for up to 900 guests. Or we can come into your home and serve an elegant four-course meal for as few as four people. And we do everything in between.”When asked what comes next, Chinn replied, “We are looking to expand. The restaurant in New York is about two-and-a-half times bigger than our Sharon location. That serves as the commissary for our catering business. Due to copyright issues, the New York store is called When Pigs Fly South. Over time we are switching everything to that brand name. Eventually there will be more locations, but I do not yet know where.”They are also going to be bottling and selling their barbecue sauce soon, Chinn said.“In fact, one customer has already given us an order for 100 cases,” he said.When he isn’t cooking, Chinn is a volunteer fireman in Amenia and coaches girls soccer.When Pigs Fly is located at 29 West Main St. The phone number is 860-492-0000. When Pigs Fly South is at 3826 Route 44 in Mabbettsville. The phone number is 845-677-4735.