The large yellow sign for Hickory Hank’s Barbeque on Elkhorn Boulevard displays the establishment’s address with an arrow pointing towards the parking lot, indicating where customers should enter. Photo by Seth Henderson

RIO LINDA, CA (MPG) – After more than 40 years of serving barbeque in Rio Linda and the greater Sacramento area, a local catering company is closing its doors at the end of August as its owner enters retirement.

Hank Virga, 71, the owner of Hickory Hanks Barbeque on Elkhorn Boulevard in Rio Linda, said Aug. 15 will be their last Friday open to the public and their catering service will operate until September before the business changes hands to one of Virga’s trusted partners.

“I’ve got somebody that’s going to do a good job,” Virga said. “We’ve met and talked, and he’s got it. I’ve got 110% confidence in what he’s going to do.”

Hickory Hank’s is a barbeque catering company based out of Rio Linda with a takeout window open to the public for almost a decade on Fridays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Peter Virga-Hyatt, 41, Hank Virga’s son-in-law, said he has worked at Hickory Hank’s for 18 years and that the Friday window was originally created to “give people a taste of what Hank had to offer.”

Virga-Hyatt said the business originally offered hot links, chicken, ribs and tri-tip, eventually adding brisket and pulled pork on the menu. He said the establishment started as a shop on a hill and that Virga had built it from the ground up, starting in the 1980s.

“I started out with this piece of property,” Virga said. “I don’t have the exact date, but it was basically a dump. All eucalyptus trees and a dump, so I went to work.”

Virga said he planted trees, built shops, planted a garden and built a beautiful home with the help of his good friends and neighbors. Over the years, he said he has contributed to the football team in Rio Linda and helped kids build their work ethic, giving them a job. For some, it was their first.

Awards are displayed in the eating area of Hickory Hank’s patio, but Virga said he didn’t participate in too many competitions because he was too busy competing to impress his customers.

“You can’t eat trophies,” Virga said. “Some people think that it’s some bragging thing, but I let my food do the bragging for me.”

From small weddings to large community events, Hickory Hank’s served individually and to groups of about 5,000 people.

Virga said he has been in the Rio Linda area off and on for all of his life. He said his parents were present back in the 1960s, so “I’ve been around a long time in Rio Linda.”

Virga said his hot links won’t be going anywhere and will still be sold under the Hickory Hank’s name.

“They’ll be able to buy them here,” Virga said. “There’s just a bunch of changes, but they’ll still be able to get my hot links because I’ve got a copacker that’s packing for me. They’ll be available.”

In his upcoming retirement, Virga said he wanted to thank the people picking up the slack for him, including Lee Francis, who has been Hank’s right hand man; sisters Heather Rexford and Nicole Hererra; and the entire Virga family.

Rexford said she started working at Hickory Hank’s in May of 2017, taking orders, doing dishes and helping in any way she could. She said she worked her way up to the lead cook, working every catering job and on Fridays.

“Hickory Hank’s Barbecue is a family,” Rexford said. “It’s not just a job.”

Rexford said that the Virga family made her feel included and that Virga had been there for her during crucial high and low times, saying he’s always been supportive and loving.

“As a single mom, I’ve had times where I didn’t have anywhere for my daughter to be watched or even to go to after school on Fridays,” Rexford said, “and he allowed her to come be at his house and even help a little bit here and there.”

With a life that he’s worked so hard to have, Rexford said she is incredibly happy for Virga, saying he deserves to be rewarded.

Rexford said there are “countless ways that hank has helped me through these years,” and that she was going to miss working for him, being around what she called her “second family.”