Photo by Richard Maack Sherry Cameron, CEO Bill Johnson’s Big Apple

The restaurant is called Bill Johnson’s Big Apple, but Sherry Cameron is the third-generation family member at the reins of this Phoenix institution with five locations Valleywide.

It’s named for Cameron’s grandfather, who started the business in 1956. The “Big Apple” in it comes from his favorite Western dance number from the musical Oklahoma! He was an entrepreneur, pilot, actor, stuntman, hypnotist, inventor and cowboy, and he hosted the likes of Tex Ritter, Gene Autrey, Roy Rogers, Wayne Newton and Rex Allen in a makeshift radio booth inside the restaurant. Cameron’s grandmother, Gene, developed the now-famous barbecue sauce.

Cameron’s mother, Dena Cameron, and her siblings took over the restaurant when Bill Johnson passed away in 1968. Sherry Cameron earned a management degree and ran businesses in Mexico, Singapore and Australia before returning to Arizona to become the restaurants’ CEO in October 2009.

In July, look for a new logo to roll out, as Cameron launches efforts to revitalize the Bill Johnson’s Big Apple Brand.

Diners are fickle, and Bill Johnson’s has been around more than 50 years. What’s the secret to success?
We treat people like they’re in their own home, in their own dining room. Our motto is “We feed you; we don’t fool you.” We’re not the trendiest … but just good, solid, down-home cooking.

You “re-branded” the restaurants in July. Will much change?
We are not going to be changing our basic business model. We’re just going to be re-introducing our brand to a customer base that has not frequented our restaurants recently, or new arrivals in Arizona who have not been introduced to the history of the restaurants.

So, no carpaccio or ceviche?
No. We’re about barbecue and steaks and big breakfasts. The bottom line is, I’m going to stay true to my grandfather’s vision and provide that home-style food.

Did you know your grandfather?
I was a young child when he passed away. I did get to know him, and I have fond memories.

Most supermarkets in the Southwest sell the restaurant’s four sauces: original, mesquite, hickory, and hot and spicy. Which is the best seller, and which is your favorite?
The best seller is original, because that’s what people know us for and that’s what we serve at the restaurants. We have been and continue to be the number one (selling) barbecue sauce in Arizona. My favorite is spicy. It can never be too hot or too spicy for me.

After all of your globe-trotting, what’s it like being back here to run your family’s restaurants?
It’s really inspiring, truthfully. It’s fun to work with people you’ve known all your life. One of the things I had to get used to was walking in the office in the morning and hugging people, and at the end of the day saying, “Bye; I love you!” There’s always a sister, a cousin, an aunt or an uncle. It’s nice to be surrounded by people who support you. We’re all in it for the same success.


Sherry Cameron, CEO Bill Johnson’s Big Apple
Several Valley locations
billjohnsons.com