CINCINNATI — What started as an email from Google Gemini turned into an opportunity of a lifetime for Avondale's Sweets & Meats BBQ.
It's no secret how iconic Super Bowl commercials are, and now the local neighborhood spot will be front and center in one of the coveted ads during Super Bowl LIX between the Chiefs and Eagles.
"It's a blessing," co-owner Anton Gaffney said.
Although the Bengals aren't heading to the Super Bowl this year, millions will get a taste of Cincinnati on Feb. 9.
For the commercial, Google chose one business from each state that uses Google Workspace with Gemini, Google's AI.
Gaffney said their business is a vessel that is keeping his grandfather's legacy alive.
"I look at him like the BBQ guru," he said.
Everything he knows about barbecuing, he said, can be attributed to his grandfather. His grandfather died on Father's Day in 2023.
"He’s here watching over me, and he’s smiling," Gaffney said with a smile.
Learn more about what the Super Bowl commercial means to Sweets & Meats BBQ's owners below:
Both Gaffney and co-owner Kristen Bailey told me the Google Gemini team came to their restaurant and filmed hours of content for the commercial. They said it was special to share their love for barbecue and food bringing the community together. They also celebrated how Google Gemini has changed not just their business, but their everyday lives.
"It's not just about the publicity we're getting. It's not just about the intentionality that Google really wanted to invest in our business because we, we're a woman-owned and a Black business," Bailey said. "But also because I now have this new challenge that I’m working through. And this has provided me with a new opportunity to have a resolution for the memory loss."
Bailey told WCPO she was diagnosed with MS in December. She has difficulty remembering things, but Gemini has helped with that.
"It really has made a huge impact for us," she said.
Outside of the personal impact of the commercial, Gaffney and Bailey hope it will help generate more foot traffic and business for Sweets & Meats BBQ.
The Tri-State restaurant industry has been struck by several closures lately, and Bailey said it's been an uphill climb to get business booming.
"(This commercial) couldn't come at a better time," Bailey said.
But above all, Gaffney said, this is an unforgettable milestone in their journey to keep his grandfather's legacy alive.
"This continues my grandfather's legacy. As long as Sweets & Meats is still alive, so is my grandfather," he said.
For those wanting to visit Sweets & Meats BBQ, the business is open Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. for dine-in, takeout and delivery.
The restaurant will also be offering catering for Super Bowl Sunday. You can click here to learn more.
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