The intersection of Martin Luther King and Kumpf Boulevards is named after a well-known Peoria businessman and philanthropist. “Big John” Robinson opened his Bar-B-Q in 1950. His son, Reverend Barry Robinson, says his father’s life can serve as an example to young people.
“My father didn’t even graduate grade school, and he became Peoria’s first black self-made millionaire. You can still do this, in this town, right here, you can still be successful, you just have to be driven.”
Big John’s Bar-B-Q originally opened in a small house on the 700-block of Monson Street, now known as Kumpf Boulevard.