by Kevin Grogan
When you talk about the best barbecue ribs in Clermont, Oakwood Smokehouse is going to be on the top of the list. Clermont resident Bailey Cardwell’s vision for the family-owned Oakwood Smokehouse compliments what so many people love about the area; an active community with places like his to gather after a race or tough workout. The extremely kind and humble Cardwell truly makes our community better. A long time Clermont/Minneola resident sat down to catch up with us after he ran the Saturday parkrun 5k.
Tablet: A house full of talented athletes growing up on the Butler Chain in Windermere, sister Chris was the Orlando Sentinel Runner of the Year in her day. Mason went on to play football at Brown University. Another brother Joe was a standout on the football and baseball field; playing baseball in South Carolina. But Joe went on record to say you, Bailey Cardwell, were the best athlete in the family; you could tomahawk dunk a basketball with little or no effort. What sports were you into?
Cardwell: One day I went out to football practice and really got clocked! I quickly realized football wasn’t for me. From there I went home, jumped in the ski boat and never looked back. I proceeded to pursue a career… let us just say, “leisure sports”. Windsurfing, water skiing, kayaking; you name it.
Tablet: A firm believer in the Clermont parkrun. Most Saturdays you are out there running with son Christopher. Why is Saturday parkrun so important to you?
Cardwell: It is a great sense of community out there. We are all out there to share a run and camaraderie. I enjoy getting to say hello to people that I don’t often get to see during my week. And for us, it has really become a family event. I get to run with my three kids; although I really don’t anymore as they are all faster than I am.
Tablet: You have a love for the outdoors and exploring nature. You also, love to fish, water 
ski, wakeboard. Have you always had this many active hobbies?
Cardwell: Because of the restaurant business, I have always had to concentrate on ten things at a time. I like to always keep moving; keeping my kids moving too. I can’t sit still for too long. Maybe I have a little bit of an attention problem. What was the question?
Tablet: Five Oakwood (OW) Smokehouse restaurants in the area. Tell us how OW came to be.
Cardwell: There was never really a long term plan. At the time, I was working at the Olive Garden as a manager. A friend of mine that was running a Woody’s BBQ Restaurant in Leesburg & he asked me to quit the Olive Garden so I could come in and straighten some things out at Woody’s. This was while I was going to graduate school at Rollins. I figured this would give me some time to figure out what I was going to do next in life. After a year or so, he asked me if I wanted to buy the business. He gave me a great price and I decided to be the owner.
Tablet: What do you like most about living here in Clermont?
Cardwell: Clermont has access to my other Lake County businesses. And it makes sense to live where your business is. Clermont and Leesburg have always been great to me & my family. I love meeting the people that come into the restaurant. That’s probably my favorite part of what we do. I feel like it really connects me to the community.
Tablet: Three Cardwell kids; Kendyl, Colton, and Christopher. Do you see a lot of yourself in the kids as they’ve grown up?
Cardwell: All three of my kids are very different. I do see some part of me represented in each of them. They are all great kids and I love them each for who they are.
Tablet: Your wife Cherise is a former professional mountain biker. Can you tell us how you met back in those days?
Cardwell: Clermont has always been a community with runners, bikers, and swimmers. And when I starting a business, I knew it was important to stay active. So we met through our running acquaintances. It is important to note that I was obviously much faster than her at the time. But we met because we enjoyed doing a lot of the same things; running and riding bikes. She has always been a huge part of my success.
Tablet: What would you say to a person looking to be more active?
Cardwell: Just show up. Get a couple of people together and get out there. That is how it starts. It doesn’t matter how small or how big the event is. Do something every weekend and a couple of times during the week. Don’t overthink it; just keep moving!
Kevin Grogan is a contributing sportswriter for the. South Lake Tablet. Kevin and Kimberly are owners of Dash-Sports
