With temperatures on the rise, many local residents are dusting off their grills after a long winter hibernation to partake in one of the country’s most beloved outdoor pastimes with family and friends.

Among those joining in the fun is Dowagiac’s Earl Collins, who will soon fire up his massive BBQ pit to share tender, sauce-lathered ribs, chicken and pork with hungry visitors downtown.

The local pitmaster will reopen his restaurant, Earl’s BBQ, located behind Underwood Shoes at 103 Commercial St., for the season on Saturday, April 8. Formerly open only on weekends, Collins is extending the hours of the eatery: it will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

Collins also plans to offer some special deals for the reopening. Customers who purchase one dinner — consisting of a main dish, coleslaw and a second side of their choice — may purchase a second dinner for half price.

The Dowagiac man has been cooking since he was 12 years old, helping his parents in the kitchen of the restaurant the family owned in Mississippi. He moved north with his folks in 1959, living in Chicago before moving to Dowagiac, where his parents started and ran Collins’ Restaurant on Pokagon Street in the 1970s.

While a capable hand in the kitchen, Collins developed a particular passion for the grill, which he was taught how to use by his parents, he said.

“It didn’t matter if it was winter or summer, I was always on the grill,” Collins said. “I just love cooking outdoors.”

He continued to hone his skills after moving back to Mississippi in 1999. While working a full-time job with a local school district, Collins traveled around the South to cook in BBQ competitions and festivals, racking up several first-place prizes in the process.

When Collins moved back to Dowagiac in 2013, he decided to share his passion for barbecue with the community, he said.

“After I moved back up here, I didn’t want to just sit around and I wanted to keep doing what I loved to do, so I decided to open up my own business,” Collins said.

Earl’s BBQ officially opened for business in summer 2014. Since then, Collins has assembled a loyal customer base who crave his freshly smoked meats.

Collins’ menu consists of staples one would expect from a barbecue joint, including ribs (both spare and baby back), rib tips, chicken and pulled pork.

“People love the rib tips, in particular,” he said. “They are super tender.”

The owner also serves catfish and his trademark Italian pork, a plate of pulled pork seasoned with Italian herbs and spices that is served with diced onions and peppers.

The owner begins smoking meats for service at 6 a.m. every morning on the back porch of the restaurant. His massive pit can smoke several hundred pounds of food at one time, including up to 15 full racks of ribs or 30 to 40 chickens, he said.

While his menu will largely remain the same, the owner is looking to make some improvements to the dining room of his establishment. He plans to put up some new artwork — courtesy of his brother, local artist O’Larry Collins — as well as some TV monitors so people can watch the game while getting a bite to eat, he said.

With the extended hours, Collins is hoping his BBQ will catch the eye — and please the taste buds — of even more customers, especially during the busy summer season downtown.

“If you want to taste some good barbecue — the best you’ve ever had — come to Earl’s BBQ,” Collins said. “You’ll be licking your fingers afterwards.”