Hughes & Coleman Hometown Hero: Kathy Howard

RUSSELLVILLE, Ky. (WBKO) - Kathy Howard is one of the co-owners of Roy’s Bar-B-Que and has been cooking for residents of Logan County and surrounding areas since 1987.

Founded by her parents, Ralph and Jolene Morgan in 1983, Roy’s has become a staple in the community. Not only as a place to eat but a place where every guest feels like family. The restaurant is still run by members of the Morgan family as they carry the tradition started by Ralph and Jolene.

Kathy worked in a factory before joining the family business and began to flourish when Roy’s opened a second location. Since then, she has become an integral part of the success of the restaurant.

Arriving at work before anyone else, Kathy can be found in the kitchen preparing the food and desserts that will be served during the day.

Kathy takes on any role needed to ensure that everyone’s experience at Roy’s keeps them coming back.

“She’s an unbelievable woman. Anything you could imagine, she’s on up there,” said Tabitha Shaffer, Kathy’s daughter.

She is driven by the desire to be there for everyone from customers, to employees, and her family.

“Kathy puts love into everything she cooks at Roy’s purely for the customer to enjoy,” said Connie Morgan, Kathy’s sister-in-law. “She works many hours a week and even extra during the holidays to make sure Roy’s can be the best they can be.”

Kathy is also known to take special food requests from customers and ensure that they get the meal they asked for.

Her cooking is not limited to Roy’s however. Kathy cooks food for rotary functions, and sporting events for Logan County and Russellville schools and feeds the homeless with Living Hope Church in Bowling Green.

“She is quiet, beautiful inside and out, and the strongest lady I know,” said Morgan. “She treats all people in this community with love and grace.”

Her generosity and work ethic were taught to her by her parents.

“They taught us to be generous, kind, and hardworking,” Shaffer said. “At the end of the day, I don’t do this for myself. I do it for my family and the families that work here and the families in the community.”

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