About Caribou Jack’s Trading Co & BBQ

We are family-owned, family-operated, and family-friendly

Caribou Jack’s Trading Co & BBQ was founded in 1903 as Gagon’s Lumber, and the Gagon family owned it until the 1970s. The hardware store then changed owners a few times before the Lau family purchased it in 2010, when Robert & Elizabeth Lau decided to return to his family’s hometown. The Lau family ancestors had originally settled in Soda Springs, Idaho in 1871.

Caribou Jack’s started as a hardware store, selling lumber, paint, and building materials. As Robert & Elizabeth took over the business, they began expanding into other product areas, like outdoor gear, sports equipment, and grills.

In May 2017, Robert Lau was on stage at the National Hardware Show®,  alongside nine other independent home improvement retailers. Rich Russo, vice president of the National Hardware Show, announced Caribou Jack’s as the first Reimagine Retail winner and recipient of $100,000 to jump-start an ambitious business plan.

A few months earlier, Robert submitted an essay to the National Hardware Show’s “Reimagine Retail” program, detailing how he’d spend the program’s $100,000 to improve his business.  He proposed building a farm-to-table restaurant in his home improvement and sporting goods store, wagering that combining the grilling and farming communities in his rural market would be a smart bet that could raise revenue and transform his company’s brand.

As Caribou Jack’s already sold Traeger grills, Robert created his cafe menu around smoked meats cooked on Traeger grills. The cafe also showcases a variety of barbecue sauces and rubs for customers to try as part of their meal. Now Caribou Jack’s offers all wide selection of grilling tools, grills, griddles, barbecue sauces, marinades, and rubs.

Without reducing the importance of his core hardware categories, Robert’s winning submission reimagined Caribou Jack’s as a community gathering point, a place where DIYers could collect everything they needed for a weekend project, contractors could make large-scale inventory orders, and customers could grab a quick, delicious meal using products that can be purchased in-store.

“I can’t express just how grateful, thankful and humbled I am by this opportunity. It is truly a blessing for my family and myself, and hopefully for our community as well,” Robert said.

In the spring of 2023, Caribou Jack’s Expanded into Historic Downtown Pocatello. The new location offers a wide range of hardware, paint, tools, plumbing, lawn & garden, toys and sporting goods on the first floor. The mezzanine offers Pocatello’s only cooking store - The Culinary Market at Caribou Jack’s.