About Us

Bringing Food & Community Together

On the Rise Bar-B-Que & Catering started after our passion for authentic barbecue was becoming hard to find locally and the owner David Gerhart loved serving others amazing food that warms the soul! David has partnered with a fellow BBQ enthusiast and foodie, Aaron Wilson to bring this dream alive. Aaron and David share a kindred spirit for barbecue and also share the desire to foster a community of possibility and growth. Their passion that is poured in to every bite of our signature smoked meats and sides will make you feel the amount of love that each of them have for their talent, craft and community.

David & Emily Gerhart

To David, barbecue is not just food. It is a community that exudes friendship, fellowship and fun. David serves the local community as a Paramedic and his excitement for great food and cooking started at an early age when standing at the kitchen counter helping his mother and grandmother bake and decorate wedding and specialty cakes. From there, he took on multiple cooking projects through 4-H, including state fair competitions. When he met his wife, Emily, David started to explore the vast culture of different regional types of food in the United States. During their travels, they never eat in the same place more than once because there are so many options to be explored, with the exception of a few favorite “honey hole” locations. He has found other Pitmasters that have been open and shared some tricks and even some recipes. He took those and with his wife’s help, applied science and tweaked those recipes to become what we know now as our signature meats and sides! David is joined in the day to day operations of the trailer by his wife, Emily.

Aaron Wilson

Serving is something that Aaron has been doing for his entire life. Aaron served our country in the military as a Field Surgeon and then moving from New York to Fredericktown to be the leading family practice doctor and medical director for several other medical agencies in the community. Aaron believes honor, integrity and above all family are important in his everyday life. With his entrepreneurial spirit mixed with his love for good food, Aaron supports other small business owners to help them be successful. Aaron along with his wife and children live in the Fredericktown community where they serve multiple roles. Aaron’s wife, Jenn, is the co-owner of The Brickhouse Grind Coffeehouse & Giftshop where she leads children and adults in art classes as well as makes an amazing cup of coffee.