Jerome Wilson might be able to add a few more hunting trophies to the walls of the Split Tree Barbecue restaurant he started in 1982.

Wilson, 69, should have more time for hunting now that he has turned over management of the restaurant he nurtured from a small smoke shack into a landmark in the Alvaton community.

After seeing the eatery along Scottsville Road through some lean early years, when it was far off the beaten path, as well as surviving a move forced on him nearly 20 years ago when the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet took the original building for right of way, Wilson sold the business last year to longtime Split Tree employee Jessica Casto, who now leases the building from Wilson.

Sitting in the restaurant Wednesday, surrounded by those hunting trophies and the menagerie of memorabilia he has collected over the years, Wilson explained his decision.

“I had knee surgery last year, and I can’t stand all the time like I used to,” he said. “I thought I’d hold on to it (the property) and let Jessica take over the business.”

Casto, a 2005 Greenwood High School graduate who earned certification as an elementary school teacher, didn’t hesitate when Wilson came to her with his plan.

“He came to me and told me he was ready to retire,” Casto recalled. “I knew it was what I wanted to do. You only live once, so why not give it a shot?”

Casto had already worked at Split Tree for seven years, but Wilson has given her more in-depth tutoring over the past year to ease the transition.

“He took me under his wing and showed me how he has always made barbecue,” Casto said. “He let me know when to expect slow months. He prepared me well for this job.”

Not that Casto has been content to simply duplicate Wilson’s formula. Sure, the barbecue, coleslaw, beans and corn cakes that were the restaurant’s staples are still being served, but Casto has slowly added to the menu.

The children’s menu has expanded with hot dogs and macaroni and cheese, and the regular menu now includes nachos, brisket and multi-ingredient items called Pig Pie and Pigtato.

“One thing I like about this business is that every day is different,” Casto said. “I love change. Now that I’m the owner, I can try live music and run specials. I adapt well to change.”

One thing that hasn’t changed is the laid-back atmosphere that includes those hunting trophies and myriad photos and yearbooks from the old Alvaton High School where Wilson’s father once taught.

“I left all of that the same,” Casto said of the collection. “Jerome’s dad was a teacher, and all kinds of local people knew him. People come in all the time and talk about Jerome’s dad being their teacher. You can look at these walls and find something different every day.”

Casto will try something else different Saturday, when she celebrates the one-year anniversary of the restaurant’s ownership change. The celebration will include menu specials from 4 to 8 p.m. and live music for the last two hours.

A year into her new venture, Casto said running a restaurant suits her. The loyal customers that Wilson cultivated over the years, combined with new developments like the Drakes Ridge subdivision and others along Scottsville Road, have kept business steady.

“We have people who eat here almost every day,” Casto said. “Jerome did really well with this business, and it’s not going to hurt anything that we’re having so much new development.”

Wilson, who still stops by Split Tree regularly, may be missing out on that potential growth, but he doesn’t regret the decision to step away from the restaurant.

“I miss it,” he said. “But I don’t miss going home with my knees hurting.”

– Follow business reporter Don Sergent on Twitter @BGDNbusiness or visit bgdailynews.com.