Open a BBQ restaurant, they said. It will be fun, they said

[HankB]

Good luck! We stopped by the original location a couple times and look forward to visiting the new spot.

[marubozo]

A big piece of the puzzle arrived tonight.

[Neil]

Be sure to get a hold of Pat Moody and clue him in on your new venture after all your t's are crossed and i's dotted. He does a great job of promoting our local entreupeneer's at Mail Max.

[ArtBQ]

I spent the entire day yesterday reading this post from start to finish. What a story! I'm sure I speak for many on this thread that we appreciate your candor and letting us peek into your personal and business life.

As someone who has always wanted to have a BBQ joint or food truck, it leaves me with one important question. Was it all worth it? The business was doing well but it seems like there was very little profit. If you could go back and change one thing, what would it have been?

[BBQ_Bama]

Originally Posted by ArtBQ

I spent the entire day yesterday reading this post from start to finish. What a story! I'm sure I speak for many on this thread that we appreciate your candor and letting us peek into your personal and business life.

As someone who has always wanted to have a BBQ joint or food truck, it leaves me with one important question. Was it all worth it? The business was doing well but it seems like there was very little profit. If you could go back and change one thing, what would it have been?

I really appreciate him documenting this for all of us to follow as well. Reading his experiences along with a personal friend's experiences helped me make the decision to just keep BBQ as a hobby. Not knocking those who decide to do it. I respect the heck out of anyone who takes the leap and gives it a go.

Over the last few years I've been able to get a lot of experience on what it would be like cooking for large groups/"for the masses". I've planned and cooked for church fundraisers where I cooked for literally 400 people and also headed up fundraisers for my kids' youth sports teams. I now (for the most part) am very selective as to who I cook for with regard to people who ask me to head up their church/youth fundraiser. I decline more than I accept. Getting these experiences on top of getting to read about and hear other people's experiences who've actually gotten into the business was enough for me to decide to keep it as a hobby.

[Eckie]

Just finished reading this over the last week or so....holy crap what a coaster. Glad to see you're back in the game Jeremy, best of luck! Dont know how i missed this thread before when i frequented on here more often, but wow...

[Mikeinctown]

I was following the Prized Pig on Facebook and saw a few posts recently that it as opening back up and also saw the post about the smoker. Apparently it is his original one. I was able to stop in once at the original location and had some good food and will be in Chicago next week. Too bad the new place won't be open by then.

I know a lot of people have commented about media, etc but it could be a double edged sword. In following the facebook posts there were a lot of former customers upset at the closing of the original as they had various gift cards or other promo offers that they had paid for. I'm sure people will wonder what options they have since it is the same owner and same restaurant name.

[Pyle's BBQ]

Good luck Jeremy, I remember when you contacted me about your first restaurant. I am in a position now I can actually get out there and try your place.

[jacobp]

hated to see One Fourteen close, but Jeremy you got a great location. Selfishly I hoped you meant downtown South Bend, but Mishawaka is a good place to be and close enough I'm sure i'll be seeing you at least a couple times a month.

congrats!

[marubozo]

I see jacobp saw the location announcement, but yeah it became official early this week. We took possession of the building on Tuesday and construction is already underway. I'm shocked that the city is allowing us to build a second story deck and put that big ass smoker up top and right outside the kitchen door. It's going to be great.

So things are moving along fairly quickly now. Lots of meetings next week regarding signage, a health department walkthrough, newspaper interviews, etc. Its happening!

[nmeyer414]

Originally Posted by marubozo

I see jacobp saw the location announcement, but yeah it became official early this week. We took possession of the building on Tuesday and construction is already underway. I'm shocked that the city is allowing us to build a second story deck and put that big ass smoker up top and right outside the kitchen door. It's going to be great.

So things are moving along fairly quickly now. Lots of meetings next week regarding signage, a health department walkthrough, newspaper interviews, etc. Its happening!

this is awesome news. hopefully we can get a few pics of the new prized pig?!

[BigDaveBBQ]

Wow.......... I was referred to this thread from another member after he commented on a post I made. I started reading at 9PM last night, made it to page 117 before I passed out @ 12:51 with my phone in my hand. Woke up at 5:45 AM and just finished about 30 minutes ago. I needed to take some time to get through the roller coaster of emotion. All I have to say is I echo everyone else "YOU NEED TO WRITE A BOOK". You mentioned that you were a writer prior to the original prized pig, well sounds like you got a nice chunk of change sitting on the back burner should you find the time to make it happen.

From the front -end issues that arose from buying the building, dealing with contractors, city, health department, mechanics, and contractors. You have experienced a lifetime of events in 2 years, from the tragic death in your restaurant to a divorce I bet you never thought would happen the day you stood at the altar. The stress you endured I am surprised all you ever had health wise was to be put on blood pressure medicine.

Being the industry for 15 years an opening over a dozen restaurants I know the physical and emotional demand first hand. The road blocks, and the long hours’ day in and day out. Each time I clicked next and awaited an update post I kept looking for a "relationship" or date night, vacation note included. Only because again, I know it all too familiar. People end up marrying their restaurant. The family and significant other see the success and wonder why you do not just pass the keys off and collect a check. It sounds like you have the same bones as me, I have way more attention to detail than others. No matter how much I train and teach the next person, it is not perfect. Sounds like we share that like minded programming that cannot be shut off. So when your update came regarding your marriage, I knew it was coming. I hope you have found solitude in it all and are at peace with that portion of your life.

If you have not been able to realize from the amount of support the last 6 years, you found your calling. You have a skill that most cannot repeat. You are part of the culinary 1%. The 1% of people that start up a restaurant to follow their dreams and have a line out the door and nearly sell out every day and have to turn away business. It is so rare I cannot even begin to explain, but I am sure after your time traveling and socializing, it is not the first time you are hearing that. It is great to see people find the value in the knowledge that you attained. No matter how rocky of a road that you had to take in order to get to where you are now, you have the key to help people succeed.

This has helped me a lot to see the journey and follow along.

I wish you nothing but new success and thank you for taking the time to post updates through your trails and tribulations. Even when times were at a low you came here and made a post.

Can't wait to read the paperback

[marubozo]

I must be crazy attempting to do this once again. We're getting close to opening the doors, but as before, things never go as smoothly as you'd like. We got set back a few weeks because of some issues that arose during renovation.

For example, the walk-in cooler in the basement. It was in rough condition and was in a horrible location. So we wanted to tear it down, fix and clean up, and put it where it should be located. Well wouldn't you know a building this old doesn't have level floors, so we had to pour concrete to make a base for the cooler.

We had subcontracted some work out for kitchen tile and one day the guy just stops showing up. Figures. And trying to find someone else on such short notice certainly wasn't the easiest.

All sorts of little issues from equipment not fitting properly to technology troubles with the networking hardware that was left in here. Oh, and the liquor license. What an ordeal that process is. So it looks like we will be opening sans beer initially, but hopefully will have that ready to go in about a month.

But the smoker and kitchen range was delivered today, some of the final pieces of the puzzle going into place. Still a few things yet to buy and setup for the kitchen, but it's getting close.

Check out facebook for pictures of the updates. We've got dining room furniture on order and once that gets put in it will actually look like a restaurant in here.

Everybody keeps asking when we will open, but its hard to put an exact date just yet. We're really hoping sometime during the week following the labor day weekend, but until a few more items and staff are in place it could be just a tad longer. But things are so close, and it's going extremely well, headaches aside.

[Taylormade]

Good stuff man, thanks for the update!

[BreakingBBQ]

Jeremy, it's great to see you back in the game. Just, please, as someone who has been reading your journey from pretty early, that you make sure to take care of yourself physically and mentally.

While most of us have never met you we feel like we know you better than some family members and would hate to see a repeat that you couldn't recover from.