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

[THoey1963]

I hate to say this, but you are going to have to find a way to get a break, or you are going to burn yourself out. You are the owner. You are going to need a manager so that you can take time off, go to an appointment, take a vacation, or at the very least, get the rest that you need.

I am not a restauranteur, but I have been working bars for most of my of age time. The owners that try to do it all, get burned out.

[Bbq Bubba]

Your small cases are not mistakes. Brisket has been running small for months now. Your supplier probably stockpiles so your just now seeing it.
Big or small they cook the same. I just cook 5 per rack now instead of 4.
Been wondering why you havent hired a GM yet? Let somebody take some responsibility so you don't end up dead in 6 months.
Keep up the good work. You'll figure it all out sooner or later.

[Awitte58]

Love this thread so much!
Been reading the entire thing on and off the last week. Finally caught up so I figured I'd post!

My neighbors on both sides are into the restaraunt biz. One owns a few pizza places and the other is nice sit down italian. We've spoke and its crazy just how much of your life it eats up.
Between their input and what you've offered up on here (thanks for sharing this experience BTW) it has further reinforced my decision to invest capital/partner in a BBQ joint, but only manage the $$ lol.

Keep it up! I pass through that general area going from Rockford IL to Toledo OH on 80/90.. Niles isn't too far out of the way.

[bbqmike_ny]

It's probably worthwhile to install some cameras in back area with a dvr you access remotely, most now have apps where you can check in from your phone. With theft and questionable employees, well worth the investment.

[marubozo]

Originally Posted by bbqmike_ny

It's probably worthwhile to install some cameras in back area with a dvr you access remotely, most now have apps where you can check in from your phone. With theft and questionable employees, well worth the investment.

I've had that since day one. Got 4 cameras going and they can be checked remotely.

And I dodged a bullet today. Had some insane weather come through last night and there is damage all over town and tens of thousands of people without power. I thought for sure when I came in this morning I was going to find the power out and warm coolers resulting in thousands of lost product. Thankfully, we were one of the few who kept power all night.

Granted, I have insurance for food loss in a situation like that, but I've got huge catering orders starting tomorrow and going through the week. Most of which were already paid for. You know what kind of nightmare that would have been if I couldn't get those filled? I was not looking forward to dealing with that at all.

While I did luck out on the food front, I didn't make it out unscathed. About a 50 foot tree came down out back by the wood pile and there was some damage to the roof of the barn. So it looks like I still need to deal with the insurance company.

It could have been worse.

But now I'm off to go look at a concession trailer that just popped up for sale on craigslist. It's about perfect for the kind of vending I'm looking to do later this summer and in the fall.

[lashing1c]

I have been reading this form for a few days now and have not gotten to the end yet. But I have to make a comment. I am sick and tired of reading posts about how people think he cannot run out of food. What do you want him to do???????

People think he has a choice and I don't really think he does. People think he can choose not to run out of food. People think he can expand at the drop of the hat.
Here are a few choices he may have and only 1 makes sense to me:
1. Run out of food.
2. Expand-Not an option at this time. Money, Space, Employee's, quality of product, size of kitchen, food safety, his health, parking, seating, and on and on and on.... Let say he expands to serve more people but know no place to sit, food quality goes down, prices go up, SHOULD HE HAVE EXPANDED. He expands but inexperience on smokers has food under done, runs out of sides because kitchen cannot handle producing the sides.... SHOULD HE HAVE EXPANED?
3. Maybe people think he should make food on Monday's and Tuesday's and sell day old BBQ which sounds stupid but after reading the million comments about running out of food and how this should not happen it makes me wonder!!!....one never knows!!!!

I see 2 choices. You can sell food at a certain price and run out like small BBQ places do all the time. Or you can charge more and hope prices turn people away. I sure most people prefer option 1. To expand is not an option. Way to many road blocks at this time to expand as I said above.

Maybe I am way off but it seems to me a guy in the trenches would know the answer better than us. If he losing customer from running out of food it has taken an awful long time to see the negative affects of that decision!!

[batboy]

Originally Posted by marubozo

While I did luck out on the food front, I didn't make it out unscathed. About a 50 foot tree came down out back by the wood pile and there was some damage to the roof of the barn. So it looks like I still need to deal with the insurance company.

What kind of tree? Sounds like a little aging and you have yourself some free wood for the smokers!

[marubozo]

Originally Posted by batboy

What kind of tree? Sounds like a little aging and you have yourself some free wood for the smokers!

Unfortunately it's ash.

And I'm about 95% certain I'm buying this concession trailer. It is spotless. Could begin using it immediately as is, but I may make a few equipment tweaks to streamline it for BBQ.

[Bonewagon]

That trailer looks immaculate.

[sliding_billy]

Damn, that's a nice trailer. I love the yellow.

[Dauvis]

Wow... they took real good care of that trailer.

[marubozo]

Yeah, the trailer is less than 10 years old and has hardly any miles on it since the owner basically just used it to serve things like hot dogs and nachos across the street at the soccer fields. The yellow paint job was just completed two weeks ago. And the best part is it just got it's health department license renewed a few months ago, and by the same health inspector that I had at the restaurant.

But it's a 6x14" or so with electric and gas. Has two steam tables, small fridge, freezer, hot water tank, three bay sink, flat top griddle, and all the other goodies. Going to bring one of my cooks to come look at it tomorrow to see if I'm overlooking anything, but may pull the trigger on it as early as this week.

[ejmiller]

You could have something like this so you would get an alert if the temperature started going up:

http://www.lacrossetechnology.com/alerts/

[tortaboy]

Originally Posted by marubozo

Yeah, the trailer is less than 10 years old and has hardly any miles on it since the owner basically just used it to serve things like hot dogs and nachos across the street at the soccer fields. The yellow paint job was just completed two weeks ago. And the best part is it just got it's health department license renewed a few months ago, and by the same health inspector that I had at the restaurant.

But it's a 6x14" or so with electric and gas. Has two steam tables, small fridge, freezer, hot water tank, three bay sink, flat top griddle, and all the other goodies. Going to bring one of my cooks to come look at it tomorrow to see if I'm overlooking anything, but may pull the trigger on it as early as this week.

Holy crap. You've got soccer fields across the street from you too!

[landarc]

You're still alive? I was expecting to come back from vacation and here you are.