The Adventure Continues: Welcome to PaulsRibShackBarbecue.com

[PaulstheRibList]

Journey's are fun! Sometimes hard, sometimes exhilarating, usually involving a lot of work, and often blessed by the generosity and wisdom of others, as in Meathead teaching me how to smoke meat over live fire!

The next step in the Barbecue Adventure here at #theRibList is...opening a Barbecue Trailer and Vending/Catering/Events business, PaulsRibShackBarbecue.com. I've had so much fun cooking barbecue and making friends through it, I've decided to increase our capacity to do more of that by buying a FoodTruck/Trailer and serving up some tasty Barbecue!

A friend made me a logo, and I decided to make it a little more modern. Then I asked my graphic/photographer/website person to make a Patriotic rendition. She added this Flame of Freedom to it, and rather than being a Patriotic Rendition, it's our Full Time Logo!

What do ya'll think?




I've been working on designing and sourcing a trailer since about 9 months, and last Wednesday, a buddy and I got in my truck and headed up to Nashville to pick it up!

She is BIG!!!! 26 feet long, not including the V-Nose. 8.5 foot ceilings. 13 foot of Kitchen, and a 11 foot deck for Smokers!

On the back hangs a Myron Mixon 72xc, a Stickburner with 47 SQUARE FEET of Cooking space, on 3 grates that are nearly 6 foot by 3 foot each!


Inside, all the fixin's Here's the Prep Counter with storage above and below. Stainless counters with rolled fronts, and they stick out beyond the cabinet's so your feet can fit beneath.

Toward the front, Fridge on the left. Winston CVAP warming cabinet will arrive next week and go next to the fridge. Handwash and 3 part sink in the front, with lots of storage above. On the right, a shadowbox for a TV and menu's, the serving window and counter, and a 2 compartment steam table. AC at the top. Rubberized flooring. Everything is stainless or Aluminium.


My new 2008 GMC 2500 has the 6.0 gasser in it. Only about 12 MPG normally, 13.6 hwy on the drive up. However, you tag on this great big, tall trailer, 3850 pounds before you put on the smoker (1,800 pounds) and other gear... Well, if you pull her 75 MPH in the hills of Alabama, it stays in 4th gear, about 3,600 RPM and you get a whopping 5.6 MPG. Slow down to 65 on the flatlands, it will stay in 5th gear, about 2,400 RPM, and tuck in behind an 18 wheeler, and that rises to a whole 8 MPG! My brother offered his 2500 with the Diesel for our next long trip!


A New Day has Dawned here at #theRibList, it's #theRibShack!

[SoCalTim]

Oh man, that trailer is gorgeous! Best of luck in business, I have a dream of doing the same!

[DWCowles]

That is awesome Paul! Wish you the best success

[AZRedneck]

Nice looking logo Paul, along with a nice looking rig! I have 2 RV gates on my property. I DARE you to beat the winter snap and come to my house in Arizona for "seasoning" of the pit. Well done sir.

[David Parrish]

Whoah! That's beautiful. What's your business plan?

[ribeyeguy]

Congratulations Paul, what a beautiful setup! Good luck, I'm sure you'll be successful!

[Nate]

Congrats BISHOP! The trailer looks awesome and the logo too! Lots of great ideas in that rig!

Is that going to be what you use for the Crowder concert?

[bbqoaf]

So awesome, all the best in this venture!

Im looking forward to some pics of that monster in action!

[Jerod Broussard]

Too purdy, too purdy!!!

[PaulstheRibList]

Whoah! That's beautiful. What's your business plan?

Excellent question! That's what the Entrepreneur asks. Here's the basic outline:

1. Restaurants that are profitable do a couple of things: Food is Good, Experience is Fun, and if you're a local/theme shop, the more Noteworthy/Authentic/Storytelling the better. If you can do these things, customers WANT the experience, and are a little less sensitive to price. This allows your place to be busy AND profitable.

2. Build a Following. I was a commercial loan officer for 16 years, and I hated restaurant loan requests. Most folks really neglect the Build a Following part of the equation. They assume there idea/food is so great people will find them. That's a risky bet. Better bet is to do the work and Build a Following. Launching a food truck takes operational quality, vibe and a following. We are going to work at building a following before we do lots of vending days. I've accidentally been doing this for over a year. Cook for charity events. Give away Ribs for 50 Party Gift Certificates to Charities (raised $12,000 for charities so far). Bring a box full of the best drumsticks folks have ever had to offices - the variable cost of doing this is small if you already have someone on the trailer and the smoker lit. The impression is great, and now a dozen or so people will be talking about you for a week. Smoke really good Barbecue! There are no really good BBQ joints around here. Not even any that are consistently good. The field is wide open for someone to raise the bar. Authentic Cookers, using natural products in a rustic process - if there's no active woodpile out by the smoker...

3. We'll do vending days at events that bring their own crowd. There is one really successful food truck in town. We've become friends, he's my restaurant commissary and he and some others have made some successful events that draw a crowd. We'll be there and be ready to serve at least a guest a minute with a 2 person serving crew. A guest every 30 seconds with a 3 person serving crew.

4. Emphasize catering in the beginning, as we build operational capacity and a larger crew. I need 3 medium size catering gigs at only 30% margin (after variable costs of food, supplies and labor) to pay for the trailer. That's the minimum.

5. Social media helps you keep your connection with that following. @BishopofBBQ and @GetOntheRibList

6. If we are having fun, making money and selling out, consider a land based option as Phase 2 down the road.

[PaulstheRibList]

Right on with that, ecowper!

[6th Borough BBQ]

Wow that was great! Thank you.

[eschmid2]

Great thoughts on the business approach !! Best success to you !

[PaulstheRibList]

Congrats BISHOP! The trailer looks awesome and the logo too! Lots of great ideas in that rig!

Is that going to be what you use for the Crowder concert?

The Crowder Concert has been my Launch Date, creating the Urgency to Make it Happen! Crowder is 12 days away, and short of having all the graphics on the trailer, we will be totally ready! (Full Bone-In Beef Short Ribs for Crowder!!!)

[Nate]

Awesome and Congrats... Anxious to see some pics! Also anxious to hear how that mixon smoker does! Wish the wife and I could road trip down for the show and the inaugural launch of the new trailer.

[RonB]

Wow Paul - that's a great looking trailer. good, no, great luck in your now venture.

[Mr. Bones]

Looks fantastic, and I wish you great success!!!

Sorry that them trailer-makin' folk was all sold outta the BIG ones, but I reckon ya' still done purty good, as she sets!

With my warmest wishes for success, and my best regards to you, and your'n!

[Breadhead]

The Bishop of BBQ...👌 Brilliant slogan. The logo looks great too. The trailer, smokers are absolutely beautiful, first class. People that know BBQ will bow down to your rig!!! It sounds like you've got a solid business plan now it's time to execute.👍 You are going to need some additional help because people that really know BBQ are going to want you to give them a tour of your beautiful setup. If you're trapped in the kitchen you can't entertain your customers with BBQ stories during their tour.😆

Paul I wish nothing but the best for you and your new project.🤑 Having a job you love is not like real work. Having fun for 12 to 18 hours a day ought to be illegal.😎

[GBA]

Sweet.
May your smoke make many people smile.