Episode 13 - "The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly Of Running A BBQ Restaurant" - September 2, 2021

[Huskee]

Hi all, notice above, the Good Bad & Ugly Of Opening A BBQ Restaurant Happy Hour was recovered and posted above (main top post)!

[Meathead]

It is now posted

[Meathead]

Just posted

[STEbbq]

Is this one ready to be shared?

[Huskee]

Yes, it will be posted above in the main top post of this topic once it's formatted. And if you scan the main channel we're in here, by looking at the breadcrumb trail at the top under the menu bar you'll see "Happy Hour Live Interactive Broadcasts", click it to go the main channel... there you'll see all the other Happy Hour episodes.

[Steve R.]

Exactly. Why would I do that to myself when I can cook at my leisure at home and have them bring the sides and drinks? And nobody ever asks to speak to the manager at my house.

[Santamarina]

Are these recorded and posted anywhere? I would love to have been on Zoom today, but I was at baseball practice with my boys during the call.

[Mr. Bones]

Mebbe combine both skillsets, an have a BBQ / beer an whiskey truck. As Huskee done said, would love to set down an visit, truck, or no!

[Murdy]

A sizeable group also thinks "bar" -- which I also would not touch after having bartended a bit.

[Craigar]

Huskee That would be a great evening! Which could very well turn into an early morning.

[Huskee]

I want to visit you and shoot the bull, drink, and eat BBQ with you for an evening. Food truck or not. Craigar

[Craigar]

I hear ya man. Years ago it was a dream to open up a joint in these parts as we have been hurting for just some decent BBQ, not good, but decent, for decades. But after seeing what some friends went through with a bar & grill, it turned me off pretty quickly. I'm thinking as a retirement hobby, a food truck would be more my speed...then again, drinking more beer & whiskey would be a better hobby.

[Huskee]

Making a living doing what we love is what appeals to any sane human. I think the idea of making your food and others in your community, outside of your group of friends & family, raving about it, maybe even waiting in line for it, plus making a little coin and possibly even getting your name in print somewhere is what appeals to many of us.

I liken it to a musician. There are literally millions of talented musicians out there, but we only know about a few dozen maybe a couple hundred who made it big over the years. Why? Lack of trying? Failing?

My buddy who I graduated with and was the best man in my wedding ran a small BBQ diner (he made brisket, pork & ribs for lunch & dinner and classic diner breakfasts & sammiches and a sausage eggs & gravy platter that could kill the unprepared) and it was very popular for the few years he ran it. It was always busy, rarely any open tables, and it was the place the old guys congregated at 6am to drink coffee and talk about dubya-dubya-2. The constant busyness and the popularity was deceiving. I pictured him making an absolute killing. Not so much.

He told me all the horror stories through the years that he ran it. 80-100hr weeks, no personal paycheck. He had an employee stealing (embezzling) from him for many months. He didn't have the money to take her to court, it was far cheaper to let it go than to fight it. Every 2 months your supplier's prices go up but you can't raise your prices that often. Employees, them being sick, their drama that affects them showing up on time when you need them to open. There's a lot more to consider man, a LOT. It's way more than just your name on a sign and people waiting for hours for your food and now you're wealthy and living happily ever after. Sure, if someone who couldn't do it were to do it again, they'd employ all the hard-learned lessons and do things different, but geeze by then you're likely sick of it and want nothing to do with it. My buddy told me to this day he can't eat pulled pork. He's so sick of it and the memories it brings back. Yikes. I'd rather stick with loving it and it being a past time instead of nightmares of work.

[Beefchop]

This looks like a great happy hour topic! I don't know why, but the majority of people think "restaurant" when they think of starting their own business. Not me. Especially a BBQ joint.

[Jerod Broussard]

I tell them to open up a restaurant and pay me $85000 to cook in it. End-of-conversation 🤪