3 Huge Challenges BBQ Restaurants Face Today

After years of big wins in competition barbecue, pitmaster Blane Hunter opened his first BBQ restaurant Porky Butts BBQ in Omaha, Nebraska in August 2019. Little did he know when he opened it that the next few years would be an unpredictable rollercoaster for restaurant owners.

In summer 2021, many restaurants like Porky Butts BBQ have seen increased demand versus a year ago but new challenges have presented themselves. The two most common we’ve heard from BBQ restaurateurs are soaring meat and supply prices and a serious shortage of labor. Hunter adds that there’s a third issue to the mix — impatient customers who aren’t willing to wait a little longer for food.

We spoke with Hunter to get a current glimpse into what’s like to operate a BBQ joint right now, blemishes and all. This conversation has been lightly edited for clarity.

Blane Hunter, the owner of Porky Butts BBQ in Omaha, shows off his barbecue skills. (Photo via Porky Butts)

The Smoke Sheet (TSS): One of the most common problems we are hearing about daily is meat prices. What are you seeing at Porky Butts BBQ?
Blane Hunter (BH): It's pretty substantial. Ribs are probably the most difficult because the price has gone up 80% versus when I first opened in August 2019. And the quality is now inconsistent. We're actually cutting our own St. Louis style ribs out of spares. But we're paying more for spares right now. … I told the people from the pork plant that it's one thing if you're going to raise my costs, but the fact that the product is half as good as it was is not good. Now I'm getting just random ribs, and I'm paying twice as much. I don't mind paying more if I have to because that's what the market is, but at least offer consistent products. 

TSS: And you’ve been hearing this from other local BBQ restaurants as well?
BH: I’m fortunate enough that we buy such volume and we have contracts in place that help us a little bit more. But some of the other restaurants are even to the point that not only can they not pay them the numbers that they're asking — I've seen prices as high as $7.20 a pound for St. Louis cut ribs — but they can't even get them in some cases. So it's a struggle for barbecue restaurants as a whole. … We are also all incurring higher costs for disposables, masks, gloves, more cleaning supplies, etc.

Meat prices have gone up as much as 80% on some cuts of common barbecue meats. (Photo by Wai Chan)

TSS: Are there any ways you’ve been able to work around the high meat prices?
BH: We've been trying to get more creative. I just ordered 12 cases of beef cheeks this week, and I'm going to do smoked beef cheek tacos and beef cheek on the menu soon. We’re ordering different things than we normally do at the restaurant. It’s also an opportunity to do something out there that we think we can make fun and different. … They're all Snake River Farms Wagyu beef cheeks, and they’re going to be pretty ridiculous.

TSS: Based on conversations with suppliers and other restaurants, what’s causing the high prices right now besides the high demand for meat?
BH: The supply chain is not working normally. The overall world was just turned off so everyone kind of slowed everything down and they didn't raise many animals. And then all at once, the floodgates are open. There are also people around the world buying more American meat and that's kind of putting a pinch on our producers. … The plants are also short on workers, with 50 to 60% of the labor that they had pre-COVID. So they're just struggling.  My pork comes out of St. Joseph, Missouri, and I know the plant at one time only had 40% of their pre-COVID employees back. And they were struggling really bad to get it back up to speed.

TSS: Have you had to increase your menu prices at all to account for the meat prices?
BH: I have not increased anything. I've taken. You know, I had an increase about seven to eight months ago in the middle of COVID, but we haven't taken a full menu increase due to the fact that some of our contracts were still in place. But we are going to be taking a percentage increase here in the next 10 days.

Porky Butts BBQ has a lot to offer in terms of meat and sides. (Photo by Wai Chan)

TSS: Another major issue has been labor. Are you short employees right now?
BH: The labor shortage has been tough because I’ve got a good group of core employees here, and they're just working their tails off to supply the large customer base that we have. And it’s really hard to get fresh faces in here to help out. We have 90% great and hard-working employees that are here permanent. Then we have about 10% that just churns. You get 20 to 30 applications a week and one person shows up. … And we have interviewed people that said, "It's probably better for me just to take the unemployment than go back to work." I have had that presented to us, but none of our employees have left to go take unemployment. … I grew up in the restaurant industry, and I know how hard we all work, so I take care of my employees.

TSS: Are there other challenges you’re facing outside of core costs and labor?
BH: Honestly, the biggest challenge that we're having right now is just with the public and how impatient people are since COVID. I don't know if it's because they've been locked up or what, but we'll get 10 to 12 minutes behind on tickets on Saturday night when we have a line around the building and, and there are people that just absolutely treat others with disrespect. And it's unfortunate because people are working their tails off. It’s not like we're just lounging. My staff is working as hard as they possibly can and get so much disrespect. … People are walking up to the counter and placing the order to go, we quote them 30 minutes, and they just absolutely lose it on us. They want it instantly now, even though we have 150 plus tickets hanging. I don't know how to educate them to understand that those are human beings that you're degrading. Cussing out 16-year-old kids is not gonna get you anywhere in life.

TSS: How do you feel about prices for the rest of 2021?
BH: Honestly, I think after the Fourth of July meat purchases, it might slow down. I think some of the plants are starting to catch up. And then extra unemployment will go away, so I think people are going to have to circle back to work and that'll help the plants with production. So through the rest of Q3 and Q4, I think we're gonna start seeing meat prices coming down a little. I don't think they'll ever go back to where they were just because you don't want to be caught with your pants down. But I think we'll definitely see some prices go back to somewhat normal.

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Thank you to Blane for speaking with us about some of the biggest challenges facing barbecue restaurants today. We strongly encourage you to continue hitting up your local barbecue joints, and please be patient with them if it takes a little longer than normal.

Sean Ludwig (NYC BBQ)
Co-Founder, The Smoke Sheet

Thanks to our sponsor Sauce King NYC, a virtual event from Food Karma Projects that's now in its second year. Using judges, Sauce King NYC determines the best barbecue sauces, hot sauces, marinades, and more from around the country. It is now accepting submissions through August 15th for the 2021 competition. Enter your best sauce in the competition today!

The first-ever Kansas City BBQ Festival kicked off this past weekend in the parking lot of Arrowhead Stadium. (Photo by Wai Chan.)—

HOT OFF THE PRESS

The inaugural Kansas City BBQ Festival took place this past weekend in the parking lot of GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. The three-day event featured Kansas City BBQ restaurants such as Joe’s Kansas City, Plowboys, and Jones Bar-B-Que along with several pitmasters from across the country, including 2M Smokehouse, Black’s Bar-B-Que, Central City BBQ, and more. In addition to enjoying food, festival-goers were able to watch cooking demonstrations and listen to live music. READ MORE.

Weber-Stephen Products LLC, maker of the popular Weber brand of grills, is planning on going public this year. According to reporting from Bloomberg, Goldman Sachs and Bank of America have been called upon to lead the offering. The company is estimated to be valued at anywhere between $4 billion to $6 billion. Weber’s IPO follows closely on the heels of popular pellet grill brand Traeger Inc., which filed its S-1 paperwork to go public last week. Weber calls itself the largest manufacturer of grills and grilling accessories and raised $1.5 billion in debt last October. READ MORE.

Tausha Hammett, the granddaughter of the late pitmaster LC Richardson, is keeping the family tradition alive at LC’s Bar-B-Que in Kansas City. After her grandfather’s passing earlier this year, Hammett memorialized the table and chair where he would sit and watch over the restaurant. She also used the time to give the legendary barbecue pit a complete overhaul. “It’s very important to be able to keep the fire going,” Hammett told KCUR. READ MORE.

The folks at CNN asked three barbecue experts about the best BBQ sauces and rubs and here are their 15 favorite products. Author Adrian Miller, Scott Thomas from The Grillin’ Fools, and Kita Roberts from the Girl Carnivore blog all shared their top picks. What’s great about this list is that the sauces and rubs come from both big and small producers, so there’s something for everyone here. “I have an entire wall, floor to ceiling, in my pantry dedicated to rubs and sauces,” Thomas said. “It is packed so tightly that my wife will require that I throw some away if I bring home any more. Luckily she hasn’t found my secondary stash yet.” READ MORE.
 

ADDITIONAL READS

Harris County General Store BBQ Co., which opened recently in Houston’s East End, celebrates its grand opening this week.

How Code 3 Spices co-founder Mike Radosevich went from badge to barbecue after making some major life choices.

Six top North and South Carolina barbecue experts share their top picks for what wood to use in cooking and smoking.

Here’s how to make South Carolina-style mustard barbecue sauce.

SC’s Festival of Discovery hosted its fourth annual Kids Que competition last Friday night.

Englewood, Ohio police sergeant Mike Lang shares his love for food in his new ‘One-Beer Grilling’ cookbook.

These are the best cuts of steak to look for when you’re on a budget.

Lickie Stickie BBQ pitmaster Juliette Johnson is opening a new restaurant in Sunrise, Florida.

Los Angeles pitmaster Burt Bakman gets grilled on everything barbecue by Fine Dining Lovers.

Thanks to our sponsor FOGO, maker of premium lump charcoal that lights quickly and burns hotter and longer. Click here to learn more about FOGO.

—Matt Pittman of Meat Church BBQ compares brisket wrapped in foil vs butcher paper in a new video.—

WATCH

Smoking Brisket Wrapped in Foil vs Butcher Paper — Meat Church BBQ

For the first video of a new brisket-focused series for Meat Church BBQ, pitmaster Matt Pittman shows off the differences between smoking brisket in aluminum foil versus butcher paper. The goal is to be objective and show off the pros and cons of the method. Joe Zavala of Zavala’s BBQ in Grand Prairie, Texas talks about wrapping in foil while Pittman talks about wrapping in butcher paper. WATCH HERE.

LISTEN

Steven Raichlen and Bill Nowlin — Baseball & BBQ

Episode 99 of the Baseball & BBQ podcast features interviews with author and Barbecue Hall of Fame member Steven Raichlen and a discussion on essential baseball people who are on the field as the game is played but are happy to go unnoticed, with author Bill Nowlin. Raichlen is a prolific James Beard award-winning author with numerous barbecue-related cookbooks, with his latest being How to Grill Vegetables: The New Bible for Barbecuing Vegetables Over Live Fire. Bill Nowlin is the author or editor of nearly 100 books, many of them Boston Red Sox-related. He discusses his baseball book, Working a “Perfect Game”: Conversations With Umpires, which takes us into the world of the umpires who are often overlooked, but whose contributions are extremely necessary. LISTEN HERE.

READ

On Barbecue — John Shelton Reed

John Shelton Reed is one of today’s most knowledgeable authors on the subject of barbecue. In this collection, On Barbecue, Reed compiles reviews, essays, magazine articles, op-eds, and book extracts from his many-year obsession with the history and culture of barbecue. Brought together, these pieces constitute a broad look at the cultural, culinary, historical, and social aspects of this American institution. Reed’s original and provocative voice carries through this collection, which spans more than twenty years of barbecue lore. A lover of tradition whose study of regional distinctions have made him prize and defend them, Reed writes with conviction on what “real” barbecue looks, smells, and tastes like. He delves into the history of barbecue and even the origins of the word barbecue itself. Other topics include present-day barbecue, Carolina ’cue, and other regional varieties, and recipes daring readers to master their own backyard barbecues. Anyone with an interest in this signature American food will find themselves immersed in this book’s accessible, conversational, and frequently tart pages. From one of the wittiest and most knowledgeable authors writing on the subject, On Barbecue is essential reading. ORDER HERE.

Thank you to our sponsor DennyMike's, which offers outstanding seasonings and rubs for every situation. Learn more about DennyMike's here.

—In this recipe, Steven Raichlen imagines what elote would taste like if it had been invented in Italy. (Photo by Steven Randazzo)—

Emilia-Romagna “Elote” (Corn Grilled with Garlic, Basil, and Cheese)

By Steven Raichlen

For this week’s Recipe of the Week, we chose this recipe for Emilia-Romagna “Elote” (Corn Grilled with Garlic, Basil, and Cheese) from Steven Raichlen. Though Mexicans have been pairing corn and cheese for centuries, Steven imagines what elote would taste like if it had been invented in Italy.

Reprinted with permission from How to Grill Vegetables: New Bible for Barbecuing Vegetables over Live Fire by Steven Raichlen. Photography by Steven Randazzo. Workman Publishing © 2021.

—Lots of must-attend barbecue events are scheduled for 2021.—

July 16-17, 2021: Golden Days Championship — Fairbanks, Alaska
The northernmost barbecue competition (maybe in the world?) is taking place in Fairbanks, Alaska, which is also the birthplace of the Alaska BBQ Association. This competition follows the KCBS sanctioned rules as the Grand Champion receives an invitation to the Jack Daniel’s World Championship Invitational. It’s also notable in that the sun basically doesn’t go down the entire time the comp is happening. MORE INFO HERE.

July 17, 2021: Harp Barbecue Festival — Kansas City, Missouri
Tyler Harp of Harp Barbecue has done a lot to help lead a new generation of pitmasters in KC since bursting onto the scene in 2019. He’s quickly become one of the top names in Kansas City barbecue. Now, he’s hosting his own festival on Saturday, July 17, at the Uptown Pavilion in Independence, Missouri not far from where he grew up. Tickets go on sale on Wednesday, June 23 at harpbarbecue.com and will sell out fast, so don’t delay purchasing if you live in KC. The event will raise money for the Ronald McDonald House Charities and also feature other up-and-coming names in Kansas City and Texas barbecue. MORE INFO HERE.

July 31, 2021: Beer, Bourbon, & BBQ Festival  — Brooklyn, New York
NYC’s Beer, Bourbon, & BBQ Festival is back and better than ever! Get ready to enjoy all those pleasures that true Southerners live by – Beer, Bourbon, Barbecue, Boots, Bacon, Biscuits, Bluegrass, and Smoked Beasts. It’s a great day of beer sippin’, bourbon tastin’, music listenin’, cigar smokin’, and barbecue eatin’. One admission buys you a sampling glass so you can enjoy an all-you-care-to-taste sampling of beer and bourbon. MORE INFO HERE.

August 21-22, 2021: Meatstock Music and Barbecue Festival (Sydney edition) — Sydney, Australia
Meatstock returns with a typically stacked line-up of barbecue enthusiasts and bands. The sell-out, two-day event brings big-name American pitmasters Down Under; sees comp teams from across Sydney go head-to-head over the coals to be crowned the city’s best barbequers; and features live music, food trucks and pop-up bars. MORE INFO HERE.

September 3-5, 2021: Pinehurst Barbecue Festival — Pinehurst, North Carolina
Debuting Labor Day Weekend 2021, The Pinehurst Barbecue Festival celebrates “All Things Barbecue” in North Carolina. From Eastern North Carolina vinegar to Western North Carolina tomato, they will have all of your favorites. The Pinehurst Barbeque Festival is a “Celebration of Taste and Tradition” featuring award-winning pitmasters in one of the most picturesque settings in all of North Carolina — the historic Village of Pinehurst. Choose to experience the entire three-day festival, or attend just one signature event. A multi-ticket VIP package, as well as individual tickets for each event are available. MORE INFO HERE.

September 10-11, 2021: Beer, Bourbon, & BBQ Festival (Cary) — Cary, North Carolina
Cary’s Beer, Bourbon, & BBQ Festival is back and better than ever. Get ready to enjoy all those pleasures that true Southerners live by – Beer, Bourbon, Barbecue, Boots, Bacon, Biscuits, Bluegrass, and Smoked Beasts. It’s a great day of beer sippin’, bourbon tastin’, music listenin’, cigar smokin’, and barbecue eatin’. One admission buys you a sampling glass so you can enjoy an all-you-care-to-taste sampling of beer and bourbon. MORE INFO HERE.

September 11, 2021: Pig Island NYC — New York, New York
For those that love all things pork and barbecue, the annual Pig Island NYC event is a can’t-miss affair. Many chefs and pitmasters from around the country show up and serve their best pork creations. Held outdoors, this all-inclusive event will also feature a ton of great food, beer, cider, and liquor. MORE INFO HERE.

September 16-19, 2021: American Royal World Series of Barbecue — Kansas City, Kansas
The American Royal World Series of barbecue is the largest BBQ competition in the country. On top of a massive KCBS competition with roughly 500 teams from around the country, this signature Kansas City event includes public-facing activities, including live music, delicious BBQ and local food, a full line up of kids activities, and a vendor fair authentic to Kansas City and BBQ enthusiasts. Read our to learn more about the experience. MORE INFO HERE.

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