Catching Up with Smoke 'n Magic BBQ
From Meatstock Sydney to Scheels BBQ University and beyond, Smoke 'n Magic BBQ is not slowing down anytime soon.
When they started their barbecue journey in 2020, Breana Via and Bradley Colter of Smoke ‘n Magic BBQ likely had no idea their hobby would make them champions, barbecue restaurateurs, and business owners and take them around the world all in such a short period of time. After winning the Made for KC BBQ Championship in 2022, Via and Colter were awarded the grand prize for winning the competition with a $25,000 payout and a one-year licensing opportunity to be featured in a restaurant in the new Kansas City International Airport terminal.
Last year, we wrote about our visit to the airport restaurant shortly after Smoke ‘n Magic had opened it and successfully launched their line of BBQ products, all while Bre and Brad raised a family and maintained their day jobs. Now, the one-year licensing deal has ended, and the restaurant has passed to the 2023 Made for KC BBQ Champions, the O.G. Bandits. Smoke ’n Magic hasn’t slowed down a bit, however, and we wanted to catch up with them to see what they have been up to lately.
The conversation below has been edited lightly for clarity.
The Smoke Sheet (TSS): Last time we talked to you, Smoke ’n Magic had recently opened the restaurant in the new KC Airport terminal. What was that experience like, and how has the transition been since then?
Smoke ‘n Magic (SNM): The experience was phenomenal, including learning how a restaurant works in general and also how one at an airport works, which is a whole other beast. Then, there was the exposure that we received from being in the airport and all the impressions we were able to make through that journey. Every time somebody from the barbecue family flew through the airport, they would post about it on social media and tag us. So that was a lot of fun. Getting to be a part of the NFL Draft was so much fun as well. Then on March 1, we transitioned the restaurant over to O.G. Bandits, who are the year two Made for KC winners. That went very smoothly. We met with them early on, right after they won, and just told them, hey, whatever questions you have, we're an open book and will tell you what we know. Whatever you need help with, just let us know. They have reached out several times, and hopefully, we were able to help them.
TSS: Regarding transitioning from the restaurant, does this mean you have a lot more time on your hands or not? Are you still as busy as ever?
SNM: Actually, we're busier now. We didn't run day-to-day operations at the airport, but we did do quality checks and participated in different events that went on out there. Now we are doing all kinds of things, anything from catering type things and pop-up type things. We're competing. We are really focused on teaching barbecue classes as well. We've done two brisket classes in the last couple of months. Participants each got a brisket, a Victorinox six-inch boning knife, stuff to inject with, and two different rubs. We walked them through the whole process of how to trim it, injecting versus not injecting, flavor profiles, etc. We didn't want to make it just a Smoke ’n Magic class. There are so many different options with rubs, and we talked about experimenting with those. We showed the brisket in different stages. We showed how to wrap it and we showed them how to slice it. We talked about different techniques — low and slow, hot and fast. Different types of smokers, different types of smoking techniques, different woods, and you know what flavors go well with which meats. It’s been very well received. We're going to do a hands-on rib class at the end of June. We are also going to do a live fire grilling class with the Green Grass Cattle Company in June as well. That should be really fun. We're going to do some cast iron cooking and do some different steaks, picanha and different cuts like that. We’ve also partnered with Holladay Distillery at their facility in Weston, Missouri. It’s beautiful out there. We've done one event so far, and we've got one on the books for June as well. We are not looking to open up a brick-and-mortar or even a food truck at this time. That’s where we're focused right now — growing the brand and doing the classes.
TSS: You recently had the opportunity to travel to Australia to participate in Meatstock. What is that event?
SNM: There are several Meatstock events. They have one in New Zealand. They have three or four in Australia, and then in July, they have Meatstock Brazil. That's a relatively new one. We went to Sydney. It's the OG — the original one. It's the biggest. Nothing here in the States compares to it. It’s a barbecue competition on steroids because they have PBR bull riding, a strongman competition, a beard competition, and a DadBod competition. They have a hot dog eating contest, a Steak Cookoff Association competition with all of their ancillaries, and a regular barbecue competition. There's a car show that goes on there. They have live bands that are playing all the time, not to mention all the food vendors that are there with enormous pits and feeding the public. It's unlike anything we've ever experienced here in the States. They even had raw meat shops set up inside the expo with their cases and everything for people to buy stuff. We've just never seen anything like it.
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