The Time Is Ripe For Fast Food BBQ Franchises

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A hamburger is a hamburger. But depending on where you live—or perhaps more importantly, where you grew up—barbecue might mean dry-rubbed ribs with a side of tomato sauce or smoked brisket served plain. It could also mean chopped or pulled pork mixed with vinegar or mustard sauce. Despite these regional differences, several restaurant companies are vying to take quick-casual barbecue national.

But can a food that invokes passion, spawns competitions, and begets heated arguments sustain a national chain in parts of the country where smoked meats are unheard of and “barbecue�? means a backyard party with grilled burgers? With modern technology and the right mix of meats and sauces, barbecue experts and restaurant consultants ask, “Why not?�?

“There is a place for it,’’ says Mike Mills, president of the National Barbecue Association and owner of two full-service barbecue restaurants. In Mills’s mind, the key to success is an operator with a passion for barbecue. If you’re looking to make a quick buck, forget it. “If it is the real thing, then you’ll have a good business,’’ he says.

“It’s just the hot, new old food,’’ says Caroline Wells, executive director of the Kansas City Barbecue Society, an organization that sanctions barbecue competitions all over the country. Wells isn’t surprised that barbecue fast food is popping up all over the place. She gets calls regularly from restaurant executives interested in the concept. Moreover, while barbecue conjures images of a pit master slaving for hours over a pork shoulder or brisket, the reality is that slow cooking is perfectly suited to fast food. The work is done ahead of time (overnight or in the morning.) “You don’t cook a brisket to order,’’ says Wells.

Photo by ZachIsHere.