Joe so glad you were able to reopen serving your Amazing BBQ. Today the wife and I stopped bye and OMG the Brisket was So Damm Good. All Of Gods Blessings To You and the Family. We Will Be Back For Some More. Thanks Again Conroe TX
It was such a pleasure meeting you and your wife today. We appreciate you supporting our business. Travel safe and God willing we'll get a chance to meet again. 👍
The era of cheap food specially cheap meat its over for example USA meat company goes to honduras destroys vast amount of rain forest to farm gmo soy and maiz and cattle to feed the apetite for cheap fast food in the USA creating waves of migrants..... On top of everything for decades if not centuries you ve ben using either slave labor or undocumented labor paying shittte wages with no benefits but what happen when the border is shut or you have to pay a proper wage for local people to live..
I made the same mistake back in 08-09 with too many menu items so many of us go thru that because we want to make everybody happy. I wont open another restaurant as much as I loved it and the customers too, but it was just so much work and time and working weekends when I wanted to be with the family. Great advice about less menu and keep it simple. You rock Joe, padelante!
Been there done that. After 25 years of a brick and mortar BBQ restaurant here in Alabama. I owned my own building but food prices have gotten way out of hand and being in a small town with customers you know by name is hard. You don’t want to pass on the inflated prices but you have too to survive. In the day of social media people talk as well. It’s hard to stay afloat these days. It was so easy in the 80’s, 90’s and early 2000’s. All you had to do back then was keep the irs and suppliers happy with being paid while the hard work rewarded you. Now it’s hard to keep everyone happy while staying afloat. I sleep so much better at night now.
🙏🙏Blessings forever GOD loves y'all too forever tell everyone you know and don't know. Jesus loves y'all too forever. Teach everyone how to see and enjoy their blessings too foreverw
The same thing happened to me a year ago but with a pizzeria. Even though I loved owning the pizzeria I also sleep better at night because of the crazy amount of stress, covid, big inflation, etc.
Family is so important to but this economy is suck. I Never see this price... I don't know if I covid got something to do but this is a terrible situation
Joe I've followed you for years and you've helped my cooking so much that I just want to say thanks and show some support brother. Much love to you and the fam
That's exactly what i was thinking about realistically running a bbq food truck. Limited menu that's easy to execute and not being wholly reliant on this food truck always being in service. The positive you can take from this is that you gained a ton of knowledge man and we appreciate you sharing it with us
🙏🙏Blessings forever GOD loves y'all too forever tell everyone you know and don't know. Jesus loves y'all too forever. Teach everyone how to see and enjoy their blessings too forever❤n
Menu size is a mistake many businesses make. You live and learn. Keep your head up! There's no shame in closing a business for the right reasons. You'll bounce back.
It is too bad that there is no advertising money at the BBQ Equipment Manufacturers to Subsidize the Business' Profit Margin. As a Influencer, with a Trailer, and a forklift, etc, etc... You will find a way to keep your family close while you make a living, somehow.
@@mastery4living187 Ya their menu is massive. They are the only successful restaurant I can think of with such an expansive menu. Typically the opposite is the way to go, even though most newer restaurant owners don't seem to understand that. They try to please everyone, which is impossible.
Had my own coffee house over 20 years ago. I understand the emotions you are going through right now. One of the hardest times in my life was when I knew I had to shut it down. Keep the faith brother! You will survive this and come back just fine. Be glad you didn't go brick and mortar. I did brick and mortar and wish I had done the portable unit. The stress would have been less if I didn't have a mortgage on a building that was not producing income. God Bless you and know that you are not alone.
@@alexs.2414 Stressful. I had a fulltime job as well. I wouldn't do it again. I have a lot of respect for the people who have made it in the food business and compassion for those who have tried.
Well he said $10000 a month for 2500 sq. ft, that is insane, I mean double insane, I was buying a fish and chips place, and backed off for the same reason, either I own the land or no go.
That sucks man. I own a chicken restaurant myself and I'm getting ready to venture into bbq. I agree with you on the menu. That kills lots of businesses along with the ever increasing price of the cost of goods. I pray that you recover quickly and find much success in your next endeavor. Thanks for the knowledge and the transparency. Good luck to you.
The problem with good bbq is the entire point is it lasts for days. But aint no one wanting to pay for bbq not made within hours. Its counter intuitive so you really have to be able to dial in your food cost and labor ... it takes 8 -10 hour just to cook.
Hey man, I want to thank you. My wife and I (along with our kittens) stopped by your truck last October. We were traveling across the US and your truck was the first Texas barbecue we had ever had. It was amazing. Food was so good. You were even kind enough to show us how you cooked some of the food. I could hear your barbecue passion when talking to you. I wish you well for whatever the future holds. You make good food. Thanks again.
I’m excited for you Joe! With every door closed, another opens. Now you can do so many other things besides running the business and having fun with your family. 1. Maybe travel to other states and review other spots 2. Do a Collab with other chefs, especially the top ones and social media. 3. Family, fun, barbecue videos that kids can do with their parents. 4. Show people how to save the most money by getting creative with their cooking. 5. Maybe write an e-book on how to create a successful business.
🙏🙏Blessings forever GOD loves y'all too forever tell everyone you know and don't know. Jesus loves y'all too forever. Teach everyone how to see and enjoy their blessings too forevera
As a retired chef of many decades, I still love to watch different chefs and their methods. Joe, you have been one of my favorite bbq youtubers. You're very talented and just seem like a good guy. I'm sorry to hear of your truck closing. I wish you well with your future and hope you stay in bbq in some way or another.
Thank you for this. Too many people have no clue what it takes to operate a business. They just think if you own one that you’re automatically rich. I didn’t have the pleasure of tasting your food. But thank you for sharing a basic reality that unfortunately too many are facing now. I wish you luck in your future endeavors. 👍😎
Thank you for your honesty, my wife and I run a small BBQ catering business up here in Wyoming. We were seriously considering a food truck and have been approached to set up a brick and mortar but we have decided to just stick with catering for all the reasons you listed. Thank you Joe.
@@williamwalsh1533 Wyoming is a difficult place to start a BBQ business. When you have 8 months of winter with winds reaching over 50+mph on a regular basis. On top of that with one of our smokers being a large trailer mounted cabinet smoker, trying to source good smoking wood at a reasonable price is next to impossible. Being originally from NC Pecan was my wood of choice. One place in Colorado was asking 650 bucks for a 1/4 cord of Pecan. I got lucky and was able to have a friend bring me up a full cord of Hickory from Texas for 300 bucks. For small catering gigs we stick with our Drum smokers which turns out fantastic BBQ. So with that being said along with all the other factors that Joe said, we decided to stick with just catering and word of mouth. Just last week we had winds in the 90 mph range.
@@williamwalsh1533...It never crossed my mind that someone with a Mobile Food Service would use Location as an Excuse for their Failure. Or their unwillingness to adjust to market price trends. I have seen menus with "current market value" in the price column. Honest. Ha.
I am a purchasing agent for a major grocery chain and the prices we have to pay can only be described as insane. These large food corporations are making huge profits and blame the prices on the growers and farms, even the farmers at all levels are making a killing. Its crazy. I have four corporate farms and ranches near my home and they are trying to expand because people just keep paying top dollar like there is no tomorrow. All it is , is pure greed from everyone in the chain.
Yours is one of the few RU-vid BBQ channels I stayed with after Covid. This is because of your cooking and my perception of your character. I wish you the best.❤
Thank you so much for sharing your story!!! It serves as an inspiration and lesson. Thank you so much for sharing your tips!!! Most importantly, CONGRATULATIONS on Texas monthly and your other accomplishments!
Thank you so much for sharing your story!!! It serves as an inspiration and lesson. Thank you so much for sharing your tips!!! Most importantly, CONGRATULATIONS on Texas monthly and your other accomplishments!
Keep your head up Brother. I have followed you for a long time. You have always been open and honest. God Bless you. Take care of your family. Thank you for the wonderful information about the BBQ industry. We need that honesty. Too many times we only hear about all the good and success. No one talks about the real things that could affect a business or relationships. Keep smoking Joe. We love you.
🙏🙏Blessings forever GOD loves y'all too forever tell everyone you know and don't know. Jesus loves y'all too forever. Teach everyone how to see and enjoy their blessings too forever❤m
God bless you sir. I'm a fledgling BBQ Co operator, and this video gave me the best insight to growing my business during these overly expensive times. Thank you so much, and stay cooking brother!! You are meant to be blessed and serve the people your great food! Much love💪💪
I've seen several roadside BBQ setups that were nothing more than a simple, two-wheel smoker-trailer and a cooler with some drinks. They sell out too. I spent a lot of time and money trying to get a roadside BBQ business going but then COVID hit and my plans crumbled but I was making it all too complicated. If I were to tackle that venture again, I would try just the simple smoker-trailer. Also, my brother told me about a guy who consistently made around $120,000/yr selling nothing but a $5 sandwich and a drink at a huge 4-wheeler park in Kentucky. He retired very comfortably last year.
Bro I appreciate this sincere video and I’m in California. Your honesty speaks volumes of your creator. I wish u peace and good luck. Hope u can restart your food service. I’m sure it’s delicious! God bless hermano
🙏🙏Blessings forever GOD loves y'all too forever tell everyone you know and don't know. Jesus loves y'all too forever. Teach everyone how to see and enjoy their blessings too forever❤n
CPA here. I can’t think of a harder business than the restaurant industry, especially BBQ. You are trying to sell brisket that’s $70 a hunk and you have to cook it 12 hours. There is a reason a bunch of restaurants sell things like chicken fingers. They’re cheap and anyone can fry them in 10 minutes.
I own 6 food trucks we did 1.2 million in sales last year. What youre serving matters. I have basically zero food loss bc of our model and ive always said bar b que is one of the stupidest ideas for a restaurant or food truck. All of our food is made on the spot as its ordered. We dont uch sitting in warmers except doing big festivals. Being able to work a crowd and guaging how much to make and when to stop is critical. But you can't do that with bar b que which is why id never do it. On top of it being exspensive honestly 9/10 ppl bar b que is trash
Good luck Joe! My buddy just ended up changing his food truck model. Found a good/ good spot in some commercial real estate. He kept the truck to cook so he didn’t have to improve a rental property. The building was his commissary, and he moved his POE and got some warmers so he could serve from there and all weather seating. He just became jaded how much weather could crush his sales. He would go from a 1200-1500 day to a 200 dollar day.
🙏🙏Blessings forever GOD loves y'all too forever tell everyone you know and don't know. Jesus loves y'all too forever. Teach everyone how to see and enjoy their blessings too forever,
Joe, I predict that you will reimagine your business into something highly profitable that also fulfills your passion for making amazing food for people to enjoy. Thank you for also sharing your cooking knowledge.
Hello sir. Lots of things are so expensive now. You have alot of expenses even before you open your doors. Gas, oil, maintenance on your food truck. There is no reason/problem on your dreams. Keep going forward. You're always gonna have a customer complaining about prices. Unfortunately we have no control of that. Good job 👍
I know a pair of sisters who opened a traveling hotdog stand about 15 years ago. They have one type of hotdog, an assortment of condiments, one type of baked beans, an assortment of chips, sodas and water. That’s it. And they do great! Many people don’t want to be overwhelmed by choices. So keeping their menu the way it is, eliminated that, especially when you’re on a work break and just need something fairly quick without gawking at a menu and trying to decide what to get.
That sounds like a great model. I've been on the same block for 20+ years now and there's a woman that comes and sells elotes everyday at the park in nice weather, she always has a line of people. It's very very cheap to produce/sale, great location for traffic, and there's no competition other than an occasional ice cream truck or event.
Yep, I have a Hot Dog concession cart with a 36" griddle, Warming Box, and a 5 bay steam table in which I offer a Regular Hot Dog, and a 1/4 Lb. Hot Dog, with a choice of 21 Toppings and a Slew of Condiments and Sauces.... And Water, Capri Sun, and Chips....!! Easy process that allows the customer to create their own hot dog!!
Simplicity is the key, I’m about to embark on opening my own place, and it’s going to be simple BBQ sandwiches and sausage, buying in whole fore quarter, BBQing chuck roasts and arm roasts for pulled beef, sell the ribeyes as steaks separately. The ribs and brisket can be saved for later cooks and all the trim and rest goes into sausage. You have to think outside the box I think…. That’s the theory anyway. Sorry to hear about the business.
My mother and myself ran a food truck, I came in later to kind of set her back up and show her how to properly make certain foods. It grabbed a lot of attention but where we were and on path to make a profit. Everything we made (aside from tips and yes most times tips) went right back into replenishing the food. We'd run out often, it felt nice knowing we created tasty homemade food. The cost is just not worth it.
This is happening all over the world basic food, just basic food is Out of Control! In CANADA 🇨🇦in Europe it’s crazy! I’ve seen so many local mom and pop restaurant closing! Blessing brother !
You know bro that happened to me when I had my taco business. Don't feel so bad about it. You will eventually get back to the grind it's just a small break, take care carnal
I learned something VERY important from my late veteran father when I was 13 y.o. I'm 62 now. My father said people will pay a little extra for QUALITY (food, service, etc) It has proven itself MANY times over Good luck with your NEXT venture🇺🇸 Blessings 🙏
True. My big brother owned 3 restaurants. and personally, when I eat at a nice restaurant, it's NOT the food per se. It's the service I look at FIRST. The food takes care of itself.
My heart goes out to you my brother me and my wife just closed our restaurant behind similar things. Keep pushing keep your head up and it’s not a lost it’s a learning experience. You will get something going bigger if you want from your learning experience my brother 🙏🏾🙏🏾 God bless you,family,and your next venture!
I was in the restaurant business for 25 years and it gave me high blood pressure. The stress, long hours , working weekends, staffing problems takes a toll on your health like no other industry. I will not let my kids ever work in food service. Also , I forgot to mention all the sexual harassment that goes on. Food service sucks…..
Thank you for sharing. It feels so comforting to know the struggles of owning a business. It's tiring to always see the positives with none of the downsides. I hope you find a way to live out your dreams and start again.
I seen where food trucks would make a deal with a bar that didn’t have a kitchen and he’d park there in the evening and sell his food. Think outside the box. Maybe talk to others who offer different menus and group together on a lot or somewhere you’ll bring in more customers to the area. I knew a guy in Columbia who went to the U. S. and bought 2 of those hotdogs wagons he did very well. He also had to change directions to the hotdogs. Good luck
Our local microbrewery doesn't have a kitchen, so food trucks are there every night. They first provided menus to the local restaurants who delivered, but the food trucks seem to be the big draw.
In the old days, the family lived upstairs of the restaurant, and they were all there together all the time. I have over 5 children, when the children are 18 they know every aspect of the business and it can be expanded into construction/electrical, air conditioning, carpentry, brick, conctrete, painting , cleaning, restaurant design, machinery installation and repairs......... It is a free university for independence from being an employee dependent on others, when there is less and less work every day. It is a win win situation, I am with my family and preparing them for life.
Makes sense. I can't afford to eat out BBQ anymore. For the same price, I can buy basically... 70% of the brisket myself. I make it a point to eat at a local BBQ joint on every outdoor trip we take (like Hueco Tanks), but... Outside of that, I don't eat BBQ local because I can do it myself.
I feel you bro. I closed my truck here in Tokyo a few years back. First I had to take a year off for cancer treatment then when I was ready to open up again the pandemic closed down my country. I sold it and promised never to do it again. Cheers.
I closed down my food stalls, virtual kitchen, and mobile trailer....Even though I was swamped with people ordering ... YES THE SAME, COST OF FOOD, LABOR(CALIFORNIA), and VARIOUS PERMITS State and LOCAL TAXES....Just didn't make any sense when we crunched the numbers
I live in California as well. I'm an electrician who was fortunate to not miss 1 day off work due to the States insane covid policy's. Unfortunately I witnessed so many small businesses collapse , amazing mom and pop spots destroyed by the state. Very sad stuff. I can't believe how many folks have already forgotten the devastation small minded politicians caused small business owners. It's potentially the cruelest thing I've witnessed. Anyways cheer's
2018 my wife retired and bought a food truck and I really didnt get the attraction but I fully supported her, worked with her and maintained the equipment etc...... waaaaaaaaay too much work and too little profit, she sold it a year and a half later at a BIG loss....
It’s difficult to raise prices to meet inflation, this is what’s hurting a lot of businesses. You almost have to update your prices monthly to keep up. Hopefully we can vote the current uni-party out of power and get our economy back on track, things are looking grim for all small business owners.
I know a few bbq food trucks. And the food prices are doing fine. They get all the food from Sams club until they are able to get a better deal from food suppliers. But if you look at the prices at sams. Meat prices are starting to go down. Baby back ribs are 2.19 a Lb and they told me the chicken breasts are back to 1.19lb for bone in and 2.19 for boneless. And whole pork loins are 1.59 I think. So that is all within .25 cents a pound if what is was 7-8 years ago. So that’s a good sign for companies selling food.
You are re-opening this weekend! (March 1-2) Saw that on instagram/facebook. Winter time and economics are powerful challenges. Just like your BBQ Central interviews, you talk from the heart and are honest. Cheers to health and family. Best wishes for your refreshed menu.
@@rotaryperfection If you are going to be in El Paso on friday or saturday next week stop by Joes truck. If he is open you will be in for a treat. I would bet he will be open, you lucky ducky!
It's restaurants in general. Food costs are too high and people on the lower economic levels are not really eating out. Here in massachusetts restaurants are closing left and right. Restaurants that have been open for 90-100 years even. All within the past 2 - 3 months. It's been a blood bath
Brother hang in there, haters will be haters. Thank you. Meat prices are outrageous and people do not understand weight after cooking is about 65%. i use to cook everything at home and around the country but i got sick and got family involved with cooking. my advice is get your family involved whether catering, food truck, or brick mortar. I watch the kids enjoy and thrive bbqing and cooking.
4:16 leasing is typically more beneficial because of taxes. Talk to a CPA. Even if you buy a building, it's probably best to buy it in one company (like a holding company) and lease it to another operating company that you own.
Hi Joe. I also had a food business for ten years, experienced the rise of prices, and finally decided to close. Too much work and effort, very little profit. God bless you abundantly.😍
Apologies, Joe. I reside in El Paso and was unaware of your food truck. I am a barbecue enthusiast and would have relished the opportunity to sample your culinary creations. I extend my best wishes for your continued success and pray for blessings upon you and your family.
My brother was a regular of yours and is devastated to hear this, as are we all. I am going to do my own BBQ joint also and would love a video of do's and dont's from you. Thank you for everything, even though I have never tasted your amazing BBQ.
That's life brother. You did it and you learned a lot. Please think about writing a book about your experience, you could help a lot of people that want to follow in your footsteps.
It’s a tough business because as someone who’s done just some bbq cooks on the side a lot of people don’t realize how much work goes into cooking for people! From picking up your products to the time and fuel put into cooking your products. People just don’t see that so they don’t understand. You’re a winner to me brother because you went out and did it. I was too afraid to fully commit because some of the cooks I did for customers left me feeling unfulfilled so I’m not sure I want to even continue. Experience is one of the greatest teachers in life and you should definitely feel accomplished.
I never appreciated BBQ until I tried to make it myself. Even making it myself it is expensive with all the extras like Joe said, wood, charcoal, BBQ sauce, seasonings, protiens, and the waste with the trimmings of the meats and the time involved. AND my BBQ is never as good as a pro...not even close. Now I don't mind paying for someone else to make my BBQ.
Joe you are one of the great bbq guys on RU-vid that have inspired me to get into bbq as a hobby. Everything from your how to videos, to your recipes. We as viewers should feel blessed for all the amazing videos you have created. Family is truly important! I’m sure you will be just fine and get back in it when the time is right for you! God bless you and your beautiful family.
I've never eaten at a food truck. I can't walk well enough to get out of a car and stand at a window, so I go either to drive-thrus or if a place will deliver to your car. I'll go to some places more often if they have a different food specials once or twice a week that aren't on the regular menu. I find myself wanting to go different days for different things. That might be an alternative to larger menus for food trucks, have different food dishes once a week.
I have been a fan for over 7 years now. I have learned so much from you. Food costs r crazy even if we prepare our own food. Good luck in ur future endeavors.
🙏🙏Blessings forever GOD loves y'all too forever tell everyone you know and don't know. Jesus loves y'all too forever. Teach everyone how to see and enjoy their blessings too foreverw
He lives in Texas. The House, Senate, Governor, Lt Governor, Courts, and law enforcement is all Republican. Big city politicians have next to no say in any of the mentioned above. So it is and will always be Republican policies that kill the blue collar. If he was a major corp or oil company, he would have all the breaks.
I was sorry to hear the news, but I certainly understand your dilemma. Best to you in whatever you do. I know I'll always be watching you here on YT. BTW - I'm a truck driver, and I think of you whenever I travel through El Paso. Best of luck to you, brother.
Ive only been cooking a couple of years but i have thought bout doing food truck or something but yeah my plan was to keep the menu simple brisket ribs sausage potato salad beans and drinks and a desert
So, we’ve already established that you don’t comprehend basic economics like most conservatives. Trump spent $8 trillion in four years, in addition to cutting taxes resulting in trillions being added to the M2 (mostly to the detriment of everyone not part of the 1%). Trump has far more blame for inflation than Biden, but they both share some blame as president. We also don’t live on an island world, inflation happening in the international markets will affect our economy. Shocking, I know.
@@atlasadonis3752 you mean when the left decided to shut everything down then spend incessantly and Trump said he wouldn’t sign another bill like that again? Weird how leftoid freaks like to lie by omission and twist the facts all the time.
Blame the Democratic party and Joe Biden I am a business owner as well, but I have never had such troubling times. When the consumers are scrambling to make ends meet, it's expected that consumerism halts. Good luck with your future endeavors.
I really hope you all really evaluate the prices and economic situation when you vote this time. Even a diehard leftist must realize this wont work. How long can we stand these prices??? You may not like Trump, but he really is the best option we have. God bless America!
Yes and no, however, next president is going to be handed an extreme bad economic situation - whom they will be blamed for. Just simple can’t pass along the overhead prices onto customers, not because they won’t pay , ITS BECAUSE THEY Can’t PAY. 40, to 50,000 for a car, $375,000-$475,000 for a house, all economist have stated a huge price reset is on its way, the story will continue to be of many many businesses closingsnationwide. The waters of major change is here , those who make it to shore by making the tuff decision to abandon ship, will survive but many will be swept away, by stubbornness and over passion while miss reading the waters by this new world wind of this economic downturn.
Watch you all the time bro! Said to hear you shut down your food truck! Been thinking about starting my own kind of thing but now I'm reconsidering. Hard choice and you are right the price or meat and all the extras just cost so much! Love watching the vids and thanks for keeping it honest!
Could not agree with you more. I have been making my own pork link sausage for years. The price of hog casings had more than doubled over the last couple of years. Since I make it as a hobby I can wait for the pork shoulders go on sale.
Thanks for the valuable information - I hope you are able to get back to what you love to do. Some of the comments indicate that you may have been able to get back to it.
I owned a small business trailer first thing I wanted a simple nice affordable not making complicated for myself & waiting time for the customer, 10-15 item , 10 of item takes 2 minutes to make , n the other 5 items takes 3 to 5 mins to make. Working out for us so far when we get a line of customer.
Im in a totally different business but i shut down in fall then start up when its late spring i probably work 7 months a year best thing that keeps me going every year. And my stress level went away.
Honestly I would just start from complete scratch. Find the few items you'd kill it with, and continue to improve those. The great thing about a food truck too is you can pick your own hours, so maybe just work part time to get more of a balance with family etc. Also, a business is always about the systems more so than the product, so perhaps looking into other product options wouldn't hurt either. Many many options there. Keep it simple though.
