Trying to live the dream......

BangBangBBQ · BBQ Fan Joined: 20 Apr 2007 Posts: 277 Location: Ohio

Whew now all the hard work is done..... Razz

Ok maybe not. Sounds more like its just getting started. You seem to have the right attitude and plan to succeed. We at the ring wish you all the best. Keep us posted!
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When all is said and done, more will be said than done!

Mississippi Smoker · BBQ Fan Joined: 30 Mar 2007 Posts: 158

Congrats on you place Todd. I have been trying to live the dream through you. Good luck and hope all works out for you.

Roo-B-Q'N · Posted: Aug 30 2007 Post subject:

Awesome job Todd! Like alot of people on the Smoke Ring I have been following this thread and living the dream through you.

Best of luck to ALL of you!
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Tom
Large Spicewine
Oklahoma Joe's Offset
Backwoods Party
WSM
ECB

DaHorns · Posted: Aug 30 2007 Post subject:

That is awesome news, congrats on the new business!!!
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Slow and low is the way to go......
Yellow Dog Barbecue Team

BBQnIL · Posted: Aug 30 2007 Post subject:

Today I visted a bakery and have all of my bread in line. I didn't go with the big boys. I went with a mom and pop place that provides all of the bread for a chain here that we all love to eat at. It is called Arthurs Garden Deli. The bakery is located 26 miles away in another small town. Folsums Bakery. Donut shop and wedding cakes etc. Super deal on some really large buns. Baked fresh every other day for me and my wife will pick them up on the way home from work. I ordered 10 dozen today. For the whopping price of 20 bucks. I probably could have gotten them cheaper from lets say wonder bread, but I would really rather have some nice fresh buns and help a fellow small operation out. Filled the fryers tonight and had some nice fresh sweet tater fries. Pepsi delivered the cooler and all of the pop.

I called a bunch of my friends who will show up on friday night between 5 and 8 pm for a free feed and critique session. I am very excited to do that. Tomorrow at 2 pm a reporter from the local paper is showing up to do a front page story that will appear next wednesday. Then the crush will begin. Gonna be open sat and sun and closed on mondays. I was told that if I did not have it open on sunday for the church crowd I was gonna burn in hell. I have to have at least one day a week off for sure. Well that is all of the news for now. I will keep ya posted on the happenings and how things go on the first day!

Todd
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Main Street BBQ
Wyanet, IL
http://mainstreetbbq.biz
http://www.facebook.com/mainstreetbbq
http://www.twitter.com/mainstreetbbq
If you BBQ it.... They will come!

gpalasz · Posted: Aug 30 2007 Post subject:

Im sure I missed it on a previous post but what kind of smoker are you gonna use?
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Team Diamondback Q
Stumps SW223

NoBullBar-B-Q · Posted: Aug 30 2007 Post subject:

i mad i just found this but

GOOD LUCK..

and
BRAVO ZULU on the conversion of the resturant...

BBQnIL · Posted: Aug 30 2007 Post subject:

Back in the very beginning I squeezed in that I was using a Smokin Tex. Getting this off the ground was a challenge with the small amount of savings that I had in the bank. So I did some research and got what I could afford for now. I bought the biggest one they had. The 1500 CXLD. They have been great. Jim is readily available on his cell phone and Kelly in the office has made sure that I received everthing I needed and answered any questions I have had. I have been very surprised with the performance. Everything I have done has come out moist, tender and with a great bark.

Todd
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Main Street BBQ
Wyanet, IL
http://mainstreetbbq.biz
http://www.facebook.com/mainstreetbbq
http://www.twitter.com/mainstreetbbq
If you BBQ it.... They will come!

BBQMAN · Posted: Aug 30 2007 Post subject:

New restaraunt and already expecting a day off? Shocked

Good luck with that! Laughing

Your "day off" will be spent cleaning and preping for the next weeks fun and festivities. Wink

One other tip: a bigger bun is not always a best bet if we are talking about pulled pork sammies. A 4-5oz. sammie looks great on a normal sized bun, but that's just me!

Your milage may of course vary...................
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BBQMAN
"I Turned A Hobby Into A Business".
Providing "IMHO" Since 2005.

cjschuckwagon · Posted: Aug 31 2007 Post subject:

i was given some advice once concerning time off in this business;

pick two times during the year that you want off, perhaps 1 week around christmas, and one during the summer.

then close those 2 weeks every year.

your customers will understand, and that is likely the only time you will ever get off.

cj

BBQnIL · Posted: Aug 31 2007 Post subject:

LOL!!!

I do know that my mondays will be spent with my sales rep ordering the weeks supplies and the rest of the time will be cleaning and prepping for the coming week! That my friends is a given. I was already thinking of taking a week off at christmas and then one in the summer. My god I need to be able to que at home and do some fishing!!

Ain't life good!!

Todd
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Main Street BBQ
Wyanet, IL
http://mainstreetbbq.biz
http://www.facebook.com/mainstreetbbq
http://www.twitter.com/mainstreetbbq
If you BBQ it.... They will come!

mutha chicken bbq · Posted: Aug 31 2007 Post subject:

Doc1680 · Posted: Aug 31 2007 Post subject:

Congratulations. Life is good indeed Todd. The place looks good. It's nice to see all of your hard work paid off. You are truely an inspiration to us that are contemplating Q for a living.
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Love the voodoo that Q do.

Doc

cjschuckwagon · Posted: Aug 31 2007 Post subject:

your place looks great !

best of luck to you, and if your food is as good as i think it will be, get ready for a wild ride.

...but you WILL sleep good...

cj

stetch · Posted: Aug 31 2007 Post subject:

awesome-- if you ever have time after opening, be sure to post how its going!

You really did a great job cleaning the place up!

BBQnIL · Posted: Aug 31 2007 Post subject:

Well the free feed is gonna happen tonight from 5-8 for my friends and family. I have 4 butts and a brisket on and have been since 3 am. They are at 155 and climbing. I will put the ribs in at about 11:00 and the chicken in at about 2:00. I have all the slaw made and the potato salad done. Oh, gonna stick the beans in at about 2 as well. Still have to make cornbread and some biscuits as well. All of the sauces are done and in the bottles on the tables. This will be a fun day and I am looking forward to all of the feed back I get from the people I care about. Funny thing is.... only 4 of the 30 coming have ever had my que. So there will be some real unbiased comments coming from all of them. Now that I think about it. I better take the camera up to the restaurant and get some pics of the cook!

You guys are the best!!

Todd
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Main Street BBQ
Wyanet, IL
http://mainstreetbbq.biz
http://www.facebook.com/mainstreetbbq
http://www.twitter.com/mainstreetbbq
If you BBQ it.... They will come!

Harry Nutczak · Posted: Aug 31 2007 Post subject:

Well, you had the Cajones to pull it off so far. I do not see any problems with you making it either.

I hope to be able to stop-in on my annual trips to see Mom & Dad down in the tropical depression known as Florida. (and maybe a stop in Centerville GA to bring something back) But I will be carrying in my own Coca-Cola Shocked

Who are you using for a purveyor/purveyors??

Sysco has had some rocking prices on shoulder, Butts, Hams and brisket all year long, and E-Sysco is nice to use from home instead of needing to go into work to order.

I would plan on doing the first whole year straight throughand keep a running calender or datebook of how many people you do each day, and the amount of product used & sold, weather, other festivities going on so the next year can be planned accordingly. and then you can pick the slow weeks to take off.

get a "Right-hand Man" trained ASAP to fill in for those little emergencies that like to pop up, and ghive you some later start times once in a while.
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Just remember that the toes you may step on during your climb to the top will also be attached to the a$$es you'll be forced to kiss on your way back down!

seeburg220 · Joined: 26 Aug 2007 Posts: 7

Todd - Good luck with your Grand Opening, and here's a toast to you

I am new to this forum, and found this thread just today. I'm really glad I did. I can retire from my current job in 6 years, and have dreams of opening up a place, also. I still need to master the smoker, first though.

Keep posting in the coming weeks!

Mark
VA.

stetch · Posted: Sep 01 2007 Post subject:

..waiting to hear how the free cookoff went. tomorrow is grand opening. He is taking Mondays off, right? That is probably the soonest we'll here how it went...

Boomer · Posted: Sep 02 2007 Post subject:

Todd

Geat job on everything with all the well wishers on the ring behind you I don't know how it can turn out any way but great.

Congrats
Boomer
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Life isn't about how to survive the storm,
But how to dance in the rain.