Harry......

marvsbbq · BBQ All Star Joined: 15 May 2005 Posts: 6186

Did we miss the post or haven't you posted about the goings on with the opening of your new place???

How's things coming along???

I am sure we would all LOVE to see pictures (and story) of the "before/after" of the "new" place.....wouldn't we gang???

Trials, tribulations, hurdles....etc???
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Often imitated but never duplicated

Harry Nutczak · Posted: Sep 19 2008 Post subject:

I am still in cleaning mode down there, I wouldn't even take a picture of how trashed this place was, Maybe today I can get some pic's since I can see the floor now. Plus This has been my busiest month for catering, I have a wedding 3 days before our scheduled opening date and we did a 4-day vending event last weekend. with another 1-day event tomorrow. My last day at the restaurant I have been working at a few days a week is on Sunday. this will be nice, I get to be on my schedule again, not someone esles!!

I am making a food pantry drop-off today with all kinds of stuff I pulled off the shelves.
Tomato Fillets? WTF are tomato fillets used for?? A case of some sort of dill sauce marinade. and boiled new potatoes in a can!! tons of little 1.2 ounce containers of "Tone's Spices" that have no scent to them at all they are so old. And the miniture version of Chernobyl needs to get out of there too (Microwave)
I am moving in my "Henny Penny" fryer and convection oven today and planning on getting my 2nd exhaust hood up and having the fire supression guy get started. And my walk-in cooler is still a freezer.

And the sweetest find of all!! A BBQ sauce recipe named "Heidi's BBQ Sauce" on a file card stuck behind a shelf.

it calls for 4 cups of open pit sauce, 1/2 cup honey, & 1 cup molasses, and blk pepper to taste. Woowee, I'm gonna be a millionaire just like SBR with this recipe in my posession now!! When Should I start bottling it??

I am working up my biscuit recipe and multiplying it to make sure they come out the same, (My biscuits are just like the ones at popeyes chicken )and trying several different versions of banana pudding, and trying to finalize my carry-out and family-pack menu's.

less than 2 weeks out, and nowhere near where I need to be. I thrive on chaos, but not this deep into it!!

I still have not decided on SP or OH for a cooker, the stumps and the DPP are going to see double duty for a few months. I was considering having a fabricator doing a brick/steel pit, but I need the cook & hold feature due to our long service hours.

But thanks for asking.
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marvsbbq · BBQ All Star Joined: 15 May 2005 Posts: 6186

Thanks for the "update" Harry!! We all are rootin' for your new venture to be a GREAT success!!

With only 2 weeks out, do you think you will still make Oct 1 opening date??

Do you have staff helping you do all of this "readiness" or is this still a "one man show"??

Are you doing all of this out of pocket or were you able (or needed to) secure a loan??

Wasn't this place already operating as a restaurant before your take over??
_________________
Often imitated but never duplicated

BBQMAN · Posted: Sep 20 2008 Post subject:

Sounds like a great start, best of luck to you!
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"I Turned A Hobby Into A Business".
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Harry Nutczak · Posted: Sep 20 2008 Post subject:

it was operating as a bar with food, I couldn;t call it a restaurant. but it was closed for several months before the last purchase

Bobbie & I used to eat there before the last owners had it, (5-6 years ago)they had great steak sammies and fried smelt.

The latest owners had a sign that said "Blues, Booze & BBQ" they only had one of the three, and it was the booze. Now we are at least going to have 2 of the three. Blues is great, but we are seeing more of a metal crowd. The POS system is in, I have my propane tank being delivered next week. No loans, it is all coming out of the business savings.

The deep fryers the last owners had were little countertop electric models, I could easily fill one of them after a night of drinking in my younger years they were so small.

I have my main cook that will be coming on board with me, his country-club gig ends this week so I have him for the winter until golf season starts again.

The menu is very compact, BBQ only. No fried items except for 1 night a week (Chicken or pork chops,) just Ribs, (maybe tips too) Brisket, Pork, and combinations of the three with sammies. Maybe some steaks or grilled chix sammies. I want to keep a tight inventory and keep the menu focused. I am not trying to meet every single persons wants like most places do and end up losing product to spoilage.

Chicken;
I just cannot see any feasible way to do grilled or smoked chicken and still have a great product, unless I only did pulled chicken.
Sides;
3 hot sides and 2 cold, & 2 dessert items. and sweet tea to add to the bar offerings.
Soups will be offered when the snow starts to fly

I have found 2 indoor NSF UL approved woodburning grills, we are deciding which one according to wear & tear, and haggling on prices.

Still have not decided on which cooker to purchase, and now the Oyler has been looking real sweet but the prices & lead times are huge.
Maybe I'll get lucky on a used unit, but not in this state. I bet I need to travel south if I even find one.
_________________
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!

marvsbbq · BBQ All Star Joined: 15 May 2005 Posts: 6186

I marinated a couple of boneless chicken breast the other night and smoked on my OHP as a "test" and they only took 30 min. If you did smaller ones (5-6 oz) I bet would only take 20 min to cook....smoke.

BTW....I cooked those @ 325
_________________
Often imitated but never duplicated

Big Daddy Woo Woo · Posted: Sep 20 2008 Post subject:

Don't know what you plannin to spend on a smoker, but I got a sales friend that sells backwoods. He somehow got a BIG Ole Hickory. I think it is the biggest one Ole Hickory makes. And it is brand new. Just a thought to maybe help ya out.
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Feva In Da Funkhouse!

sseige · Posted: Sep 21 2008 Post subject:

Welcome to the restaurant side of Q Harry Wink

It will be nothing like you expect, will have you pulling out your hair, cussing like a sailor, running from before dawn to just before dawn, and all at the same time make you happy as hell Shocked

good luck my friend I was there just last March.

We have a 1/2 chicken dinner, 1/4 slab 1/4 chicken combo, and a 1/4 chicken on our sampler. I had planed to use the days unsold chicken in our pulled chicken sandwich and gumbo but I have had to double the amount of chicken in my cooks to fill all the pulled chicken orders. Dont be surprised or fight a menu item that you didnt have a high priority on that takes off.

When I first opened I had a menu printed daily with what I cooked and used the hits to build my permanent lineup. Some of those first hits are still going well, others have been tinkered with and or dropped all together.

I have to give props to Marv and Mike they have helped and given feedback that has done very well.

Marv with Tri Tip, my Santa Maria steak and cheese rocks

And Mike with his help with whole hog.

So caterers and vender's can be of great help also
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Gasser!

tonyg · BBQ Pro Joined: 10 Feb 2006 Posts: 628

Hey BallBag!

give me a call sometime..

tony

Harry Nutczak · Posted: Sep 21 2008 Post subject:

Big Daddy Woo Woo · Posted: Sep 21 2008 Post subject:

OK. This is the deal that he had told me. It is an Ole Hickory EL-EDX. Sposed to hold 125+ butts and like 64 whole turkeys? The deal is that he is a Backwoods Dealer. BUT, he designs/sells trailers, Backwoods, Guru's, etc. If it has to do with BBQ, he is on it. He said that he is selling this for a friend. Never used. Price that he listed about a month ago was 15K. How much they will work off of that price, I don't know. I just know that this is one BIG AZZ Cooker! If you can spend around that much, lemme know and I can get in touch with him and see if he still has it.
_________________
Backwoods Smoker - Upgraded Chubby
Backwoods Smoker - Upgraded Party
Backwoods Smoker - Competitor w/ Convection
Backwoods Smoker - Professional

Big Daddy Woo Woo's Championship BBQ & Catering

Feva In Da Funkhouse!

tonyg · BBQ Pro Joined: 10 Feb 2006 Posts: 628

tonyg · BBQ Pro Joined: 10 Feb 2006 Posts: 628

just occured to me ballbag-
u said helmet!! Shocked

is your real name kc boss??? Wink

LMFAO

cya

marvsbbq · BBQ All Star Joined: 15 May 2005 Posts: 6186

sseige · Posted: Sep 22 2008 Post subject:

the EL-EDX will come with the 18'' racks. that 15k tag sounds high if its just the cooker. you can get a Southern Pride new for close to that.
_________________
Rusty Saw Smokehouse BBQ
And The Damn Yankee Touring Team
Southern Pride 1000

Gasser!

mutha chicken bbq · Posted: Sep 22 2008 Post subject:

Hey Harry, Hope all goes well for ya. Keep us updated.
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marvsbbq · BBQ All Star Joined: 15 May 2005 Posts: 6186

sseige · Posted: Sep 23 2008 Post subject:

rprata · Posted: Sep 26 2008 Post subject:

Hey Harry, how's it going? Any updates?
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Harry Nutczak · Posted: Sep 26 2008 Post subject:

I found my gigantic wood-burning indoor grill that is both UL and NSF aproved.
It was used and abused but this thing is so tough I think if it was in a building fire it would be the only thing salvagable.

Here is a link to the manufacturers website http://www.jrmanufacturing.com/woodshow.html

The unit pictured is about half the size of the one I got, My cooking surface is 2'x5', it has 2 doors for loading wood, It is like having 2 of the units in the picture put side by side and welded together.

I left Wednesday morning at 8:30 to get to Des Moines Iowa, we got it on the trailer with a winch, chains, straps & muscle. The forklift couldn't lift this thing becuase it kept tipping over from the weight. I got back home at 4:20 AM the next day! 20 friggin hours on the road!! and only to go to the next state over. We only have 2 seasons up here, Winter & construction!!

It weighs 1,850 pounds and is built from 1/4" diamond plate and refractory cement.

I spent 5-6 hours cleaning this thing yesterday and I still have several hours of cleaning to get it to showroom condition. It is good enough to cook on though. I need to replace the caster underneath, they are worn flat from whoever had this before me, I think the towed it down the road on it's wheels or something. I was chipping solidified meat mung off the sides for hours and soaking it in DC-99 to try and clean it, If I had more time I would sandblast the whole thing and repaint it. I got the stainless to shine again and thats good enough for now.

I bought some chicken thighs and cooked those while it is still outside of my kitchen, the heat control is excellent, and the flavor of cooking with wood is amazing compared to the flavor from charcoal. I also had some cooked STL racks in the freezer and I wanted to see how those would taste after being previously cooked, held cold and reheated. They were great!, So unitl I get my built-in cooker, I know I can cook ribs in batches and run them across the grill and still have a quality product.
We are getting the 2nd exhaust hood up today, and will attempt to get the grill inside the kitchen and under the hood.

We are still on schedule for opening in 5 days, but I cannot do the full menu due to cooler space, so just 3 meats and 2-sides will be available until the freezer gets converted into a cooler. Once my cooler is working I will have desserts, Broasted chicken one day each week, and a whole lot more options.
The menu is staying tight, strictly BBQ with a grilled burger and chicken sammie option and I am trying to work out a decent sized steak that I can serve for $15.00 or less, Possibly a 14 ounce strip or a 20 ounce T-Bone.

I love steak, and I get pissed off that for me to go to a restaurant and get one I need to get cleaned up, dress nice, take the GF, and spend over $100.00 on a dinner. So I am trying to cater to people like me so they can have a steak for dinner and a few beers for $20.00 or less right after crawling out of the woods from felling trees all day, or covered in mud from doing an excavating job without needing to go to a high-end restaurant.

My last scheduled wedding is tomorrow, we have 80 peeps doing a whole pig, grilled tuna steaks, Gorgonzola au-gratins, Grilled veggies, and a tomato cuke salad with balsamic vinegar dressing. They decided to not rent a tent, and are having the wedding outside. This should be interesting!
_________________
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!