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7 replies

Planning on switching to Q in the spring.

FM Former Member
Greetings!
This is my first post in the fourums, but I have been lurking and readings all of your informative posts for months.
Here's the deal... and any helpful input from you pros is welcome.

I have owned a restaurant in Western NC for just over two years. Business has gotten very slow due to the ecconomic fall out that most of us are going through. My partner and I have decided to change over and re-brand as a BBQ joint. We feel it will do very well, due to the lack of Q joints on this end of town.
I have been smoking for over 15 years using my own rubs and my own bbq sauce recipes.
I am planning on doing both WNC and Eastern NC Q. We are putting Ribs, Pork, Brisket, Sausage and Turkey breast on the menu...traditional side dishes and we plan on expanding with a mobile smoker very soon after the change over.
We are already set up in our 60 seat restaurant to have 10 beers on draft and a great selection of bottled imports and domestics.
I truely believe that this place will be a hit!! It will be the only place of its kind from here to the TN border.

I am looking at the Cook Shack line of smokers and I have been in contact with John Shiflet a few times. I am pretty set on the SM260. I would love to get the SM360, but it will not fit through the doors of the building. A larger rotisery smoker is out of the question.

I guess where I am concerend with my planning is, how to prepair all of this Q?
I want to try and keep my product made fresh for my customers and it seems like the only way that is going to happen is by having a 500lb+ smoker.

The Pork and Brisket will be the real killer with smoke times.

Can some of you pros tell me how you get'er done?

Ryan
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FM Former Member
Welcome Ryan,

One suggestion is you might cater for a few months until you get the timing down, kinda build up some street cred.

If I can ask, why the electric models? I know John well, but if it was me opening a restaurant, I'd do an FEC first. I think the range of BBQ is just better than the electrics (but that's me). Don't get me wrong, the electric series is GREAT and they sell a lot.

What I would do if I did it, I'd have both, because you need think think about times, temps, etc.

hat was your question, how do you prepare?

What do you have for reheating food? I'm thinking for the sausage and ribs for example.

First, go for fresh and hold. I personally can taste reheated BBQ and it just doesn't have the same taste as fresh.

Your list:
Ribs
Pork
Brisket
Sausage
Turkey

The butts and brisket will be easy to prep the night before and cook overnight.

Sausage won't take long.

Ribs, on average 4 to 6 hours (depends on size and temp)

Turkey (breast?) will depend on temp.

You'll just need to get whichever smoker you decide and then practice your prep/timing.

Keep the quality high, high, high. You might get initial success, but the ones that last seem to have better quality.

My wish list for a restaurant.

One FEC 500 or 750
One Chargriller
One 200 series

If I started small, I'd do the FEC 100 and go with two

Good luck with the adventure and keep us up on the adventure, we like to follow these type of stories.
FM Former Member
Thanks for the welcome guys.

Wow!! My first post and SmokinOkie gave me advice!! Your like the Godfather on this forum Smiler
I would live to have one of the larger FEC units like the 300 or 500. The problem is room.
It is a pre-existing kitchen with 3-36" door ways. The land lord will not let me take out doors, walls or even allow me to drop a slab and let me keep the unit outside, let alone cut a hole in the wall for access.

The SM260 will just make it through the door. It will go in the place of a double convection oven we have now.

I have a fully equiped kitchen with hot holding units. I am right along with you...Fresh!!! I am not looking to serve mushy Q.

The ribs will come from being held in a cambro to the chargriller and then brushed with our rib sauce. The sausage I would do the same way.
Like most places say "when its gone...its gone".
I'm sure that a few months down the road I will have a better idea of how to get the most productivity from the smoker or how to get out of my lease to find a better location that I can have a bigger smoker in.

Okie, I really like the idea of the two FEC100's...that way I can be more flexible with my prep and smoking times.
FM Former Member
quote:
Originally posted by Hogs&BeerInc.:
Thanks for the welcome guys.

Wow!! My first post and SmokinOkie gave me advice!! Your like the Godfather on this forum Smiler


Actually, I'm more of an Obi-Wan Wink

Think about two FE's, gives you some options. The FE also has an IQ controller that you put the probe in the meat and it goes to hold when the temp is reached.
FM Former Member
Smokin's ideas are good, but I like the idea of mixed formats. Having a 260 in the building to get you started, followed by a trailer mounted FEC parked outside the back door would be a versatile way to go. This is legal in NC. At most you'll have to cover the cooker, and that can be as simple as an aluminum carport if your landlord allows, or a trailer mounted cover, not unlike what a lot of the comp teams use.

Having a unit on the trailer gives you the on site catering capacity right now. And you can tow the thing home every night to keep your landlord happy.

The one caveat with the FEC is the fuel, which must be ordered, and the cost of operation which will be high if you aren't running full loads. The 260 will let you bypass both these problems if you need to run a small load or have a brain fart and realize that you forgot to order pellets. It will cook 12 butts for a few cents worth of electricity. The FEC will always cost more to operate,but if you're pumping out the volume, it won't be anything to worry about.
FM Former Member
My main reason for the differences are that I prefer the food cooked in the FE's vs. the Electrics. Not good, not bad, just prefer.

I've had a 150 series and know that line well and love the product, so it really depends on what you'll be smoking in it. And I've certainly helped enough people tweak their recipes in the commercial line so there's lots you can do there too.

Fuel's not a biggie, plenty of FE's in use in restaurants and the fuel is available, plus you have the option of different wood types.

For me, I think the question at this point would be production methods.

What will be cooking at what times in which smoker. That can help decide which way to go.
D dublin551Member
hogs n beer,

i use an FEC 500 on a trailer, i parked it just outside by the back door, i did not put a roof over it, and it worked flawlessly. i would put briskets, and butts on at 4pm. 220 for 15-16 hours. next mourning we would take them off and do ribs, sausage, chicken and wings during the mourning. i never ran out of product. so if you do this, work hard, stay consistant, and keep it simple stupid [kiss]. sounds like you have a nice setup. good luck! bro.

jeff heaton, "The Smoque Shack BBQ"

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