Episode 26: From the Pit to the Party — How Central BBQ Wins at Catering

In this episode of Barbecue Catering Smarts, Michael Attias sits down with Linda Bogach, Catering Director at Central BBQ—one of the most iconic barbecue brands to ever come out of Memphis. Linda brings a true operator's perspective to catering. Her path wasn't linear—restaurant management, bartending, raising a family, and eventually stepping into catering leadership. That real-world experience shapes how Central BBQ delivers high-volume catering while protecting the food quality and guest experience that built the brand. In this episode, Linda shares how Central BBQ successfully takes barbecue from the pit to the party—executing catering for corporate events, weddings, and large-scale orders without chaos. She explains why catering success comes down to systems, consistency, and disciplined execution, not gimmicks or guesswork. Michael and Linda also dig into what it really takes to scale barbecue catering, how to set clear expectations internally and with guests, and why the right tools and processes save time, reduce stress, and drive repeat business. If you're running—or trying to grow—a barbecue catering operation, this episode delivers practical, battle-tested insights from someone who lives it every day. Barbecue Catering Smarts is sponsored by CaterZen Catering Software.