BBQ Boardroom

Daniel Vaughn has spent more than a decade doing the work nobody else does: driving every corner of Texas, eating at thousands of BBQ joints, and telling the world where the great ones are. When his Texas Monthly Top 50 list named Goldee's the best in Texas, they went from smoking 5 briskets a day to selling out 50 before the doors opened. The barbecue was always that good. The list made sure everyone knew.Daniel is the first barbecue editor in the country, covering BBQ full time for Texas Monthly since 2013. His book, The Prophets of Smoked Meat, was the first title in Anthony Bourdain's publishing line. He once booked a flight to Buffalo just to eat at one BBQ joint. This is a man who takes smoked meat seriously.In this episode he gets into what he has learned from a front row seat to hundreds of BBQ businesses: what separates the joints that make it from the ones that close, the weight of responsibility that comes with the list, and the hospitality lessons every operator should steal.What we get into:The Goldee's story and what happens when the world finds out about great barbecueDaniel's advice for anyone opening a BBQ joint: start small, be your own laborWhy barbecue is a gamble every single dayHow he approaches the list: firsthand opinions, fairness, and the work behind itSnow's BBQ and the raffle ticket trick that turns a line into an experienceHis friendship with Anthony Bourdain and the interview he still regretsThe walkout song he is bringing to the BBQ World Cup stageAbout Daniel Vaughn: Daniel Vaughn is the barbecue editor at Texas Monthly, the first position of its kind in the country. He is the author of The Prophets of Smoked Meat and the voice behind the Texas Monthly Top 50 BBQ Joints list.Texas Monthly BBQ: texasmonthly.com/bbq Instagram: instagram.com/bbqsnobBBQ Boardroom is the podcast about the business behind barbecue, hosted by Scott Erdmann and Shannon Pruitt, co-founders of BBQ World Cup & Expo and BBQ United. New episodes every other week.Follow BBQ World Cup: Instagram: instagram.com/bbqworldcupFacebook: facebook.com/bbqworldcupTikTok: tiktok.com/@bbqworldcupBBQ United Instagram: instagram.com/bbqunitedYouTube: youtube.com/@BBQUnited

What does it take to build one of the most recognized BBQ restaurants in America with no experience, no formal training, and no money? Grant Pinkerton did exactly that, and in this episode of BBQ Boardroom he breaks down every part of how.Grant is the Owner of Pinkerton's Barbecue, a three-location Texas institution with a Michelin Bib Gourmand, Texas Monthly Top 50 three times, and the first Texas pitmaster to ever walk the stage at Memphis in May in Whole Hog. In 2018 he became the first pitmaster ever named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list.This is a business conversation. Grant breaks down the fundamentals most pitmasters never talk about: how a rhetoric degree from UT Austin built one of the most recognized BBQ brands in Texas, why he targeted young families instead of converting loyal regulars, the three-part framework that determines whether any restaurant lives or dies, and why being an outsider was his biggest advantage.If you are a restaurant owner, food entrepreneur, aspiring pitmaster, or anyone building a business in the hospitality space, this episode is for you.What we get into:The three things every restaurant owner must have, and why two out of three will sink youHow a rhetoric degree became his most valuable business toolThe most underrated item on the menu, and why no one else is doing itWhat 30+ practice hogs looks like before the world's most prestigious BBQ competitionAbout Grant Pinkerton: Owner of Pinkerton's Barbecue. Forbes 30 Under 30. Michelin Bib Gourmand. Texas Monthly Top 50 three times. First Texas pitmaster to walk the stage at Memphis in May in Whole Hog.Website: pinkertonsbarbecue.com Instagram: instagram.com/pinkertonsbbq Grant: instagram.com/gpinks Facebook: facebook.com/PinkertonsbarbecueFollow BBQ World Cup: Instagram: instagram.com/bbqworldcup Facebook: facebook.com/bbqworldcup TikTok: tiktok.com/@bbqworldcup BBQ United: instagram.com/bbqunitedPhoto credits to Andrew Fisher. https://www.instagram.com/andrewfisher7/

Chad Ward didn't set out to build an empire. He just wanted to cook with his buddies.Thirteen years later he's running Whiskey Bent BBQ out of Lakeland, Florida. A retail store. A co-packing facility. A competition record with 200+ top-10 finishes. A decade at Traeger. Collabs with Ken Griffey Jr., Brantley Gilbert, and Justin Herbert. And he's still the guy answering his own DMs.In Episode 1 of BBQ Boardroom, Scott and Shannon sit down with Chad to talk about what building something real in BBQ actually looks like. The grind, the pivots, and why protecting the brand always beats chasing the shortcut.He's got a lot more to build. This is where the story starts.🔥 Chad Ward and Whiskey Bent BBQ: Website: https://www.whiskeybentbbq.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whiskeybentbbq/🏆 BBQ World Cup: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bbqworldcup/#BBQBoardroom #WhiskeyBentBBQ #ChadWard #Traeger #BBQBusiness #Pitmaster #RoadTo1Million #BBQWorldCup #CompetitionBBQ #BBQ