Category / OnCue Consulting

3
Jun

OnCue: BBQ MBA

The BBQ MBA is part of the Whole Hog Extravaganza/Brisket Bonanza event held each January. While the hogs and brisket are cooking, we gather to hear wisdom, advice, and cautionary tales from the pitmasters and marketing/media masterminds.

I love feeling of potential that greets me every January as I start a fresh New Year. The exercise of planning and putting ideas and concrete goals in my calendar is immensely satisfying. For the past two years, much of my inspiration has come from the BBQ MBA portion of the Whole Hog Extravaganza/Brisket Bonanza. The ideas and information we share helps me prioritize specific projects and provide a burst of energy in my creative thinking.

WholeHog_SpeakerPanelThe pitmasters talked about restaurant branding, how television affected their businesses, and their own personal barbecue journeys.

WholeHog_KatThe incomparable Kat Kinsman, editor of CNN’s eatocracy.com took the stage with equally eloquent Mitchell Davis, EVP of the James Beard Foundation and me and we discussed social media dos and don’ts and how to use it to develop relationships, as well as PR strategies for winning media attention.

WholeHog_SpeakersMitchell also gave a rousing talk aptly titled, “Barbecue in Context: from Pits to Pouilly Fuissé” – a perfectly on-point discussion about barbecue’s place in American cuisine. Brilliant marketing and branding mastermind Aric Nissen spoke about branding and menu engineering. I shared ideas and insight about the real work behind building a successful barbecue restaurant and brand.

Did you attend this year’s event? I’d love to hear your favorite takeaway in the comments below.

Read about the Brisket Bonanza portion of this event here. Read more about OnCue events and the 2013 – early 2014 schedule here.

Follow our speakers on twitter here: Amy, Kat, Mitchell, Aric, Wayne, Barry, Brad, Sam, and John.

Make 2014 your best year ever and join us at the next Whole Hog Extravaganza/Brisket Bonanza/BBQ MBA which will be held January 19-21, 2014. All photos © Ken Goodman Photography. View the entire gallery here.

2
Jun

OnCue: The Business of Barbecue April 2013 recap

OnCue_BoB_Attendees

Enjoying a well-deserved drink at the 17th Street bar. From Southern California to South Korea, a unique group of participants gathered to hone their barbecue and business skills.

OnCue Consulting held its 11th Business of Barbecue event in back in April. This unique two-day seminar and subsequent one-on-one consulting has incubated several dozen barbecue businesses and helped numerous existing restaurants take their game to a higher level.

OnCue_BoB_BeveragesAn especially honored attendee at this class was Frank Ostini of the Hitching Post, the famed California winery and restaurant featured in the award-winning movie Sideways. We served some of Frank’s fine wine during one of our meals.

Read more about the OnCue seminars and see the 2013-early 2014 schedule here. The next Business of Barbecue class will be held in April 2014. Exact date TBD.

We are grateful to Townsend Spice & Supply, fine spice purveyors and blenders of our Magic Dust©, for sponsoring our OnCue events.