Whiskey Bent BBQ: How Chad Ward Built a BBQ Empire

Grant Pinkerton: Building a BBQ Empire, Michelin Star, and the Business Behind Pinkerton's Barbecue

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 you * How a rhetoric degree became his most valuable business tool * The most underrated item on the menu, and why no one else is doing it * What 30+ practice hogs looks like before the world's most prestigious BBQ competition About 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 [http://pinkertonsbarbecue.com] Instagram: instagram.com/pinkertonsbbq [http://instagram.com/pinkertonsbbq] Grant: instagram.com/gpinks [http://instagram.com/gpinks] Facebook: facebook.com/Pinkertonsbarbecue [http://facebook.com/Pinkertonsbarbecue] Follow BBQ World Cup: Instagram: instagram.com/bbqworldcup [http://instagram.com/bbqworldcup] Facebook: facebook.com/bbqworldcup [http://facebook.com/bbqworldcup] TikTok: tiktok.com/@bbqworldcup [http://tiktok.com/@bbqworldcup] BBQ United: instagram.com/bbqunited [http://instagram.com/bbqunited] Photo credits to Andrew Fisher. https://www.instagram.com/andrewfisher7/ [https://www.instagram.com/andrewfisher7/]

Whiskey Bent BBQ: How Chad Ward Built a BBQ Empire

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 [https://www.whiskeybentbbq.com] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whiskeybentbbq/ [https://www.instagram.com/whiskeybentbbq/] 🏆 BBQ World Cup: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bbqworldcup/ [https://www.instagram.com/bbqworldcup/] #BBQBoardroom #WhiskeyBentBBQ #ChadWard #Traeger #BBQBusiness #Pitmaster #RoadTo1Million #BBQWorldCup #CompetitionBBQ #BBQ