Southern Pride of Texas
BBQ Tips & Techniques
257 articles on smoker care, BBQ tips, industry news, and more.
What Domino's Menu Pivot Tells Us About the Catering Calendar You're Probably Ignoring
Domino's is rethinking its menu timing and promotional calendar. Here's what commercial BBQ operators can learn from ...
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Why Your Choice Between Low-and-Slow and Hot-and-Fast Is Really a Labor Cost Decision
Breaking down the real operational math behind cooking method selection for commercial BBQ—yield, labor, throughput, ...
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What Your Smoked Meat Actually Costs (And Why Most Operators Get It Wrong)
How to accurately cost smoked meats for commercial operations, including yield tracking, labor allocation, and equipm...
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Stick Burners vs Gas-Assist Units: What Fire Management Actually Looks Like at Commercial Volume
Real talk on managing fire in offset stick burners versus gas-assist rotisserie smokers when you're running 200+ poun...
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Fast Food Gimmicks Won't Save Your Margins — But Your Smoker Might
While chains chase drones and pickup windows, independent operators can win on what matters: consistent quality and s...
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McDonald's Is Opening Restaurants Like It's 1995 — And Commercial BBQ Operators Should Pay Attention
McDonald's aggressive 2025 expansion signals where food service is heading. Here's what serious BBQ operators can lea...
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What McDonald's 900-Unit Expansion Means for Independent Operators Running Real Smokers
McDonald's massive 2025 growth signals chain restaurant strategy shifts. Here's what independent BBQ operators should...
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Running 400 Pounds of Brisket to a Wedding Venue: What I Learned About Large-Event Catering the Hard Way
Production timelines, transport protocols, and hold strategies for smoking meat at scale—from someone who's made the ...
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What Fast Food Menu Moves Mean for Commercial BBQ Operations
Ray breaks down what Wendy's, Chipotle, and IHOP's latest menu pushes reveal about where commercial foodservice is he...
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Stick Burners vs Gas-Assist: What Fire Management Actually Looks Like When You're Running a Commercial Kitchen
How fire management differs between offset stick burners and gas-assist rotisserie smokers in commercial operations, ...
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What McDonald's Protein Push Actually Tells Us About Menu Engineering in 2026
McDonald's is marketing protein hard. Here's what commercial operators can learn from their menu math—and what it mea...
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What the Top 500 Chain Numbers Tell You About Running Real Smoke
Big chain restaurants are hurting. Here's what independent pitmasters and regional BBQ operators can learn from their...
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