Southern Pride of Texas
BBQ Tips & Techniques
40 articles on smoker care, BBQ tips, industry news, and more.
Restaurant Executive Shuffle in April: What Equipment Buyers Should Actually Pay Attention To
April's wave of restaurant CEO changes signals where smart operators should be watching—and where equipment investmen...
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What the Big Chains Adding Smoked Items Tells Us About Where Commercial BBQ Is Headed
McDonald's, Wendy's, and KFC are chasing smoke flavor. Here's what that means for operators who actually know how to ...
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That Pink Ring Isn't Magic — But Your Customers Don't Know That
What actually creates a smoke ring, why it matters for commercial operations, and how to produce it consistently acro...
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Mother's Day 2024: What the Traffic Spike Actually Means for Your Smoker Schedule
How to prep your commercial smoker operation for Mother's Day crowds without blowing your margins or burning out your...
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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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Running Overnight: What Actually Matters During a 12-Hour Unattended Cook
Practical guidance for commercial operators running rotisserie smokers through overnight cooks — from prep to recover...
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Brisket Yield Math: What Your Trim Strategy Is Actually Costing You
Commercial brisket trimming and injection techniques that affect your margins. Real yield calculations from restauran...
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What Restaurant Chain 4/20 Promotions Tell Us About Menu Engineering (And What They're Getting Wrong)
Chain restaurant 4/20 deals reveal margin mistakes smart operators avoid. Here's the math behind promotional pricing ...
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Oak, Hickory, Pecan, and Fruitwoods: What Actually Matters in Commercial Volume
A 30-year pitmaster's guide to wood selection for commercial BBQ operations—burn rates, sourcing, and what works at v...
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What the Technomic Top 500 Actually Tells Us About Surviving in Commercial Foodservice
Chain restaurant struggles reveal hard lessons for independent BBQ operators. Here's what the Top 500 data means for ...
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What Fast-Casual Chains Actually Get Right About Loyalty — And What Commercial BBQ Operators Can Steal
Breaking down the 5 factors driving fast-casual loyalty and how commercial pitmasters can apply the same principles t...
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