Southern Pride of Texas
Restaurant & Catering Industry News
165 articles on smoker care, BBQ tips, industry news, and more.
What 2026 Actually Looks Like for BBQ Operations — And What's Just Noise
Earl breaks down which 2026 restaurant trends matter for BBQ operators and which ones you can ignore completely.
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Your Second Location Won't Fail Because of the Menu — It'll Fail Because You Underestimated Equipment
Ray breaks down the equipment math and capacity planning most BBQ operators get wrong when expanding to a second loca...
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What NBBQA Competition Trends Actually Tell You About Running a BBQ Restaurant
Competition BBQ preferences are shifting. Here's what restaurant operators can learn from the circuit — and what to i...
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What a Denver Restaurant's Sustainability Push Means for Your Smoker Operation
Denver's Olivia and Dear Emilia are building sustainability into their core operations. Here's what that actually loo...
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What 'Smart Smoker Integration' Actually Means for Your Kitchen (And What's Just Marketing)
A 22-year service tech explains which smoker connectivity features matter for restaurant operations and which ones yo...
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Nobody Wants to Talk About Insurance Until They're Standing in a Parking Lot at 2 AM
Real talk on liability coverage, equipment insurance, and the gaps that catch BBQ operators off guard when something ...
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Food Cost Math Has Changed — Here's How Smart Operators Are Responding
BBQ restaurant owners are reworking menus, portions, and production to protect margins. Practical strategies from ope...
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What a Breakfast Chain's Lunch Pivot Means for Your Smoker Capacity
When chains expand dayparts, it signals market pressure. Here's how BBQ operators should think about equipment capaci...
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Ghost Kitchen BBQ: What I've Learned From Operators Who Made It Work
Ghost kitchen BBQ can work if your equipment matches the model. Here's what separates profitable operations from expe...
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Your Brisket Left the Building Perfect. What Happened in the Next 45 Minutes?
How BBQ operators can protect smoked meat quality through packaging, holding temps, and last-mile delivery systems.
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Menu Math in 2024: What Operators Are Actually Doing About Food Costs
Real strategies BBQ restaurant owners are using to manage inflation without gutting quality—from portion engineering ...
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What Fast-Casual Menu Churn Tells You About Your Own Operation
Earl breaks down why the constant menu changes at chains like CAVA and Chili's should make commercial BBQ operators t...
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