Southern Pride of Texas
Restaurant & Catering Industry News
253 articles on smoker care, BBQ tips, industry news, and more.
Corporate Catering Has Discovered Smoked Meats — And They're Not Going Back
Smoked meats are dominating corporate event menus. Here's why this shift matters for BBQ operators and what equipment...
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Corporate Caterers Are Betting Big on Smoked Meats — Here's What That Means for Your Equipment
Corporate event catering has shifted hard toward smoked meats. Here's why the numbers work and what equipment decisio...
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When One Location Isn't Enough: Equipment Decisions That Make or Break Your Second Spot
Expanding your BBQ restaurant means rethinking production capacity, equipment placement, and workflow—not just copyin...
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What I Saw at the Restaurant Show That's Actually Going to Change Your Kitchen
Ray breaks down the back-of-house equipment trends from the Restaurant Show that matter for BBQ operators—and which o...
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Food Trucks Are Running Circles Around Restaurants — And Their Smokers Are Why
How mobile BBQ operators are using commercial-grade smokers to match or beat brick-and-mortar quality while staying n...
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What Competition BBQ Trends Actually Mean for Your Restaurant Menu
NBBQA competition trends reveal where consumer tastes are headed. Here's how to translate that intel into production ...
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Eric Dale's Pastry Program Proves What's Possible When Your Smoke Game Is Dialed
Denver pastry chef Eric Dale is pushing smoked desserts into fine dining territory. Here's what commercial operators ...
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What Happens When a BBQ Concept Goes From 3 Locations to 30: The Equipment Question Nobody Asks Early Enough
Franchise equipment standardization isn't about buying the same smoker 30 times. It's about parts, training, and what...
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What I'm Actually Looking Forward to at the 2026 NRA Show (And What's Probably Overhyped)
A food truck operator's honest take on the 2026 National Restaurant Association Show—what matters for BBQ operations ...
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Your Kitchen Already Runs Brisket at Scale — Here's How to Turn That Into a Catering Operation That Actually Makes Money
A practical framework for BBQ restaurant owners adding catering without destroying margins or burning out their crew.
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Hire for Instinct, Train for Process: Building a BBQ Crew That Won't Sink You
Which skills matter most when hiring for a BBQ operation? Earl breaks down what you can teach vs what a cook needs to...
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What I Learned About Equipment Standardization from Watching Franchise Operations Fail and Succeed
How BBQ franchises handle smoker standardization across locations—and why the wrong equipment choice multiplies probl...
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