The "Calvary" has arrived!
Marteen, my old foreman for Harpeth Landscape Management, has come on board the Martin's Bar-B-Que Pirate ship. Marteen should now enable Bo and I to start working some normal hours. At the end of every night me and the ol' "Dread-neck" are staring a mountain of a clean up job right in the face and have been spending at least 2-3 hours per night after our close of 8:00 cleaning the kitchen up for the next day. This is in part due because there is not anyone keeping the place clean or the dishes clean while we're open and when we close we're backed up with a lot to do. The past couple of weeks have been the usual emotional roller-coaster. Thanksgiving week was a big surprise. Cash flow far exceeded expectations. Last week was very average. It probably would have been a little better but Saturday night Ravenwood & Smyrna played for the 5A state football championship (most of our customers are in the Ravenwood district and Smyrna is "just across the tracks" so to speak). Days that used to be slow are now picking up and the days that used to be gangbusters are average. The cold, the holiday season, football.........heck I dont know. We're still doing really well, far better than I thought we would be doing this time of year. I'll just keep praying and keep trusting.
What is this Blog???
You ever been sitting around cooking for your family and friends and been told the following: "Hoss, this is the best I've ever had in my dadgum life.....you have got to open up a place of your own". The thought crosses your mind to do just that, but for whatever reason you dont. Well I'm "that" guy that actually went through with it and did it. I had absolutely ZERO restaurant experience! I decided to start this blog about my own experience hoping that it may be of some use and help to others who might be interested in opening their own place.
I learned this craft almost 20 years ago cooking whole hogs on brick & cinder block pits at a couple of little BBQ Joints in Henderson, TN. I learned from old, lifelong career Pit-Masters, working with them as an apprentice during school off and on for four years. Over the course of that time I learned the old, time-honored craft of REAL pit barbecue. At Martin's Bar-B-Que Joint I am trying as hard as I can everyday to bring that time-honored authenticity to my customers.
As you read you'll see I've made some stupid decisions, and I've made some good decisions. If you are thinking of opening a restaurant, especially a BBQ Joint, read this blog! Maybe some of this info can be of use to you. At the very least you will be entertained because I pull no punches.
Now listen, this is my blog to not only help with information but my blog to freely rant about my day to day experiences. There is no real "bad language" on this blog but there might be some things said that are very "tongue in cheek". If you are easily offended and/or cant see the satire in my posts then please just leave the blog. It will save both of us the annoyance of each other. For those of you who do like satire and are looking for good information about this experience, then by all means enjoy!
1 comment:
God love Marteen. He is so precious.
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