Here.

Been a little while I know..........this is the longest I've gone without posting since the birth of this blog over a year ago. Biz was great the last week of August leading up to Labor Day. From what I hear most places see a real slide in business during the summer months because of vacations, little league, etc.. We had a really good summer, we saw a couple of weeks here and there (July 4 week being one) that were down but overall we bucked the trend. However last week (week following Labor Day) was the worst week we've had in several months, maybe the worst we've had since January. Anytime you follow a holiday like that where people sit at home and stuff themselves you'll see that happen. Lord willing we'll see this week really pick up.
Right after my last post Martha and I went to Chicago for a couple of days just to get away. Had a blast! I lived up there for a couple of stints during college and worked at the Chicago Board of Trade. I got to catch up with one of my old buddies Chad Strieter. We went out with our wives, caught a Cubs game against the Brewers, went to dinner......great time. I'm hoping to hook back up with those boys over the next few months. Strieter, Jaffe, Brooks & Dave.......warm memories of us drinking too much at bars, peeing over cars and crashing corporate parties. Love those boys.......I'm looking for Jaffe & Strieter to get down here for a Titans game this November.
This week I've been working on the catering trailer. We've been welding, priming, etc.. I'll post again in the next day or so with an update on it.

Temporary Website

Yeah...........if there is one thing I have and am still kicking myself for is not uploading some sort of web presence during the past year. Its one of those things I knew I needed to get done but just never got around to having someone do it. The site that is up now is just temporary, I am having a permanent one designed right now to be ready in the next month or so. Katie "All-Star" Walker is doing all the graphic design/art and my good buddy Mike Causey is building it for me. They are both awesome at what they do and I'm thankful for the work and job they are doing for me. The spot on 104.5 started this morning, it sounded good. Some minor changes need to be made but overall is went well. Here is the site:

http://www.martinsbbqjoint.com

update

Week has been really good and really steady! We ain't missed a beat since Marteen left. I hired another guy (Gonzalo). He's about 45, legal, and has about 20 years restaurant experience. We'll see how he hangs in there. I'm letting Bo have the day off today, so I'll be on the line tonight.........I've missed that hell and chaos.......I'm looking forward to it! Had to truck down to Chattanooga yesterday to see my bookkeeper and do my payroll quarterly taxes. My "Freudian" buddy Jim Owens wife Jennifer does them for me. Things are looking good, the business is making money and all that........but we've got to cut some costs, specifically Cost of Goods Sold. We're spending at least 10% too much here. I'm tracking all individual sales of each menu item and putting the info in to a spreadsheet. Have about 3 or so weeks worth right now, another couple of weeks or so and I'll look at that info and put it to use, such as updating the menu. Plan on nixing some a couple of things that we ain't selling much of. I'll still keep them around but only on the "specials" menu. Probably gonna raise some prices too, such as brisket to reflect rising market prices. Beef prices have really risen a lot in the past 6 months and because of certain market conditions (commodity prices, supply/demand, drought) I think they will continue to rise, at the very least hang where they are now. Plus most places around here are getting $4.50 or more for a regular sandwich and we're still asking $3.50, so we're just bringing it to where to local market is anyway. The Titans looked good last night..........is that the same Chris Brown that used to play for us?????? I mean, he doesnt even look like the same player! He's playing like a quicker Eddie George. Thank the good Lord above that Football is here! In the next few weeks or so I need to get on a Trout stream somewhere. Hell, its almost time to get those guns out of the closet and get to cleanin' them up! This is the best time of year.

2nd Pit has been ordered....sponsoring Titans 104.5 show.

Well Tuesday I pulled the trigger on another Pit. I ordered the same Pit I have now at the Joint, which is an Ole Hickory. There are weeks/days when we have been beyond capacity and it has been a real stress figuring out how to get everything cooked we need to get cooked. In regards to the restaurant we are fine. There have been a few weeks where I'm sitting there on Thursday night a little worried how I'm going to get everything cooked for the next couple of days, but generally cooking for just the Joint has not been a problem. The problem arises when the catering orders start to come in. We have done absolutely zero marketing on catering (we've really done zero marketing all together). So just the little bit we've got coming in has pushed our capacity beyond the limit. I went ahead and ordered the pit now because starting next week we will be the official sponsor of the 104.5 Titans Insider Kevin Mawae show (he's the starting center for the Titans for those of you reading this that are out of town) on Monday mornings during drive time from 7:10 - 8:00. The lead in will be something along the lines of:
"The Kevin Mawae Show sponsored by Martin's Bar-B-Que"
This is This is a great spot for us on the #1 rated radio show in the city during a prime time.......I mean every 9 to 5er in the city is on the road at that time heading in to work, and its on Mondays the day after each game. So I'm really looking for a real pick-up in catering & tailgating packages.....We'll see. More borrowed money means more stress. I had to take out an additional $15,000 loan (over 24 months) for the thing and I'm hoping that will cover it, but then again that might not cover everything I'm looking to get done. It might/could total about $20,000 when its all said and done, depending on other things I'd like to do to it. Anything over and above the loan amount I'll just pay for out of pocket. I'll be setting it up like a competition pit and/or catering trailer. Much like the Peg Leg Team Pit, I'm going to mount this thing on my old bob-cat trailer (which is almost brand new), a 20ft. trailer with a 3 well sink, prep table and double fridge. There will be a roof on it. Im hoping I can pay Dresch to do the work for me, we're supposed to meet up today. I'm hoping to have this thing built and finished in the next 3-4 weeks. I'm not all that excited about taking out the additional money to get it. I've been pretty proud at paying off what I have in this short of time. I have plenty of room in my current line of credit, but i did not want to put 15 grand back on top of what I've already paid off. Also, I am keeping the two lines of business separate so I can track each one separately. I may not be all that happy about borrowing additional money, but I'm happy about putting this thing to work for me, we just have to really step up the catering to get this big whore paid for. I'm also hoping and looking forward to this helping the team (Peg Leg Porkers) out at future bbq competitions, once we really start to get involved in those things.

Turbulence.

Well last week was a long week. Wednesday my uncle Olen died. He and I were very close so that was tough. We buried him on Saturday morning. Then about 7:45 Saturday night while taking my grandparents home I was wondering how everything was going at the Joint - not 2 minutes later Bo calls to tell me that he and Marteen got into it and Marteen quit, right in the middle of dinner rush. Let me tell you right here right now that is NOT what I wanted to hear. If for any reason just because of the wrench it throws into the wheel. I wont go into the whole problem but for right now it may be for the best. He is a great guy and has become and will remain a great friend, but I think he was getting burned out. He was starting to slip, starting to miss things. That ain't Marteen. He was clocking about 60 hours a week, which is what he wanted but I'm guessing that had something to do with it. 60 hours a week in a little kitchen will take a toll on you. So, now I'm looking at two other Mexican guys to take his place. The upside is they are both legal. The downside is they both have jobs and I dont know if I can get them or not. We're going to be o.k., I mean there was a time not too long ago that it was just Bo and I slinging it out. I've got some good part time help that can fill in and between Me, Bo, Chocho & Emily we'll be fine Lord willing. I imagine that sometime in the future Marteen and I will work together again, I hope like hell that happens. We'll stay buddies and we'll stay in touch and I'll help him anyway I can (This week we are supposed to meet with this accountant to pay his income taxes from 2006, and I plan on still helping him with that). I think that for right now though this is good for both sides. We'll see what happens.