In this episode of Barbecue Catering Smarts, Michael Attias sits down with Brent Reaves, President of Smokey John’s Bar-B-Que, a second-generation operator who grew up in the business and now leads its growth across catering, retail, and large-scale events.
Brent shares the incredible origin story of Smokey John’s—how his father went from real estate to barbecue by simply cooking for clients—and how that hustle-first mindset still drives the business today.
They dive deep into how Brent used catering to pull the business out of a downturn, including the now-famous story of spending just $50 on flyers, smoking them overnight, and hitting office buildings to generate immediate demand.
Michael and Brent also unpack what it really takes to succeed in BBQ catering, including why systems matter, how to build trust with clients, and how to create consistency at scale.
You’ll also hear how Smokey John’s has expanded beyond the restaurant into catering, concessions, and retail products, proving you don’t need more locations to grow revenue—you need smarter strategies.
If you’re a BBQ operator looking to grow catering sales, tighten operations, and build a brand that lasts, this episode delivers real-world, hard-earned lessons you can use right away.
Barbecue Catering Smarts is sponsored by CaterZen Catering Software.
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✅ Catering Can Save Your Business: Brent used catering as a lifeline during a downturn—and it became a major revenue driver.
✅ Hustle Still Wins: Growth didn’t come from ads—it came from physically hitting offices with smoked menus and generating demand.
✅ You’re Selling Trust, Not Just Food: Clients care more about reliability than the menu—don’t embarrass them, and you’ll win repeat business.
✅ Start Scrappy, Then Systemize: Brent did everything himself—sales, packing, delivery—before building systems to scale.
✅ Systems Create Freedom: The right systems make you look bigger than you are and allow your team to execute without you.
✅ Menu Engineering Matters: Not everything that works in-house works for catering—execution off-site is everything.
✅ Drop-Off Catering Is the Sweet Spot: High-volume, mid-size orders (20–75 guests) drive consistent, scalable revenue.
✅ Multiple Revenue Streams = Stability: Restaurant, catering, concessions, and retail products all contribute to growth without adding locations.
✅ “Figure It Out Later” Is a Strategy: Say yes to big opportunities—even if you don’t have all the answers yet.
✅ Early Lessons Stick Forever: From a $15 tip at age six to running large-scale events, Brent learned that great service always pays.
🔹 “Get the business and figure it out later.”
🔹 “The first thing you’re selling in catering is trust.”
🔹 “We were going in the toilet… catering is what saved us.”
🔹 “I took $50, made flyers, and smoked them overnight.”
🔹 “I was booking it, packing it, and delivering it—I did everything.”
🔹 “You need to know what it feels like to drop off an order yourself.”
🔹 “If you provide service above expectations, people will tip you.”
🔹 “Figure out a way to make money while you’re asleep.”
