In this episode of Barbecue Catering Smarts, Michael Attias welcomes Kendal Handy, Co-Owner of Hambone’s BBQ Smokehouse, for a fresh look at what the next generation can bring to a family-owned barbecue business.
At just 19 years old, Kendal is already getting hands-on experience across the operation—from learning the pits and family recipes to marketing, social media, catering sales, networking, and business development. He shares how growing up around the restaurant sparked his interest in helping Hambone’s grow, and why his goal is to help build the family business into something that can continue for generations.
Kendal dives into how he’s using TikTok and social media trends to reach new audiences, including how one piece of content generated thousands of views and helped bring new faces into the restaurant. He also shares how he’s creating catering opportunities through college athletics, corporate relationships, churches, referrals, and good old-fashioned networking.
Michael and Kendal also discuss the importance of creating a distinctive brand, including Hambone’s vision for “California Barbecue” and its signature California sauce, as well as why building genuine relationships with catering customers can lead to referrals and long-term growth.
Plus, they explore how younger team members can bring valuable new skills and perspectives into an established restaurant—from social media and technology to AI, data, sales, and automation.
Whether you’re looking to grow catering sales, reach a younger audience, or bring the next generation into your family business, this episode is a reminder that sometimes your next great growth idea may already be inside your restaurant.
Barbecue Catering Smarts is sponsored by CaterZen Catering Software, helping BBQ restaurants save time, streamline catering operations, and increase catering sales.
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✅ Give the Next Generation a Chance: Younger family members and employees can bring fresh ideas, technology skills, and new ways of reaching customers—if you give them room to contribute.
✅ Social Media Can Drive Real Business: Kendal has seen targeted, trend-driven content generate thousands of views, new customers, and greater awareness for Hambone’s.
✅ Know Who You’re Trying to Reach: Instead of simply posting more content, tailor the style, format, and message to the specific audience you want to attract.
✅ Turn Your Existing Network Into Catering Opportunities: College teams, churches, corporate offices, community organizations, friends, and existing customers can all open doors to new catering business.
✅ Relationships Create Referrals: Kendal’s experience with a corporate catering client showed how one strong relationship can lead to recommendations and introductions to other businesses.
✅ Stay Connected After the Catering Job: Don’t treat a catering customer as a transaction. Genuine follow-up and relationship-building can create repeat business and valuable word-of-mouth.
✅ Create Something Customers Can Associate With Your Brand: Hambone’s is leaning into its identity as “California Barbecue,” including a signature California sauce that helps differentiate the restaurant.
✅ Look Beyond Your Immediate Market: Kendal sees opportunities to use his connections at UC Santa Barbara to expand Hambone’s catering reach and introduce the brand to new audiences.
✅ Technology Should Make the Business Better: From social media and AI to online ordering and catering management, technology creates the most value when it saves time, improves the customer experience, or helps generate revenue.
✅ Catering Growth Still Comes Down to Sales: Great BBQ matters, but catering orders don’t appear automatically. Operators need people willing to network, build relationships, ask for the business, and close the deal.
🔹 “We want to be California Barbecue.”
🔹 “Take advantage of it. Like, that is the biggest thing.”
🔹 “I know how to build consistency and build a consistent following.”
🔹 “Just seeing how the strength of one video or a couple videos can actually change a restaurant.”
🔹 “It’s not what you know, it’s kind of who you know.”
🔹 “You don’t wanna just take advantage of somebody because of a business opportunity. You wanna know who they are as a person.”
🔹 “Being authentic to people… that helps expand the business.”
🔹 “A good first impression is like a great, ever-lasting friendship.”
🔹 “As long as it lands.”
🔹 “You don’t wanna kinda just have it do the work for you, ’cause if it does the work for you, then it’s not you anymore.”
