Secrets of Success Q&A with Brian Hill of Brian's Bar-B-Q

Secrets of Success: Brian’s Bar-B-Q

SUSIE MCKINLEY, EDITOR, FR&L MAGAZINE WITH BRIAN HILL, OWNER, BRIAN'S BAR-B-Q

Located in beautiful Deland, Florida, Brian’s Bar-B-Q is an iconic barbeque restaurant offering quality slow-cooked barbecue and flame-grilled specialties. The restaurant has been in business for over 35 years and is a mainstay of the community.

Brian’s barbecue competes in competitions all over the Southeast and is well known for their standout fare. In addition, owners Brian and Jayne Hill are barbecue judges and have been trained as judges by the Kansas City Barbecue Society. They know what they are looking for. Q. It is a pleasure to talk with you about your restaurant. Can you give us a little history about how you decided to go into the barbecue business? A. Thank you so much for your time and for considering Brian’s Bar-B-Q for Florida Restaurant & Lodging Magazine. I have to be included in that group of people who got into the industry as an “until job.” Like many people, I took a job in the restaurant business “until I found a real job.” I went to college and grad school studying finance, economics and international business. Working in a restaurant was not even a remote thought as a career. I started washing dishes while I looked for a real job. I soon became hooked by the energy, hospitality and competition. I then went to culinary school. Over the years, I have had to opportunity to own and operate many concepts. As we approach our 40th year at Brian’s Bar-B-Q, I have utilized every aspect of my formal education and had a blast along the way.

Q. Brian’s Bar-B-Q is known for its award-winning barbecue. If a guest is visiting the restaurant for the first time, what would you suggest? A. I would tell them that we do sell a tremendous amount of baby back ribs, but my favorite is our jumbo spare ribs, grilled St. Louis-style with our sweet barbecue sauce. Our spare ribs are special, as we do what very few other restaurants can do. These ribs are meaty, tender and full of flavor. In my opinion, they are one-of-akind, but they have won tons of awards, so other people think so, too. Oh, one other thing, ask for a few extra wet naps.

Q. Fresh is the word around Brian’s Bar-B-Q. You make and serve the freshest ingredients from your hand-cut steaks of top-quality USDA choice beef, shrimp, salad dressings, barbecue sauces, marinades, soups, fresh-brewed iced tea and beans made by your team. Why do you prepare so many menu items in-house? A. Scratch kitchens take extra work and diligence. Sourcing high-quality ingredients that are healthful, traceable and sustainable takes extra effort. As an operator, I continually reevaluate how Brian’s BarB-Q can provide the highest quality meals with the greatest value to our guests. As all operators know, it takes a lot of extra staffing and oversight to prep so many things inhouse, but I can taste the difference — and I know our guests can. As an added benefit, during this time of interrupted supply lines and shortages, the fact that we prepare so many items in-house means we have experienced no menu shortages. Our value and quality is not dependent upon what factory is or is not in production this week. We get to control our supply and maintain the highest level of quality.

Q. You definitely guarantee quality and 100% satisfaction to your guests. You offer a pretty important value statement on your website. Do you believe this is critical to the success of your restaurant? A. I think a guarantee is basic in the restaurant business. We have to stand behind our product — it is that simple. Of course, at times, we might have a product or service lapse, and I personally hate it if even one person is not satisfied. But any successful operator knows that addressing guest concerns is a great opportunity to get to know your guest, create relationships with them and improve your processes. It’s that simple. It’s that tough.

Q. What intrigues the crew about competing in barbecue competitions? What do you gain from it, and do you pass on what you’ve learned to your customers? A. I love to compete. Competing in

Beef plate

business and at cook-offs keeps things fun. Maybe I am that way from playing sports when I was younger and still enjoy that. The neat thing is that most cook-off guys don’t have restaurants, and most restaurant guys don’t compete in cook-offs. At cookoffs, we get to learn things and pick up tips that most restaurants never see. If we can bring those ideas into the restaurant, then we can distinguish ourselves even more. I like the quote from the late, great Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead: “Don’t be the best at what you do, be the only one that can do what you do.” As a restaurant that competes, we are always trying to achieve that level.

Q. What is the most important thing Brian’s Bar-B-Q emphasizes with staff about guests? A. We are always working on next time, the next visit. When anyone walks through the door of a full-service restaurant, they have basically purchased something. This current visit is basically done. What we are doing with that guest is working on next time. Is our hospitality, food, service, atmosphere, value, cleanliness, etc., great enough to make that guest want to come back for many more visits? Every staff member is focused on that goal.

Q. What critical or priority areas do you cover in your training of staff, and how do you manage employee turnover? A. Hospitality, respect and understanding. Restaurant crews are like family. We have

Chicken wings

to remember to treat each other as a valued part of the family. My job is to help each team member achieve his or her individual goals of an ever-increasing quality of life. Everyone must understand our goals and their individual role in those goals. The technical stuff, that is easy to train. That job proficiency is your ticket to be part of our family.

Q. What are Brian’s Bar-B-Q’s secrets of success? A. One thing I believe is that if you are not growing, you are dying. In business, health, relationships, etc., you must believe in constant and never-ending improvement. My kitchen crew might hate me for this. We strive to maintain processes and systems … then I come and break them for a new and hopefully better system. I also have a personal mantra: “Everything happens for a reason, and it is to benefit me.” That is not meant to be an ego thing, but more of a faith thing. Good and bad things will happen, but I know God is in control. If I can maintain that faith and outlook and encourage my team to come along with me, we will all have great success.