IDUS 711 • FALL 2014
“ The Culture of BBQ in Savannah”
Specials PREPERATION - SECONDARY RESEARCH MODELS
$8
HEATING IT UP - “THE PLAN”
$7
TIME TO COOK - OBSERVATION
$10
SMOKE IT UP - SHADOWING
$12
KEEPING AN EYE OUT - INTERVIEWS
$15
PULLING IT APART - SYNTHESIS
$15
TIME TO EAT - INSIGHTS & OPPORTUNITIES
$17
APPENDIX - FULL TRANSCRIPTS
$17
Trends Expert Interview • Eras Map • Analogous Models Trends Matrix • Culture, Activity, Offering Map
Angel’s BBQ • Trick’s BBQ • Wall’s BBQ Wiley’s Championship BBQ • Sandfly BBQ
Angel’s BBQ • Kimberly’s Homemade Ribs
Teresa Weston (Wall’s BBQ) • Cyrus Hunter (Trick’s BBQ) • Marc Sylvester • Matt Britton• Kimberly Powell • Shawn & Sallie • Owen Foster • Billy Nisbet • Andrew Trice (Angel’s BBQ)
Meat on the plate Glossary
“BBQERS:” A term used to describe any individual involved in BBQ, weather they be a pitmaster, a restaurant owner, or an aficionado.
CHAR BARK: The outside crust created by the caramelization of seasonings and sugar during the cooking process. Typically black in color. GRILLING: A method of cooking meat at temperatures of 375° directly exposing the food to the heat source (Usually an open flame) HARD WOODS: Dense woods such as live oak and hickory that are used in barbecuing because of the amount of time they take to burn. Because BBQing is a long process, hard woods are preferred because they burn longer. “Let it Rest:” A saying used in barbecuing meaning giving the cooked meat time to settle
before cutting or pulling it apart, allowing the juices to settle and the meat to finish cooking.
PIT: A sizable hole dug into the ground where wood or charcoal is burned over which the meat is barbecued.
PITMASTER: One who operates a barbecue pit. Often used as a term of respect for someone who is skilled at barbecuing. “PULLED:” The process of separating the cooked meat with one´s hands or tongs. Literally pulling the meat apart. SMOKING: A method used to impart flavor of specific wood varieties into the meat through the process of slow cooking SMOKE RING: One of the most sought after properties of smoked meats, a pinkish ring just under the surface crust (bark). The smoke ring is caused by a chemical reaction between the smoke and the meat. TRADITIONAL BBQ: A slow cooking process using hard wood at temperatures between 225250° until reaching an internal temperature of 195°
Preparation
SECONDARY RESEARCH Secondary research data was organized through a series of modes with the intention to create a visual summaries of our findings. Each mode approached the data in different ways in order to later compare them and identify the players, relationships between stakeholders, trends and other key factors influencing the BBQ culture in Savannah. The 5 modes used to organize and compare our secondary data were based on Vijay Kumar’s 101 Design Methods:
Trends Experts Interviews Key informants were selected to discuss in an unstructured and informal manner about their knowledge of BBQ as a whole to have a broader context on the topic from experts’ points of view.
Eras Map This mode compiled data from books, articles, and other bibliographical sources with respect of how BBQ initiated and how it has changed over the years.
Analogous Models
Analogous models were studied to analyze the concepts of competition, smoking techniques in different cultures and media influence on the BBQ culture.
Trends Matrix Past and present world trends were layed out as to foresee which trends were constant, which are changing, and which might be pushing towards the future. Trends in technology, culture, and process were used to create a matrix divided in past, present and future.
Culture Activity Map We used this method to map out which activities and cultures were present in the BBQ culture and how they related to each other, in search for trends and possible opportunities. After addressing each mode independently, overlapping call outs were identified and color coded to create a more holistic interpretation of the data.
Secondary Research Process
Heating it Up
the plan RESEARCH QUESTIONS: After secondary research had been conducted, research questions were generated through brainstorming, considering all the areas previously explored and analyzed. Broad questions were initially formulated to later generate more descriptive, specific questions for the Research Plan.
Initial Questions: What is BBQ? What is the culture around BBQ? Who are the players for BBQ in Savannah? Where are the BBQ hubs in Savannah located? How do you grow a BBQ culture? Why do people BBQ?
WHAT IS BBQ?
WHAT IS THE CULTURE AROUND BBQ?
WHO ARE THE PLAYERS?
HOW DO YOU GROW A BBQ CULTURE?
WHERE ARE THE BBQ HUBS?
WHY DO PEOPLE BBQ?
The Plan Process
Time to Cook
OBSERVATION We adopted the Participation Observation method to gather data about the players in the BBQ industry. This method allowed us to learn about the individuals while observing them in their natural environment. It enabled us to get an intuitive and intellectual grasp of them and capture qualitative data on processes, and interactions between them. We used various tools to capture who, when, where, what, why, and how people cook, eat, or commercialize BBQ. Observation helped us distinguish between what people do and what they say they do. We categorize our observations through the lenses of activities, environments, interactions, objects and users. We categorized our observations through the lenses of Activities, environment, interaction, object and users. (A,E,I,O,U).
Andrew Trice and his wife Aileen opened Angel’s BBQ more than 8 years ago. Andrew had been in the fine dining industry for 14 years and wanted to do something more real. They found a location that was affordable and the rest is history. Angel’s, named after Andy’s nickname for his wife, is now one of the most visited BBQ restaurants in Savannah by both locals and tourists. Angel’s is the literal “hole in the wall” restaurant. It is based on a pirate theme, with pirate flags and posters decorating it’s walls. It is a small, cozy place with an open small kitchen and outside seating.
With 51 years in the business, Teresa Weston juggled a teaching job along with her BBQ restaurant business. Wall’s BBQ, named after Teresa’s grandfather’s last name, is a small BBQ joint located in an alley in York Ln that has witnessed the BBQ industry in Savannah from its beginning. This “aggressively casual” restaurant, as defined by the New York Times back in the day, is one of the most acclaimed attractions for both locals and tourists in Savannah.
Ribs, ribs and ribs is what Wall’s BBQ customer’s are keen to dig into when visiting this restaurant. Their traditional mustard based BBQ sauce is a family secret passed down through generations that combines perfectly with the moist texture of their ribs. Some collard greens to top that off and it’s a masterpiece!
Wall’s BBQ has a homey, warm feeling like no other BBQ restaurant in Savannah. Furniture, decoration, music and service all combine perfectly to provide customers with the down to earth, home-style experience they crave.
Johnny Harris opened its doors in 1924 as a roadside BBQ shack. Currently, the restaurant has grown to become one of the largest and most popular full service restaurants in the city of Savannah. Additionally, since 1950, the official Johnny Harris Famous Bar-B-Que Sauce Company was founded and can now be found in every local grocery store.
Customers incline to the pulled pork topped with their signature Johnny Harris BBQ sauce and their unique coleslaw recipe.
Johnny Harris is the largest BBQ restaurant in Savannah, divided in two wings: a west wing for casual dining with comfortable booths and individual tables, and an east wing for take out orders to be placed and a large bar. The yellow lighting and wood walls and furniture create a cozy and casual ambience despite the restaurant’s vast dimensions.
JOHNNY HARRIS
1651 East Victory Drive, Savannah, GA
Sandfly has become one of the most well reviewed BBQ locations in Savannah through Trip Advisor and Urban Spoon. This casual BBQ joint is a popular must for locals and tourists who wish to engage in the authentic BBQ experience.
Sandfly features North Carolina style home made sauces that combine in symphony with their famous brisket and pork sandwiches. The most popular side dishes are Brunswick stew and Mac and Cheese.
It’s a small place located at a strip mall, with a few picnic tables outside and booths on the inside. Food is ordered at the counter and delivered at your table, so waiting is conveniently done sitting down while enjoying the eclectic decoration on the walls.
As its name suggests, Wiley’s Championship BBQ is a multiple award winning BBQ restaurant that has won its way into local and tourist customers’ top of mind. Barbecue caterer and champion, Wiley McCrary began his first catering business in Atlanta in ‘83 producing large and small special events.
Wiley’s has several finger-liking savory BBQ options on its menu, but brisket is by far the most acclaimed of them all. This special dish has attracted not only customers but the media in general to showcase Wiley’s as a Savannah’s must-see and won them several of their awards.
The ambience is casual, ideal for family or friends to dine in. Service is fast and waiters make it their task to keep you comfortable and well served. The walls are filled with their many awards and recognitions from various BBQ championship events as well as articles and publications on their business’ success.
The War Wall
Smoke it Up
SHADOWING We used shadowing as an observation method to better understand the daily routine of pitmaster Andrew Trice while he goes through his BBQ cooking process. We noted and documented the environment he cooks in, activities he engages in and the technology (tools) he interacted with. A photo log and video were recorded with the consent of the participant providing us with a comprehensive data set about the patterns of actions, interdependence and behaviors between Andrew and his context. We closely followed this experienced individual over a period of 40 minutes and took field notes of the process. Frequent questions were asked for clarification regarding the process of BBQ which prompted the participant to give a simultaneous description on his or her actions and choices.
Shadowing Process
Keeping an Eye Out
Interviews We conducted semi-structured interviews to key players in the BBQ industry, which gave us in-depth understanding about specific areas of interest we detected during the observation. Key individuals were selected varying from restaurant owners and BBQ aficionados to championship participants and faithful BBQ customers. Interviews helped us explore our topic in detail and deepen our knowledge about the culture of BBQ in Savannah with individuals of different background, which led us to learn about domains of BBQ that we knew very, little about which became critical for our data collection. An open-ended interview gave us the flexibility to explore certain aspects of BBQ in depth and cover new topics as they aroused.
This section provides a snapshot of the interviews that we conducted for the project. Full transcripts can be found in the appendix at the end.
TERESA WESTON CHEF AND OWNER | WALL’S BBQ | SAVANNAH, GA BIO: Retired teacher and owner of Wall’s BBQ, Teresa has dedicated 51 years of her life to the BBQ business, keeping alive her family tradition. them so “I don’t know what people’s fascination with ribs are, I’ve been around long that i barely eat them but that has always been a draw”
have been.... because he is actually “I don’t know why he chose BBQ restaurant, it may be so maybe that had something to do from South Carolina he was born and raised on a farm with his decision.” “Some people think BBQ as a smoking aspect and some people think its the sauce. You throw sauce on it and its BBQ so it kinda meld that together so its not like what people would traditionally think of BBQ being like a pit BBQ”
“Everything we do is centered around the grill. there is no wood chips, no open...no anything...” , its gotten
you would pull on the side of the road “BBQ used to be thought as something that more mainstream and more accepted”
“About 85% of the people that come in here are actually tourists.”
“My grandmother retired in 79, gave it onto my mother, and after i went off to college & came back I always thought it was a very good business and a definitely guaranteed employment.”
I want “The New York Times said that the decor was ‘aggressively casual’ and I like that because as sit can they people to come in and feel like this is their home and this is their dinning room, long as they want.”
One customer came in
AND SHE
CRIED BECAUSE SHE SAID SHE had not had food like
this since her grandmother was alive “Smoking meat took way too long and it dint make an appreciable difference in taste so I just put it in the oven.”
CYRUSS HUNTER PIT MASTER | TRICKS’S BBQ | SAVANNAH, GA BIO:The pitmaster of Trick’s BBQ, Cyruss has been cooking for the past 16 years, famous for his signature mustard based BBQ sauce and delicious ribs.
“I guess Savannah has a little for everyone but we haven’t got surfac
e with BBQ yet.”
“Usually from savannah, a lot of people that move away they come to tricks when they come to town.”
“We were doing a catering job for the former Mayor which was Odious Johnson” (referring to his fondest memory regarding BBQ)
“So personally, I don’t eat a lot of BBQ, I cook it so much that I don’t eat it.”
“Some of my commons they say ‘you know what I want’”
“No I got that from my older lady, she passed now but that was my old lady’s, I don’t even know if that was her original recipe, but that’s what I got it from”
nt are those “Well it starts with the grills, the person and the process that will grill, but most importa jobs.” grills. If we don’t have those grills or the grills aren’t in condition then we can’t fulfill our
The business accommodates
EVERYONE, A PERSON THAT MAY HAVE
$3 IN THEIR POCKET, or a person that is wealthy and
can come get WHATEVER he wants. “Some people like lots of sauce, others less sauce and some people just want it on the side. So we give them the variety of choices so it’s up to the customer what they prefer”
MARC SYLVESTER BBQ AFICIONADO | STUDENT | SAVANNAH, GA BIO:BBQ championship participant and BBQ aficionado, Marc is currently an Industrial Design graduate student at Savannah College of Art and Design
“I think about sitting for hours cooking food and having beer with friends over...”
“Being very caught up checking the temperature n everything not stressful and relaxed and there is good food after that...”
“I think bbq as a smoker and grill is grilling”
“Part of the system I use, requires wrapping the meat couple layers of that.”
in thick aluminum and
n for its
is really not know “I try to find good places around here, and Savannah food, and especially BBQ.”
and help me out, “I cook alone most of the time, it’s fun when other come , so I don’t fire up smoker recently, my friend who I used to BBQ with moved away all the time, since it’s a long process.”
“In the United States there are different tastes of BBQ and like Texas is beef, in the south it’s pork and there is different BBQ sauce that go with each one...”
I started making my
OWN SAUCES and using different
TYPES OF WOOD
to see what is the
BEST FOR ME d, there is no place to sit “It isn’t really the place you would want to hang aroun want you to get some food and eat, you can’t get any drinks there. but they just to a to-go only BBQ joint) there and leave and go somewhere else.“ (Referring
MATT BRITON TEACHER | SAVANNAH, GA BIO:Husband and devoted high school teacher, cooks traditional BBQ by using creative solutions to work around traditional equipment.
“I think BBQ is crazy, you can’t limit yourself to one thing.”
like “I was very cold that day because its Kansas .And there was a line out of the door and so way the all go to had we front the we finally got in and we waited in the line and we got near then back in the line because my friend was not there yet and then we got near the front and we had to go back again, third time he finally came.” “Ribs are little more expensive, I tend to stay away from that, just because of the expense”
“If you order pulled pork and its terrible to be in business. “
then it’s not a BBQ restaurant, they’re
not going
grill it in your backyard and call it “Its weird because a lot of people just get chicken and a while to do that, it’s just not like BBQ, but to me BBQ is actually like a process, it takes grilling steaks, because that’s not BBQ.”
“I wanted to kind of emulate a BBQ of a restaurant and still not pay so much.”
“Kansas city is really into their sauce, I’m used to thick tomato sauce, and here there are like watery mustard sauce!”
That is the nice part of BBQ,
YOU NEED NOT
HAVE ALL THESE
MAJOR TOOLS, you don’t have to,
THEY ARE NICE,
but you don’t have to
“Most BBQ places always have a line, the good ones always have a line.”
KIM POWELL BBQ AFICIONADO | STUDENT | SAVANNAH, GA BIO:Lawyer, mother, spouse and currently graduate student at Savannah College of Art and Design, her passion for BBQ led her to be a talented, self-taught, aficionado.
“If you want really good brisket though you have to go to Texas I think in my opinion that is the place to get consistently good brisket.” “I fell in love with the food on my plate.” “Sometimes I have to get up at the middle of the night to get the meat out of the refrigerator to let it rest so that it is the right temperature when you put it in the smoker.” “I fell in love with all types of bbq and sort of developed an appreciation for the different regionality aspects of BBQ.” “It’s not like a lot of things you an cook and actually have some sense of stability on what your outcome is going to be.” kyard and call it t chicken and grill it in your bac ge t jus le op pe of lot a se cau just not like “It’s weird be it takes a while to do that, it’s s, ces pro a like ly ual act is Q BBQ, but to me BB not BBQ.” grilling steaks, because that’s
“ ‘Death by BBQ’ what we called it because we went to 4 BBQ places in a day.”
remember liking in “So I guess growing up in Alabama I always ate BBQ I don’t really one way or another…”
FAMILY and then a
CHALLENGE an inner COMPETITION
WITH ME “James of course (the husband) did the typical ‘Huh… not bad, these are decent’ haha... It’s just our little competition” (Referring to her cooking BBQ ribs)
SHAWN & SALLIE SAUCE MAKER | SOGGY BOTTOM | SAVANNAH, GA BIO:BBQ aficionado, Shawn cooks for friends and family. He has recently started bottling his own sauce for sale in local stores throughout Georgia.
“We just, a friend of ours just got married over this past week and we had the reception in our house Friday night and we supplied the BBQ.”
, so I “We cook at home and I just decided one day I was ready to get serious about smoking greater ng somethi into evolved of kind built a smoke house... it’s just one of those things that out of our need.”
this past week and we “We just, a friend of ours just got married over BBQ.” our house Friday night and we supplied the
had the reception in
“‘Cause there is a difference, there is BBQ, and then there is grilling, and there’s smoking, those are 3 totally different ways to cook; totally different heat.”
“It came from liking to cook and friends and family telling me that I should put it in a bottle it and sell it, and you know that’s friends and family, that’s what they’re supposed to say, but it give and it for started to getting shared with other people and we finally just decided to go a try and see what happened and so far we’ve had a good feedback on it.”
I usually start cooking
FROM 4 TO 5 IN THE MORNING
and it’ll cook from probably
10 TO 15 HOURS
if “Yeah, in the restaurants people will like to put sauce on it to try to hide the dryness, but meat.” the taste you put sauce on it, most of the time, all you taste is sauce, you don’t
OWEN FOSTER BBQ AFICIONADO | SCAD | SAVANNAH, GA BIO: Adventurer, hunter, and BBQ aficionado, Owen is currently the Chair of Industrial design at the Savannah College of Art and Design.
“It tends to be a family meal, we would bring more people together.”
we “Probably being a kid and being able to sit around with adults hearing the stories when and checking are people and talking are putting the pig in and know that we are sitting and stuff like that.”
“Well some people call BBQing, Grilling and grilling BBQing, it is just a cultural difference.”
not a really big part. We got to rub “Well, Yes and No, they would let us play but we were but they didn’t need it.” things on it and help wrap it so yes we were part of it, “Just as kids, It was given to us.”
“They (people who cook BBQ) understand BBQ as a plate and they still say they are BBQing this weekend and it’s generally grilling and some BBQ say they are grilling when it’s actually BBQing. While true BBQ is slow. That’s why I like cooking mine slow.”
it and stuff the hog and then you clean it and cut kill you , hog a find go You al. ition “Oh so let’s go trad and the we will cover it little a huge fire and we let it go down to ash and then when you dig a pit, we start it.” it down, put it in the ground and bury with dirt and rap the pig up and soak
PONY GROUNDHOG
RABBIT SQUIRREL
TURTLE WILD BOAR
“I’m adventurous, so I would go to traditio nal places where ever finding the people wh yone else is going, bu o hand a shanty shac t I love k, the big grill outside gig for the door. and and they have the sw you go in and health inging rating and people wo the way it looks but uld freak out, just be they have good food cause so that’s the one I wo uld typically go to.”
RATTLESNAKE
BILLY NISBET BBQ LOVER | SAVANNAH, GA BIO: South Carolina native, Savannah resident, Furniture designer and BBQ lover who treats himself to great BBQ whenever possible.
“On special occasions we hit the BBQ joint (referring to his granfather’s 100th birthday).”
“More important to me in this type of food is the preparation style, it doesn’t really matter how it looks.” vised before and used a crockpot haha.”
“I don’t because I dont have a somker, but i have impro
I don’t “It’s pricy so I don’t eat it too often, but it is a treat when I do go... another reason why ce.” go is most places don’t have vinegar based, which is my preferen e you know it was smoked over an open flame. Has a bit of authenticity to it. OK . And “Becaus I mean thats the smoked flavor .” “It was something that was put downtown to make money, where I feel like a place like this the cooking style probably goes back generations and the restaurant grew out of that.”
to “Uhm, okay one thing that gets on my nerves is that when people say that they are going go and BBQ and they mean that they’re going to grill, a grill is not a BBQ.”
What I love about this,
YOU SEE THAT
CHAR? That’s what’s up!
“That it’s not your stereotypical image of BBQ culture... It’s as far away from corporate as could get.”
you
ANDREW TRICE PIT MASTER | ANGEL’S BBQ | SAVANNAH, GA BIO:Owner of Angel’s BBQ in Historic Downtown Savannah and creator of the famous ghost pepper BBQ sauce which landed him an episode on “Man vs Food.”
“Live oak is super dense and thus great for bbq, because it takes forever to burn!”
BBQ. What “The best is what is available and cheap and what is affordable, and that is what makes .” cheaper is that is around us is oak, so we use that. North Carolina nut wood, pecan because “BBQ hates... hates hates hates sleeping on
the steam table.”
“There is White bbq and there is Black bbq. Black bbq is mainly ribs and chicken , thats all they do!. They like meat on the bone! and in White bbq they will do pulled pork and they will go for different cut.” “A whole hog takes 24hours, shoulder needs 12hour, time varies with the type of meat.”
“It’s magical in BBQ competition scenario because it comes all glistening with all natural juices and all ready to go and that is what you want.”
“You have the weird ignorance factor, where people come in and ask for ribs, so I say we don’t do ribs, we do pulled pork, and he would be like but i don’t eat pork... so I’m thinking where do you think ribs are from?”
BARBECUE IS A
slow cooking process using wood at temperatures
BETWEEN 225-250
°
until reaching an internal
TEMPERATURE OF 195
°
“Certain cowboys say, we use only left brisket because it is more tender, because most cow is right handed!”
“Ideally! That’s the way it is suppose to be. Ideally!! But we can’t, this is restaurant BBQ, just put it on our steam table and wait for customers.”
we
Pulling it Apart
AFFINITIZING Affinityzing helped us divide our collected information into specific data points and re-organize them into groups that shared common, deeper meanings. Our first task was to identify categories, concepts and/or themes that emerged from the gathered information from both observation and interviewing. Prior to that synthesis process we linked these concepts to substantive and formal theories. Analysis started by producing transcripts of the interviews we conducted and further pulling data from those categories, compare them and analyze how they are related. This process was key to initiate building insights.
Affinitizing Process
Meat ontothe plate Time Eat
INSIGHTS Insights is where we take all of the data we have gathered throughout our study and the points from our affinity map and use these as fuel for opportunities for design. Each insight contains a catchy name, a description of the overall idea, an opportunity statement, and “how might we� statements that allude to possible design solutions. The idea is that in-depth research will give way to designs that truly resonate with the intended population, rather than addressing perceived wants and needs.
PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE “Cooking traditional BBQ is a very time consuming process with a lot of down time. Consequently, customers looking for BBQ often wait a considerable amount of time to obtain their meals. Patience is a part of the process that requires dedication on both sides of the counter.� There is an opportunity: to make the BBQ experience more enjoyable for both the BBQers cooking or consuming. How might we: -Design experiences that make the process and waiting more enjoyable? -Streamline this process as much as possible? -Show BBQers that patience pays off Concept: Creating a BBQ app in which BBQers share their common passion of BBQ by accompanying each other through the cooking process. The platform will allow the users to upload and share pictures, short videos and short messages related to their cooking process as to create a sense of companionship through a virtual portal, connecting people from different regions and opening a gateway that encourages setting up cook-offs, sharing techniques and creating a BBQ-centered community. To engage customers while waiting in line, customers will have the opportunity to pin the meal they intend to order on the correct part of the animal it came from. She will receive a pin labeled with her meal. After she will be blindfolded and spun around, then attempt to pin the meal in the correct position. If she is successful the customer will receive a small prize, and possibly a small discount.
SAVANNAH’S HIDDEN TREASURE “Savannah is known as one of the most popular historical tourist destination in the U.S. At the moment, only Wall’s BBQ is part of a food tour within Savannah.” There is an opportunity: to harness Savannah’s current tourism and introduce BBQ as a tourist attraction. How might we: -Make BBQ an appealing tourist attraction? -Grow a positive BBQ reputation amongst tourists? -Create more BBQ centered events in Savannah? -Incorporate BBQ into already existing events and tours? -Build BBQ awareness amongst tourists and locals? Concept: Creating a digital platform that allows customers to upload photos of their meals and share their first experience at that BBQ restaurant. At each new BBQ restaurant customers visit and show the uploaded photo of their experience, they get a badge with that restaurant’s logo. Once the customer has visited all affiliated BBQ restaurants in Savannah and completed his badge collection, they receive a “City BBQ Badge.” This platform can be replicated in other cities in the state of Georgia and expand nationally, incentivizing BBQ-oriented tourism and strengthening the BBQ culture.
Angel’s BBQ Sandfly BBQ Wiley’s Champ
BBQ
HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS “People gravitate towards warm, cozy environments that take them back to memories of home. They feel comfortable in places where they can be casual and engage in informal conversations while interacting with others.” There is an opportunity: to replicate experiences that evoke the emotions associated with BBQ in a familiar setting. How might we: -Create an environment that engages personal interaction and conversation? -Recreate the ambience of “home” in BBQ restaurants? -Create approachable businesses? Concept: Creating a “family style” atmosphere that would have different groups of people sit with each other at large tables promoting interaction and a sense of community. Customers could share stories about BBQ and there favorite styles. After completing their meal, the waiter will snap a photo of the group and it will be displayed on a slideshow in the waiting area of the restaurant.
BOLD, FEARLESS, BBQ We base our views about BBQ upon our past experiences and backgrounds. Every individual adjusts his/her uniqueness to any part of the process of cooking BBQ by making the best out of the equipment, materials, time and demand that they may have. They always find a workaround to whichever circumstance that gets in the way of their BBQ process and are ready to experiment and create solutions with what is available to them. There is an opportunity: to showcase the different ways BBQers work around the cooking process to fit their needs. How might we: -Encourage people to cook BBQ more frequently? -Create more group activities that incentivize interaction? -Share, practice and create a less intimidating mentality towards the BBQ cooking process? -Celebrate failure to encourage learning new things through a trial and error method? Concept: Creating a delivery system to which users can subscribe to receive a monthly supply of unusual cooking ingredients and tools from different cultures with which they are challenged to push their creative cooking abilities to create a unique, out of the box, BBQ meal.
food speaks for itself Restaurant perspective: We don’t need to seduce or work at bringing people in. The power is in the food. Customers’ perspective: We don’t care about the bells and whistles, they are not what speaks to us, it’s what’s on the plate that calls us back again and again propelled by our cravings, not the posters or ads on the wall. Food is what calls us. There is an opportunity: to maximize the current viral reality and encourage effective means of employment to create positive word of mouth and making it all about the food. How might we: -Create a space to stimulate customers to express their BBQ experiences? -Educate businesses about effective means of viralization to promote their restaurants? -Reach a broader audience to increase BBQ’s popularity? -How do we make BBQ a hero? Concept: Postcards featuring the restaurant’s signature dish with the activity’s instructions on the back will be set on the tables. Customer’s will then snap a photo of themselves taking the first bite of their BBQ meal, upload it to a digital platform and tag the BBQ restaurant they’re visiting. A selection of the best photos will then be showcased on billboards with the phrase “Awesome BBQ” and the restaurant’s name and address. This will encourage customers to share their BBQ experiences while increasing word of mouth and advertising individual brands in a cohesive campaign to raise BBQ awareness. Additionally, all photos will we posted on the campaign’s blog where restaurants will have links to their own webpages.
OFF THE BEATEN PATH BBQers often seek new underground places, ingredients and processes to discover new flavors and experiences. There is an opportunity: to stimulate an exchange of information of BBQers latest adventures while cooking or searching for BBQ. How might we: -Create an opportunity to connect people with a sense of adventure for BBQ? -Help people discover new BBQ related places? -Encourage people to seek out adventure? Concept: Creating a digital map that users can navigate in and post locations where they have had a positive BBQ experience. Users will be able to label and categorize locations by placing an icon on the map that identifies the location as a restaurant, shop, or event. Users may see the post of others and inform themselves of ongoing and upcoming BBQ-related events as well as of new or underground BBQ equipment shops or restaurants.
the secret to great BBQ IS KEEPING IT SECRET Many BBQers, amateur and professional alike, tend to be very secretive about their recipes because they’re vital to their success. Their recipes make BBQers unique amongst each other, therefore giving them a sense of identity. There is an opportunity: to strengthen the trust between BBQers while maintaining a healthy competition. How might we: -Motivate BBQers to interact with each other? -Create a trustworthy environment within the BBQ community? -Build loyalty within the BBQ community? -Create a “Code of conduct” for the BBQ community -How do we create a profitable bond between BBQers while still maintaining their identity? Concept: Compile a “Secret BBQ cookbook” where aficionados’ recipes get published. The recipes would not be completely revealed, allowing the BBQ aficionado to pick which part of the process or ingredients to be left out. The cookbook would be designed to digitally blur, scratch, stain or rip out a piece of each page, as to hide the most secret part of the recipe. -Sense of acknowledgement -Creates curiosity and promotes experimentation
Anything you bbq, i can bbq better BBQers have a high sense of confidence in their BBQ skills and believe that their BBQ is the best. Competitiveness incentivizes a continuous effort to “better their best”. There is an opportunity: to facilitate a space to express competitiveness and increase profitability. How might we: -Bring competition to the pitmasters? -Use the competition as a means to increase profitability? -Encourage restaurant pitmasters to participate? Concept: Creating a “BBQ Month” in Savannah, much like a restaurant week, to build awareness and increase profitability for the BBQ restaurants. This will be a joint venture between all BBQ restaurants in Savannah to promote the industry as a whole and therefore increase their sales. Throughout the BBQ month, customers will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite restaurants and dishes within the greater Savannah area. T-shirts will be designed for customers to purchase and identify themselves with their favorite BBQ restaurant and increase word of mouth. The overall winners will receive a “Best of Savannah BBQ Month” trophy to display in their establishment for an entire year and will be featured in blogs and local magazines.
MAY- Best of SAV BBQ MONTH
WILEY’S TRICK’S ANGEL’S SANDFLY
acquired knowledge BBQ can be acquired at a young age by children who were born into it. BBQ is a tradition that is passed down through generations. By default, it becomes a part of their routine, even if they aren’t involved in the cooking process. Therefore, their relationship with the BBQ culture is adopted seamlessly. There is an opportunity: to involve young “enthusiasts” in activities that allow them to learn and positions them for success in the future. How might we: -Involve young talent in the BBQ culture? -Encourage young talent to pursue a future in BBQ? -Apply the principles of BBQ in molding children into young adults? -Provide them an opportunity to use BBQ as a way to teach them about problem solving? -Maintain kids interest/curiosity on BBQ? Concept: Creating a BBQ children’s foundation with the support of all local BBQ restaurants using the cooking process to teach them life lessons. The foundation will provide a space for children to engage in after school activities and facilitate them with computer access. Restaurants will be able to donate by catering weekend events for the children to participate in and interact with their BBQ customers. Restaurants will be able to promote these events to their customers by inviting them to donate money and/or volunteer for the weekend activities.
EASY? no... WORTH IT? Absolutely! BBQ cooks often put in extra effort and sacrifice time and resources to create delicious BBQ meals for others. They challenge themselves and commit to the hard work in order to please others. There is an opportunity: to acknowledge the efforts of the cooks and show them appreciation in return for their commitment. How might we: -Create a space to deliver feedback? -Keep them motivated? -Create awareness in the consumer of the efforts of cooks? -Reciprocate their dedication? -Say “thank you” through actions? Concept: Providing customers with different means to become aware of the extra effort the BBQ cooking process requires by enabling them to participate in a “saying thank you” culture. Customers will show their appreciation to pitmasters behind the counter by ringing a bell that will be located in restaurants’ main entrance to let the pit masters know they loved their meal. Restaurants will neatly package sandwiches in a way that it allows customers to eat their meal more easily. This will instill the idea that the restaurants is going the extra mile to cater to the customer and make the most of his experience, thus encouraging the customer to reciprocate by one of the previous mentioned activities or leaving a higher tip.