OnCue Consulting hosts The Business of Barbecue® at 17th Street Bar & Grill
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Photo courtesy of OnCUE Consulting
Participants traveled from 14 states, the UK and Canada to take part in the April OnCue Business of Barbecue® class. |
MURPHYSBORO — Barbecue restaurateurs and entrepreneurs convened at 17th Street Bar & Grill in Murphysboro, Illinois in April for an intensive two-day seminar on The Business of Barbecue. Conducted by Mike Mills, owner of 17th Street, Amy Mills Tunnicliffe and Paul Mackay, the participants spent time working the pits as well as discussing critical branding, marketing, and operations best practices that are vital to success.
"I was a bit apprehensive before I arrived in the US and met Amy, Mike and Paul that the investment and travelling 35 hours each way for 4 days was actually going to be worth it," said Stu Weatherhead of New Zealand. "I can now say without reservation in 28 years as a ceo/owner of a business that long term from their presentation, the behind the scenes, and hands on with Mike will be an investment recovered many times over. I commend them in the format that had my concentration totally for 3 days, something my staff have difficulty getting 3 hrs of."
The event was produced by OnCue Consulting, the brainchild of Amy Mills Tunnicliffe, 17th Street Bar & Grill. Combining years of restaurant, catering, and vending experience, Amy and her partner Paul Mackay share their expertise and vision with fellow hospitality clients. Their programs focus on real-life successes and challenges in all aspects of the hospitality arena while providing practical skills, tools, and techniques that make a significant impact on their clients' businesses. OnCue offers seminars, on-site custom training, and one-on-one consulting on operations, branding, marketing, expansion, and start-ups.
Participants worked the pits with Mills, Mackay, and the 17th Street crew and got an up-close and personal look at the 17th Street operation.
Topics discussed included catering and restaurant operations and management, branding, marketing and PR, and a large dose of frank discussion about how to survive and thrive in uncertain economic times. Those who attended the event agreed that the experience was one-of-a-kind.
"You can have the best barbecue in the world," said Mike Mills, owner of 17th Street. "But if you can't market it and promote it, you won't succeed."
The program was designed for barbecue professionals and entrepreneurs who wanted to step up their game or anyone wanting to get into the barbecue business.
"At this point we've had over 100 attendees from 26 states, the UK, Canada and even New Zealand. From five-star chefs and competition cookers to part-time caterers to single- and multi-unit operators – each person brings a unique perspective to the program. The bonus is learning from one another," remarked Mackay.
"We wanted to show what works for us," explained Mills. "One of the keys to success in the barbecue world is learning about all of the different things you can do with the pit to maximize production and holding. It's taken years of experimenting for us to get to the systems we have today. I'm happy to share that information and maybe help take years off the learning curve for other people. In today's economic climate, a restaurant owner or caterer doesn't have the luxury of that amount of time to learn."
A variety of seminars, master classes and smoke tours are scheduled starting in October. For more information, visit ruoncue.com or call Amy at 781-799-7202.
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