Texas BBQ Vision Brief

The Opportunity

Scott Moore is a competition barbecue champion with proven skills in Houston-area ICBA/KCBS circuits. He's identified a clear market gap in Northwest Florida for authentic Central Texas BBQ and wants to build a sustainable business that caps at 1-2 locations to maintain quality control.

Not a mega-chain. Scott is intentionally capping scale around two locations at most so quality stays where he wants it: real Central Texas–style barbecue in an area he loves — Pensacola, Old Bainbridge Road corridor, and broader NW Florida — without chasing a massive footprint.

18-Month Growth Arc

• Establish a food truck as the mobile engine
• Use truck success to prove demand toward a brick-and-mortar location
• Keep the food trailer for catering, events, and pop-ups
• Consider second location only after first is sustainably profitable

Competition Background

• Started with grandfather and dad around the pit
• Competition experience with cook team in Houston area
• Multiple top finishes in ICBA/KCBS categories: ribs, pork, brisket
• Proven ability to compete against large, experienced fields

Market Opportunity

• Vacationed in Pensacola, noticed scene skewed seafood and pizza
• Market research shows gap for serious Texas barbecue
• Family-driven move to area with business opportunity strengthening once local
• Local conversations consistently show "yes, please" energy for authentic BBQ

Current Sales Channel

Frozen, pre-made barbecue sold through friends and coworkers. Customers take it home, reheat in oven, and it still eats like the day it came off the pit — a scalable seed channel while truck and retail path come online.

Core Menu Items

• Competition-style spare ribs — proven crowd-pleaser
• Pulled pork — receives strongest customer compliments
• Texas Twinkies and niche Texas items people don't see in Florida
• Brisket — Central Texas authenticity differentiator
• Exploring birria/brisket fusion angles for broader appeal

Heat levels tuned for families, not just competition palates

Current Setup

• Lone Star Grills offset smoker (Conroe-built) as primary rig
• Pellet cooker in the mix but offset is the main voice
• White oak sourcing — authenticity story but FL logistics challenge
• Operating from garage + home kitchen with Cambro-style holding
• Eyeing basic trailer build-out as next step

Scaling Considerations

• Day job: project manager in utility locating/ground-penetrating radar
• Business currently bootstrapped from cook sales
• Need to balance equipment investment vs. working capital
• Focus on vent hood + suppression for multi-jurisdiction compliance

Competition photos, pit work, and food photography from Scott's Houston-area competition background and current Pensacola operations.