https://zip.kiva.org/loans/17503?invite=tcv
Chan
Back Deck BBQ
Louisville,, KY
"A loan of $10,000 helps me to purchase a food truck for my Kansas City-meets-Memphis-meets-Louisville style of BBQ."
48% Raised , $5,200 To Go
38 days left to fund
Personal Story
I started this journey on the 4th of July 2014 after watching a show called BBQ Pitmasters. I thought, "I wonder if it tastes as good as it looks," so I went to the grocery at 10pm and bought a slab of ribs. Barbecue was always something I loved to eat, but cooking it quickly became a passion of mine. I fell in love with the entire process.
When I started posting pictures of my food on Facebook, people started asking to buy it. I have always wanted to be self employed and was just waiting to find the right opportunity.
I got my degree in sociology at Hanover College in Indiana, where I played football all four years and ran track for three. I graduated with a 3.8. I even had perfect attendance all four years of high school.
I am 29, I have been married for 8 years and I have two little girls. Right now I am a 4th grade teacher, so I usually start cooking on Friday nights around midnight to be ready to sell on Saturdays. This would be a dream come true, and I am just ecstatic to go to the next level.
Business Description
Back Deck BBQ is the best BBQ in Louisville, KY. We bring a mixture of Kansas City-style barbecue and Memphis-style barbecue and we make it our own. People absolutely love our smoked wings, and the pulled pork, brisket, and ribs all fight for a close second.
It took us a year to get our personal rub down. We're working on making our own barbecue sauce now. We've traveled to learn and taste. I didn't have anybody that passed it down so we experiment with lots of stuff; we even smoked a meatloaf recently and it was delicious.
We've already upgraded our grilling and smoking equipment three times. Last April we drove to Alabama to buy a smoker off Craigslist on a payment plan.
We have competed in several competitions and placed 1st in chicken and brisket and 2nd in ribs. On summer Saturdays we take the smoker out around town and stay until we're sold out. We've catered weddings, parties, and "taste of the city" events. The next step is a food truck, which would open up even more opportunities.
What is the purpose of this loan?
This loan will allow me to buy a fully-outfitted food truck (with food warmer, compartment sinks, 2 service windows with a counter, a refrigerator and freezer, a floor cabinet with countertop, an exhaust hood, a Square payment system, a microwave, a deep fryer, and a generator) and increase revenue by attending more events and looking more professional. When people see just a tent and a smoker they tend not to buy.
A food truck is the last piece of the puzzle I need. This would allow me to become more mobile and participate in more official events, including World Fest, the State Fair and others. The goal is to work on Back Deck BBQ full-time by summer 2016.
https://zip.kiva.org/loans/17503?invite=tcv