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“Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat — we almost cancelled our first event, and we're so glad we didn't.”
Jeff Flores, a credit analyst by day, was known among friends as an all-star BBQ smoker by night. He had years of experience and had dedicated himself to the perfect smoked meat. One day he told his wife, Nancy, how much he loved the craft and wished he could do it professionally — and a lightbulb went off in her head. Why not cater his smoked meats? It seemed a much better idea than the professional gambling Jeff had also considered.
The BBQ craze had reached California, where they lived, but the market wasn't yet saturated with caterers, and friends had long suggested they start something. They had two kids and a mortgage, so they talked it over for weeks in August of 2018 — was it financially responsible? — but Nancy was in, and the timing felt right.
They moved fast. Starting in September, they researched large catering smokers, and by mid-December they had a business license, food-service licenses, insurance, and a trailer-sized smoker. Their business, The Rustic Que, was almost ready. They used the holidays to refine recipes, design a menu, and sign up for a January farmer's market — the event that nearly destroyed the whole thing.
The night before their debut, Jeff was up all night smoking the meats. At least, he was supposed to be — exhausted, he dozed off, and his coals went cold. It's the cardinal sin of smoking. When he woke he was mortified; the meat was still safe but he was sure the flavor was ruined, and he nearly called to cancel. Nancy stopped him. They tasted it — okay, not stellar, but better than he feared — and went anyway.
They made their first sale, a $36 brisket, not long after opening — invigorating. But the day was a financial flop: Jeff had smoked way too much food, their processes weren't built for a crowd, and after 35 hours without sleep, the couple started getting on each other's nerves. They took a loss, but learned valuable lessons: how much food to make, and to stop trying to serve everything the way other caterers did.
The next weekend was a completely different experience — more confident, a slimmed-down menu, and just enough food to sell out. Since then, Jeff and Nancy work two to three events a month at farmers markets, breweries, and even CrossFit competitions. They've nearly made back their initial investment, taken a vacation to Cabo, and shown their kids how rewarding it is to stick with something you believe in.
