Retailers light a fire under barbecue-oriented products

With more than three-quarters of households acknowledging they own a barbecue grill, it's little wonder that barbecuing has become a popular pastime among consumers and a burgeoning business for specialty stores.

Statistics from the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association in Arlington, Va., also revealed 58 percent of Americans use their grills year-round. And while retailers said they did see higher activity in the warmer months, most concurred that what was once a summer activity has expanded into all times of the year.

"We're finding the last couple of years, people didn't care if it's winter. If they want barbecue, they'll turn on the grill," said Vickie Hill, who co-owns Chile Heads, an 800-square-foot specialty shop in Alton, Ill., with her husband, Patrick.

Jim Cattey, vice president-marketing and sales and co-owner of Smoke N' Fire, Overland Park, Kan., said he sells products all year, but the peak is between March and September. "Kansas City is the mecca of barbecue and we get people from around the country who come in," he explained.

At America's Best Barbecue, a Web site, americasbestbbq.com, in Kansas City, President and Chief Executive Officer Shad Rockstad said while business is still seasonal, a lot of sales do occur from January through March. "I feel like we're not competing with (supermarket) retailers that time of year," he said.

Conversely, Sun Ann Muller, president of the Outdoor Cooking Store in White Bear Lake, Minn., said January and February are still the slowest times. "Everybody who comes in says they grill year round," she said, and the store does sell items such as propane and charcoal in the winter months, but business is slower in general.

The Chile Cauldron in Yuba City, Calif., and its online counterpart, salsasetc.com stocks about 60 barbecue sauces. "But we don't sell a lot of them until the weather warms up," said owner Dave Doolittle, usually in April and May.

Growing popularity

What is driving the popularity of barbecuing seems to be a combination of TV coverage, which has increased awareness of techniques and recipes; competitions and events held throughout the country; the trend toward spicy foods; and the stay-at-home movement that followed the events of Sept. 11.

"I think that barbecue is an all-American food and Americans love to grab onto something that is their own," said George Booth, owner of Adventures in Heat, an 1,100-square-foot grilling, gift and gourmet store in Clarence, N.Y.

Booth said another factor pushing the trend is the increased need to get outdoors more year- round, especially in colder parts of the country. Grilling and even outdoor kitchens are helping facilitate that.

Brian Farrell, co-owner with Dan Marguerite of The Backyard Barbecue Store in Wilmette, Ill., attributes much of the success of barbecue to the marketing of it by the TV Food Network and its plethora of shows dedicated specifically to grilling.

"It's just darn good eating," commented Cattey, who added that nationally there has been a lot of exposure for barbecue on the cooking channels "and that piques people's interest" as do cook-offs.

Of course, food products and accessories are key components in a successful barbecue experience.

Sauces and rubs

Barbecue sauces and rubs are a big part of her store, said Hill. Chile Heads offers about 30 sauces and 20 dry rubs. In the past year and half, she said, rubs have taken off, something Hill attributes to the low-carb situation that focused on meat and eschewed sugar-based sauces.

Doolittle said his sauce selection runs from hot to mild and spans geographic regions as well. Hawaiian Maui onion sauce has a following, as does Fresno, Calif.-based Pappy's seasonings, which sell at the rate of about four cases every 10 days, he said.

Both Doolittle and Booth noted anything with smoky chipotle seasoning has resonated with customers. And Booth said he has seen a lot of interest among customers from the Northeast for dry rubs. "Fm educating my customers on how to use them," he said.

Some of Hill's best-selling sauces include Ahrun's Famous Zombie Boogie Sauce, which has molasses, pineapple and habanero tones and was a 2004 Scovie award winner; and Byron Bay Chilli Co. sauces from Australia.

For The Backyard Barbecue Store, Farrell said they seek sauces and rubs "that we enjoy ourselves" as well as ones not found in grocery stores.

Events put on by the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association and the National Barbecue Association often provide leads on specialty items, the retailers noted.

Muller of The Outdoor Cooking Store said all of her 100-plus sauces and seasonings in her 2,500-square-foot store are tested and tried by the owners, staff and customers.

Sweet and tomato-based sauces do best, she said, as well as herbal and garlicky ones. "Being in the middle of Minnesota, where milk is a spice, there's not a lot of call for hot items," she said jokingly.

Rockstad said his customers can sample sauces from the three barbecue hotbeds - Memphis, Kansas City and Dallas-via his All American Sampler that features sauces from Gorky's, Gates and Dickey's, respectively.

For Cattey, the focus is on Kansas City-style barbecue, although he also stocks products from Memphis, the Carolinas, Arkansas and Texas. "We try to not totally play favorites," he said. Many of the local sauces and rubs are from competition teams, he added.

Tools &. accessories

In the accessories arena, retailers said customers are seeking products that enhance the barbecue experience. For Booth's customers, that means insulated neoprene gloves that allow them to handle the food right on the grill.

Fitting in with the smoking trend, he said, are products such as Sam's Smoker Pro, which allows wood smoking on a gas grill. Booth carries many varieties of wood, including oak, hickory, mesquite, maple, cherry, apple and alder.

Several retailers mentioned the popularity of chile grills, beer can chicken racks, cedar planks for making seafood, remote timers and marinade injectors or containers.

What customers want, said Cattey, "are better quality tools that make life easier and produce a better product." This can include spatulas, skewers and knives, he said.

Cookbooks &. classes

Cookbooks are also on many shopping lists and fill the stores. For Cattey, smoking books outsell grilling ones in his 200-title library. Rockstad concurred, naming Smoke & Spice by Cheryl and Bill Jamison as a must-have.

Farrell said all of Steven Raichlen's books do well in his store, along with those from Bobby Flay and one from grill manufacturer Weber.

To help their customers make the most of grilling, many of the retailers offer cooking classes both inside their stores or outside.

"I live to cook and eat," said Muller, who said she and her family conduct most of the classes at their store. Classes are limited to 12 people and the majority are hands-on, she said. Topics range from Taste of the Tropics, covering Caribbean jerk barbecue, to an Appetizer Party and seafood grilling.

Classes are also available at The Backyard Barbecue Store, said Far rell. An island grill with a built-in vent hood serves as the classroom for 12, he said. Local chefs are brought in to teach on subjects ranging from seafo'od to Asian grilling to steak preparation.

Outdoor instruction at Smoke N' Fire concentrates on equipment education, said Cattey. "We teach them how to get optimum peak performance" from their equipment, he said. The store also works in conjunction with a local culinary center, presenting equipment-based classes there and referring students who want more recipe-oriented instruction.

With no space inside, Booth said he conducts cooking demos outside, firing up the smoker on weekends or showing visitors to the local farmer's market how to grill vegetables.

Doolittle of Chile Cauldron also uses the local farmer's market to sample his wares, he said. And on weekends, Hill's Chile Heads store samples sauces in dishes such as pulled pork or meatballs.

Copyright United Publications, Inc. Mar 2005
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