Today we’d like to introduce you to John Rot.
John, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
About seven years ago, a group of friends had a vision for a modern version of an authentic BBQ restaurant that would feature quality food served in a quick casual setting. From the backwoods of the Carolinas, to the meat markets of Texas, to the hole-in-the-walls of Memphis, we wanted a restaurant that was inspired by authentic barbecue traditions from across the country.
That vision became a reality in 2009, when La Grange became the first home of Q-BBQ. Here we fine-tuned our signature sauces, dry rubbed chicken wings, pulled top-quality pork by hand and chopped brisket into cubes of caramelized burnt ends. Soon we had lines out the door. Lines of people wanting to be a part of something amazing. We were going to need more space. Four stores (La Grange, Naperville, Schererville, Oak Park) and tens of thousands of raving fans later… we’re just getting started.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Building a business and brand, from the ground up, is never a perfectly paved road, especially in the restaurant industry. We had a lot of success early on in that our customers quickly became raving fans. As we expanded we wanted to continue to innovate with menu items and store locations, but had to be very cognizant of what made us successful to begin with. That’s a tough balance to maintain. And no matter how well known we are currently, we’re always new to someone, so we work very hard to become a part of the community. That’s what barbecue is about after all.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Q-BBQ story. Tell us more about the business.
Q-BBQ is known for our smoked meats cooked low and slow for up to 22 hours. Our sauces are homemade and our sides are from-scratch. But our flavors are far from ordinary. We’re taking America’s original comfort food and adding our own signature style, Q-Style.
Our signature sauces are now sold in grocery markets across the region. We’ve won Michelin Guide awards for culinary excellence (but truth be told our 2015 and 2016 People’s Choice trophies from Chicago’s Ribfest hold a more prominent place on our company mantel). We even had the gumption to open a surprise pop-up restaurant for a full week in Chicago’s tallest and best known building: Willis Tower. Twice.
But from La Grange to Naperville to Schererville and Oak Park, our mission has remained the same: sell reasons to come back. We’re connecting every community with a Q-BBQ to that broad and traditional barbeque community at-large.
Do you feel like our city is a good place for businesses like yours? If someone was just starting out, would you recommend them starting out here? If not, what can our city do to improve?
In the last 10 years Chicago has become one of the premiere culinary cities in the world, so yes, this is a great place for us. From downtown to the burbs there are so many great restaurants of all cuisines and service styles. Barbeque has always had a prominent place in Chicago’s food scene too, but we found success by starting in the burbs, whereas many multi-unit restaurants start downtown and then move outward. I’d recommend that you find the right spot for your concept and invest there, take the time you need and then you can really grow well.
Contact Info:
- Address: Naperville, IL: 103 S Main St., Naperville, IL 60540, Phone: 630-637-6400
Oak Park, IL: 124 N. Marion Street., Oak Park, IL, 60301, Phone: 708-628-3421
La Grange, IL: 70 S La Grange Rd., La Grange, IL 60525, Phone: 708-482-8700
Schererville, IN: 79 US Highway 41, Suite 200, Schererville, IN 46375, Phone: 219-322-8288 - Website: http://www.q-bbq.com
- Email: http://www.q-bbq.com/contact-q
- Instagram: @eatQBBQ
- Facebook: @eatQBBQ
- Twitter: @eatQBBQ
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
