HeLLO, TEAM City BBQ!

I hope this edition of Smoke Signals finds you, your families, and everyone else important to you safe, happy, and healthy.

I want to begin by thanking all of you for your hard work and commitment to serve and create happiness each and every day to our fellow team members and guests. It’s certainly no secret we are operating in a very challenging environment with many headwinds and no certainty on when we will get past them. I realize these challenges are not only present in your work life but unfortunately also in your personal life.

With so many things currently in motion that are out of our control, I ask that you focus only on those things within your control. I’m not asking you to forget about inflation, the political divide, the Ukraine invasion, supply chain issues, or other external factors in your lives today. In fact, I hope you seek positive outcomes on those issues in whatever manner works best for you, whether that be prayer, meditation, or a lively debate with friends. That said, focusing on the things within your control can offer a tremendous sense of calm, accomplishment, and progress at a time when those things are more important than ever.

I believe we have a great opportunity by leveraging what is within our control to create positive outcomes for each of you, our team, our guests, and our business. I ask each of you to focus on what you can do each day to make a positive impact on those around you, being a catalyst in spreading positive energy and positive outcomes within each role in life that you play. Make your joint, your department, and any circle that you function in a place where others can go to get a break from the chaos that so many people face today. Bring our guiding principle of “improve a little everyday” to every aspect of your life: family, balance, friends, health, spirit, and work.

I want you all to know that despite the many challenges we face today, our business is strong and growing. That didn’t happen by accident and is not circumstance. Team City BBQ has put our company in a great position – THANK YOU! You all should take great pride in the results you have delivered over the past few years and the momentum you have established. We are certainly not immune to macro-economic issues, but we are positioned well and remain steadfast in our quest to own the barbeque lane. Our business has officially entered the high growth stage with four recent openings and ten more by year’s end. The results are best in class and our future is so bright!

In closing I have one more ask – please Trust the Good Intentions of our People. Begin from a place of trust knowing that our people come to work with the best of intentions in doing great work each and every day. Coach them up, encourage them, and be the positive force that they seek!

So proud to be a part of this,

~Mike Muldoon

Four Pillars

TEAM

In May, members of the Support Center participated in Serve Day. This was a pre-COVID annual event that we were excited to bring back. It allows our Support Center teammates to connect with Joint and Catering teammates, and our Guests. Our goal is to enhance the relationship and build trust between the Support Center and the Field. Support Center teammates walk away with a better understanding of what our Joint and Catering departments accomplish every day. It is always a fun, hardworking day that the Support Center team enjoys. Take a look at some of the participants in the carousel of photos above.

Guest

Florence and Highland Heights Joints participated in the Best of NKY event on May 24, 2022, serving sliced brisket, smoked sausage, and mac and cheese to over 800 guests. These Joints won Best BBQ at the event, beating out several other local joints with their Competition Quality food and service! Congratulations to Chris Giles of Florence, Zac Meyer of NKU, and Josh Ruxer and the Cincy Catering crew, without whom these events could not be possible. Take a look at some of the photos of the event in the carousel below.

Process

City Barbeque has introduced two new expense tools - TripActions and Liquid - for travel reservations (flights, hotels, car rentals), company purchase cards (“P-card”), and expense reimbursements. TripActions assists users in finding flights, hotels, car rentals, etc., that meet user-defined requirements by searching all direct booking and many other third-party travel platforms. The Liquid tool is used for P-card charge coding/submission, auto allowance mileage reporting, and out-of-pocket/mileage expense reimbursements. The Liquid Visa card is replacing the Huntington Mastercard as our company P-card. The exception is that the Catering Fleet card will remain as a Huntington Mastercard. The Liquid out-of-pocket & mileage expense reimbursement replaces the manual Excel reports submitted through Accounts Payable. TripActions is a new option to our teammates for travel, as we had no tool like this previously. Both tools are live now. ~Tadd Christensen, Accounting Manager

Financial

As we wrap up the month of June 2022, we did hit a milestone we have been shooting for the last few years. On Father’s Day, we had our first $1MILLION DOLLAR DAY!. Congrats to everyone out there as that is a super busy day to push out that much barbeque. In addition, we are looking to do things to drive additional traffic. Even though we have some lower ticket counts, lowering the menu price on Rib Bone Tuesday and regular ribs has already shown that this will bring guests back into the store. The economy and inflation is hitting everyone pretty hard, so going out of your way to make a guest feel good about spending their hard-earned dollars goes a long way. Looking forward toward what the stores and Catering can do this upcoming 4th of July – another record day possibly? ~Diane Reed, CFO

RDO REFLECTIONS

The Lafayette new joint opening, like all opens, had so many people “Creating Unequaled Outcomes” and “Setting the Standard for Others to Follow.” To do $81,952 in sales in the first three days is just amazing! We continued that momentum by breaking a company record. Brian Toth, James Norton, and team did the most sales in a seven-day period; $162,000! The Lafayette team was created with existing and new managers and their non-stop dedication really showed here. Thank you to Aletha, Tariq, Becky, Jason, Terry, and the whole training team for their support at Lafayette and all the openings this year. The only way we accomplish these numbers is with our outstanding Training Team. Thank you to all the Support Center departments for making this happen. It takes everyone locking arms and pushing up hill together. Doing four opens this close together is exceptional.

As we go into the Dublin Green new joint opening, I can’t stop reflecting on how great our people are. As Frank said, “It was always all about the people.” What we have done as a company to make this happen is magnificent. It really does take every department and every person in the company to help execute these openings. So whether you know it or not, you had a part and a huge THANK YOU is owed to each and every one of you. We will continue to “Serve and Create Happiness” with the many more guests and teammates we come across at all the future new joint openings.

Congrats again to Jeremy Morland, Randy Potts, Cynthia Williams, Juan Lopez, and John Yacabozzi for carrying out our first three outstanding openings this year. This is our ‘new normal’ as the future growth of our organization will only continue to increase as we “Own the BBQ Lane!”

~ Justin Lance, Regional Director of Operations

CATERING CHATTER

HERE COME THE BRIDES!

The City Barbeque 2022 Wedding Season is well under way! This year to date, we have produced 929 Wedding events, serving 97,672 guests. Annually, we currently have 2,132 wedding events with a total guest count of 245,320.

Your Wedding Event Specialists have been working hard to set the standards that others follow by being the best in the industry! Read about one of our top performers in this issue’s Teammate Spotlight!

Leads are coming in strong and bookings for 2022 are still happening daily. Thank you for your support!

~ Scott Erwin, Director of Off-Premise Business

Circleville & Solon Openings

RAVING FANS

Castleton

Great service at new Castleton location! We visited the 82nd Street location on Memorial Day and received great service! Our food was prepared quickly and was very tasty. Our cashier Boo was very friendly. He checked on us while we were eating and made sure to say goodbye when we left. We actually live closer to a different location, but I would come back to this location without hesitation!

Circleville

Service I did curbside pick up.. had a wait, but they were very busy. My order was delivered by an employee, she was apologetic about being late… I didn’t really realize it was… but they comp me a banana pudding… never order a dessert, but I will now.. great service… I will be a repeat customer. Thank you. Jennifer Bullen, Circleville Ohio

Decatur Crossing

Excellent Customer Service Skills Katrina Miller was the delivery driver for a catering order for Robert Shaw Theme School Teacher Appreciation Luncheon. Ms. Miller was very courteous and methodical with delivery. She called to inform us that she was running late, which she still arrived a few minutes early. She was very pleasant and offered to assist the staff with placing the lunchboxes on the table. She waited while our staff unpacked the bags to ensure that all lunches were there.

Deerfield

Great Service and Food! I ordered catering for a work event and the process was so easy, they called for confirmation and Katherine Kitle was absolutely wonderful day of setting up the food. Katherine was friendly, professional, efficient and how they displayed the food looked awesome. We will definitely be using you all in the future again. Food also received a bunch of compliments.

Praise of employee Janiz As a frequent guest at your Deerfield location, I wanted to praise the performance of your employee, Janiz. She is exceptionally friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable about your menu! The other day, I had planned to order my regular favorite but asked her what she orders. She took the time to review parts of the menu with me and recommended I try the Nashville Hot - and I love it! I order it all of the time now! When I stopped in recently, I asked if she had any additional suggestions and she offered me a delicious sample. I will be returning soon for more turkey tacos! I appreciate Janize and her stellar customer service. I hope you will recognize her for her above and beyond efforts. Thank you!

Durham

Thank you for a great experience!!! Gentlemen, It was pouring rain today and I was soaked to the bone. This was my first time at City BBQ and Jenn greeted me with a smile and asked "How can I help you". Immediately, I felt relaxed. She made suggestions as she explained the menu. The service was excellent as my order was completed as I had requested. Jenn is a valuable asset to your company. It was a very pleasant experience and I would highly recommend City BBQ to my friends and coworkers. Sincerely, Josh Teran

Fishers

Thank you!! I went to this store and was in need of lunch for 12 clients of mine at an architectural office. The entire staff was amazingly helpful, extremely friendly, and very expeditious with their service. They saved my lunch and learn and I can’t thank them enough! I will definitely go to this location every time I am in town. Thank you!!

Florence

AMAZING CUSTOMER SERVICE! Stew and Chuck have gone above and beyond with their customer service skills! I wanted to give them both a tip but they said it’s not allowed due to company policy?? I think they should be able to receive gratuities if they are so excellent at their job!!! These two are awesome!!!

Garner

Exceptional Manager Service Yesterday I put in a complaint about my visit to CB. I didn't even make it home to enjoy my food when the manager called me to apologize . Apparently there was a disconnect between the kitchen staff and cashier. Anyway, he personally brought me some mac n cheese and green beans (which were delicious as always) I can't thank you enough for making my meal more enjoyable.

Johns Creek

Staff acknowledgment Just a quick note to let management know that at least one person appreciates the warm friendly environment that the current staff at the Johns Creek location creates. This has not always been the case. In particularly, Lindsey and Gray have done a fantastic job of creating just such an environment. I know it is hard with everyone is so angry at everyone else and even the slightly mistake can set people off but it seems like this location is doing fine. The food has always been good and my orders have never been messed up. Just wanted someone to know.

Lake Boone Trail

Amazing! I first came to this City BBQ a few weeks ago with my fiance and his son. We were so impressed from the beginning! From the amazing flavor to the on-point service! My fiance and I loved it so much we came back the very next day. I took my Mom/Aunt the next week and my fiance and I are going back today! I wish I knew the lady's name that takes the orders, she is THE BEST! Full of recommendations and energy! The banana pudding is to die for! I work at the hospital right beside City BBQ so stopping in to get vegetables for lunch a couple of days a week has been great!! Keep up the great work!

Solon

Ty is amazing! I am really remiss in submitting this. And, candidly, I rarely ever submit feedback of any kind. But, I was at the Solon location the very first week it was open on Thursday night. I totally appreciate what a fiasco the first week, let along the first month, is for any restaurant. I walked into the City BBQ (and I'm a huge fan from every road trip that brings me through Columbus) that first week and was greeted by Ty. Our experience ordering with him was nothing short of amazing. I was there with two indecisive kids and the restaurant was chaotic at dinner time. Ty was beyond friendly. He politely interacted with my kids to see what they liked. We feel like we asked him a million questions about the menu and sides. He remained polite and patient and at the same time joked around with us. We felt informed, at ease, and welcomed...just like we were at home. For the first week, to see the dynamic social ability of Ty, to see his knowledge of the menu, to see his ability to adapt to our personality and style and to guide us through an order that was chaotic due to hangry children, Ty totally demonstrated what an asset he is to City BBQ. I found myself thinking (and I grew up in a family restaurant) that I would totally hire this guy away from City BBQ if I had my own restaurant! (I don't...so don't worry....) Anyway, kudos to Ty. Please take care of him. He's a keeper. And, as the face of your brand, he elevated your brand. Thanks for a great experience! ~Mark

West Chester

Thank you for going above and beyond on Father's Day Wohoo this place was SLAMMED today! We had a pickup order for 430pm and part of the order was missing. I came back up and I have NEVER seen it this busy! The manager (I think he was the manager -beige shorts & black polo) temporarily stopped taking orders so they could catch up. There was a woman on the floor offering drinks & keeping people calm. I ADORE these 2 today! No one seemed angry on the floor while waiting, the employees seemed happy for being in a very busy situation, you could hear good communication. They prepared the missing pieces of our order (1/2 slab of ribs & peach cobbler) and helped with the add-on we needed. It was much appreciated and I was very impressed for how the entire busy situation was handled. GREAT JOB on impressing the customer and keeping the employees calm, joking and upbeat!

Westerville

Excellent experience Your store number 006 is a pleasure to visit. It is one thing to have great food, a clean and upbeat location, but it is another to have such wonderful employees. Each and every member in this location should be given a shout out and rewarded. Everyone was so friendly, happy, and ready to please! I very rarely take the time to write a review but I felt I had to pass along my feelings from our visit. Especially right now with eateries in particular suffering from not finding employees, you have hit the jackpot! Please work to keep them happy.

QUEMMUNITY

Our Beavercreek Joint held a fundraiser/patio event for 4 Paws for Ability.

The fundraiser was VERY successful, and the guests really enjoyed petting the dogs and talking to the 4 Paws ORGANIZATION REPRESENTATIVES. Here are some photos of the event:

2FGR Presents the DSACO Run for Down Syndrome

This 5K & 10K event benefits the Down Syndrome Association of Central Ohio (DSACO). DSACO’s mission is to support families, promote community, and encourage a lifetime of opportunities for people with Down syndrome. 100% of the monies raised from this event go to support DSACO and their programs, including recreational scholarships for children and adults with Down syndrome and other DSACO initiatives, such as iCan Bike Camp and Golf Academy.

Keith Willis, our Chief Development Officer here at City Barbeque, serves as Co-Race and Logistics Director, and is a founding member of the race team. This year marked the 13th anniversary of the 2FGR (Two Fat Guys Running!) Presents the DSACO Run for Down Syndrome.

BE A POSITIVE MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY!

If you have participated in any community or charity event/drive, or volunteered for any cause, either as a team or individually, at work, home, church, etc., please send your information and any photos you can provide to hr@citybbq.com, with Quemmunity in the subject line. We’d love to publish them in a future newsletter under this new feature! We want to “share the wealth in a sustainable fashion!”

ALETHA’S CORNER

INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

More often, I find myself saying, “You are only one person.”  This can mean so many different things, but recently I have been in situations where I am saying to others, “You need to build relationships so you can work through others.  You are only one person and can’t do everything yourself.”  Now, of course, I understand that this is much easier to say than to live. We are in places in our lives where there are simply many things that need to be done and done quickly. This can either be a dilemma or just a passage to setting your path.

The beauty of everything is you get to decide. Do you want to continue to be frustrated at the fact that you have a lot of things on your plate always, or do you want to build trust, people capabilities, and relationships that can support you in achieving your goals?

Let’s dig into Interpersonal Skills.  You must be good at this to accomplish what we discussed above.

You may not realize it, but interpersonal skills, or people skills, are something you already have. After all, you've been learning how to get along with others since you were very little. But, positive daily interactions don't always "just happen," whether at work or in our personal lives. Getting the results that you need can be difficult when you don't "click" with people, or if you don't know how to act or what to say. That's why strong interpersonal skills are as important in the workplace as any “technical skills,” regardless of the position you hold. They can help you create good working relationships, manage conflict, motivate your team, increase productivity, solve problems, and increase happiness and engagement at work.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO HAVE GREAT INTERPERSONAL SKILLS?

1.)   Great interpersonal skills foster communication 

It’s critical to becoming an effective communicator.  Where does this show up? Remember, here at City Barbeque, we put a lot of emphasis on effective communication, so much so, it’s one of our key core competencies in our City Map. We want to make sure all levels of managers understand the importance.

Being able to clearly articulate an idea, need, or simple communication can go a long way in a team. Strong communication skills also reduce miscommunication and potential strife due to misunderstandings.

2.)   The feedback loop is kept open

The exchange of information between leader and teammate is critical. When you assign a teammate a task, you must provide feedback on that task. How else would they know they have or haven’t met your expectations? This can become very counterproductive if feedback is not given in a timely manner, and can lead to an unhealthy relationship. Long periods of time can pass, and teammates not wanting to do a good job can take over. A deep dive into the communication can keep that from happening in the first place.

3.)   Our opportunities expand

There are lots of internal and external factors in our Joints that require us to change course quickly. Managers and teammates should be engaged in continuous communication to ensure everyone is on the same page and there aren’t questions that would stall progress or even growth.

Often teammates are looking for feedback after they complete a task or assignment. Providing this needed feedback closes the loop on the whole cycle of communication.

4.)   Interpersonal skills make you relatable

The ability to interact with others significantly enhances your chances of being viewed as someone approachable. You make people around you more comfortable and open the door for them to ask you for advice or assistance.

5.)   They demonstrate social awareness 

The development of good interpersonal skills demonstrates your concern for the well-being of your team and guests, and as a result, you can win their trust. Interpersonal skills also can help you make the best judgments and decisions when dealing with sensitive work-related scenarios.

Our jobs require a great deal of interpersonal skills. Something right now can be a challenge with all the things we experience on a daily basis, such as being short-staffed, short on managers, short on product, having upset guests and teammates, or seeing busier-than-expected sales. These all are things that, with the right skills to communicate, can be handled much easier. Of course, you have to practice, practice, and continue to focus on this. If you want something to become a habit, you have to live it daily.

I will leave you with these four quick tips on building your Interpersonal skills:

1.     Communication skills. Craft your message carefully, with your audience in mind, be aware of body language, and listen.

2.     Managing differences. Deal with difficult people assertively but with good grace and learn to resolve conflict.

3.     Creating a more harmonious team. Establish trust and a supportive working environment. Accept the strengths and opportunities in your team and give effective feedback.

4.     Personal integrity. Recognize your core values, and act accordingly. 

Stay Kind, Stay Healthy, Stay Brave, Stay You!

Aletha