Barbecue Catering Smarts
Barbecue Catering Smarts is your go-to podcast for mastering the business of BBQ catering. Hosted by Michael Attias—founder of CaterZen Catering Software and longtime catering strategist—this show dives deep into the systems, stories, and smarts behind the most successful BBQ catering operations in the country. Each episode features conversations with pitmasters, smokehouse owners, and catering pros who share their proven tactics for scaling revenue, streamlining operations, building loyal fans, and turning smoky deliciousness into serious profit. Whether you run a food truck, a full-service BBQ restaurant, or a booming catering department, you'll walk away with actionable ideas to elevate your BBQ catering game. Tune in to Barbecue Catering Smarts—where smoke, strategy, and success come together.
Episodes
In this episode of Barbecue Catering Smarts, Michael Attias sits down with Julie Reinhardt, Co-Owner of Smokin' Pete's BBQ in Seattle, to break down how they transformed their operation into a focused, profitable catering business.
After 10 years running both a restaurant and catering, Julie and her husband made a strategic decision: shut down the restaurant and go all-in on catering. The r...
In this episode of Barbecue Catering Smarts, Michael Attias sits down with Dan Bosworth, Owner & Pitmaster of Big Dan's BBQ in Catawissa, Pennsylvania.
Dan didn't grow up in restaurants—he came from manufacturing and supply chain management. That operational background became his unfair advantage. Instead of running barbecue on instinct alone, Dan built sys...
In Episode 26 of Barbecue Catering Smarts, Michael Attias sits down with Jim Lenzen, Owner of Jimmy L's, a barbecue operator who built a multi-state catering business from a small-town base in western Nebraska—without cutting corners or competing on price.
Jim shares his unconventional path into barbecue catering, fr...
In Episode 26 of Barbecue Catering Smarts, Michael Attias sits down with Linda Bogach, Catering Director at Central BBQ—one of the most iconic barbecue brands to ever come out of Memphis.
Linda brings a true operator's perspective to catering. Her path wasn't linear—restaurant management, bartending, raising a family...
In this episode of Restaurant Catering Smarts, Michael Attias sits down with Erin Childs, restaurant consultant, coach, and long-time catering operator who cut her teeth in Boston's fast casual scene.
From pounding the pavement with samples in hand to building systems for national brands like Beloco and Fresh City, Erin sh...
In this episode of Restaurant Catering Smarts, Michael Attias welcomes Phillip Scotton, President & COO of Primo Partners—one of the most successful multi-unit, multi-brand franchise operators in the Ben & Jerry's system, and a rapidly growing partner within the Starbucks licensed store network.
Phillip shares his rema...
In this episode of Restaurant Catering Smarts, Michael Attias sits down with Amanda Quinn, Director of Catering at Viva Chicken—one of the fastest-growing Peruvian rotisserie brands in the U.S.
Amanda brings years of experience building off-premise programs across hotels, franchise concepts, and now a multi-unit restaurant...
In this episode of Restaurant Catering Smarts, Michael Attias welcomes Lauren Laurent, the powerhouse Director of Catering Sales & Marketing at Levy Restaurants — based at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.
With 15+ years in hospitality,...
In this episode of Restaurant Catering Smarts, Michael Attias welcomes Christin Marvin, founder and CEO of Solutions by Christin. With over 20 years in the hospitality trenches—from line cook to multi-unit operator—Christin now helps restaurant owners and leaders create sustainable success without burning out in the process.
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In this episode of Restaurant Catering Smarts, Michael Attias welcomes Terry Matthews, Co-Founder of CaterLinked, a fast-growing community built to connect, educate, and empower catering professionals.
Terry shares how CaterLinked was born out...
In this episode of Restaurant Catering Smarts, Michael Attias sits down with George Westberry, Director of Marketing Initiatives at Red Hot & Blue Barbecue. With 13 years at the brand and a career that began in the back of the house as a chef, George has a unique perspective on how
In this episode of Restaurant Catering Smarts, Michael Attias welcomes Kevin Reading, VP of Sales and Community Engagement at Luna Grill.
Kevin shares his journey from hotel catering to leading national catering at Qdoba, and now helping Luna Grill scale its off-premise and catering programs. He dives into the advantages of working in a nimble, entrepreneurial organization, where testing ideas and pivot...
In this episode of Restaurant Catering Smarts, Michael Attias welcomes Jenn Saunders-Haynes, Owner & Chief Catering Strategist at Elizabeth Jewel Consulting.
Jenn shares why the three P's—Packaging, Process, and Profit—are the foundation of catering success. From avoiding the trap of...
In this episode of Restaurant Catering Smarts, Michael Attias welcomes Deborah Miller, Founder of Deborah Miller Catering & Events—one of New York City's most creative and fast-growing catering companies.
Deborah shares her journey from growing up in her father's "greasy spoon" to building a thriving, full-service catering...
In this episode of Restaurant Catering Smarts, Michael Attias sits down with John Geyerman, Chief Strategy Officer at WOWorks, the parent company behind better-for-you brands like Saladworks, Frutta Bowls, and The Simple Greek.
John brings a wealth of experience from his days at Schlotzsky's and Dickey's Barbecue Restaurants, and he dives into the complexities and opportunities of running catering operati...
In this episode of Restaurant Catering Smarts, Michael Attias welcomes Christian Hilty, VP of Partnerships at DeliverThat, a delivery logistics platform built specifically for catering.
Christian shares how DeliverThat carved out a niche in the catering world by offering scheduled, white-glove delivery services tailored for large catering orders—a game-changer for restaurants tired of the headaches from t...
In this episode of Restaurant Catering Smarts, Michael Attias sits down with Chris Heffernan, CEO of dlivrd—a last-mile logistics company disrupting the gig delivery space with a focus on transparency, driver empowerment, and AI-driven matchmaking.
Chris shares his vision for a delivery ecosystem where restaurant operators and drivers both win. You'll hear how dlivrd's platform is custom-built for caterin...
In this episode of Restaurant Catering Smarts, Michael Attias sits down with Jason Schultz, Founder and CEO of Blue Ridge Payment Partners, for a conversation that's less about payment processing and more about character, relationships, and doing business the right way.
Michael shares the behind-the-scenes story of how Jason uncovered a major opportunity that led to CaterZen landing one of its biggest cli...
In this episode of Restaurant Catering Smarts, Michael Attias welcomes Ellen Diehl, Operations Coordinator at Roots Natural Kitchen—affectionately dubbed "The Catering Queen" by her team.
Ellen plays a pivotal role in building and scaling off-premise catering for one of the country's fas...
In this episode of Restaurant Catering Smarts, Michael Attias welcomes Allen Beck, Director of Off-Premise and Catering at Costa Vida. With over 15 years of experience in restaurant operations and hospitality, Allen has helped Costa Vida double its catering business year over year—by building a sales-driven culture and putting boots on the ground.
Allen sh...
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