It’s summertime! It’s time for outdoor recreation, vacations, and time by the pool. But for some businesses it’s the busy season, and there’s no time for relaxing.

“It’s barbeque season,” proclaims Tim Burress, general manager of Famous Dave’s Legendary Pit BBQ. “People are out on the lakes more and folks in East Tennessee are starting to realize how easy it is to come by our store for ribs or hot wings. These folks are also starting to realize how fun it can be when they take these barbeque items out on the boat with them.”

In addition to Famous Dave’s, Shane’s Rib Shack, Buddy’s B-B-Q, and TD’s Barbecue are members of the Knoxville Chamber.
It’s barbeque season and it’s wedding season, a popular marriage.

“We cater a lot of weddings,” says Jeremy McCosh, Acting General Manager and catering director at Shane’s Rib Shack’s Cumberland Avenue location in Knoxville. “We have ten weddings on the schedule so far this summer.”

Ten catered weddings is an impressive number so early in the season, especially since the restaurant’s doors first opened on March 5, 2008. McCosh says catering is a huge factor in keeping his company in the black. Catering also keeps he and his staff “slammed” all summer long.

“I do put in some long hours, but you have to love what you do or you’re not going to be successful,” he said.

McCosh says people like the convenience of having their event-meals prepared for them. In fact, he is so confident in his catering product that his store is giving away free catering packages. McCosh feels that once hosts realize the benefits of catering they’ll be more inclined to purchase catering from his company in the future. Employees at Alcoa, Inc.’s smelting plant tasted the benefits of catering first hand.

“It’s a good way to get folks out to hear the message you want to get across as well as to offer some good eats, for sure,” says Alcoa spokesperson Sanya Tingle.

Employees of each shift at Alcoa Primary Metals recently attended the company’s Summer Safety Season Kick-off banquet held to educate workers about the dangers of over-heating during summer months. Burress and his staff at Famous Dave’s catered the three-day event, 24 hours a day.

“I started working that event at 11:00 P.M. on a Tuesday night,” Burress remembers. “We finished at 4:00 A.M. on a Thursday morning. We served all four shifts about 250 slabs of ribs and all the baked beans, potato salad and Dave’s famous bread pudding they cared to enjoy.”

Famous Dave’s employees rotated from the event to the restaurant so that each Alcoa employee would receive fresh, just cooked food. Burress says the exposure his company received was invaluable.

“The employees told us they loved the food,” he said. “A lot of them had never heard of us and didn’t know where we are located. They know who we are and were we are now.”

Burress and most who enjoy the bounty of barbeque season are quick to point out the payoff comes after seeds sewn seasons ago.

“The winter is busy too, but it’s mainly used for marketing purposes,” says Burress. “Often we’re out in the cold months calling on potential clients. You’re out on the street corner giving out ribs. The winter is used to sell the business, in the summertime we reap the reward.”

McCosh, likewise, is thankful for winter. Without it, his industry’s time in the sun would not come.

“I think everybody agrees: barbeque is summertime,” he said.