Meet James Thompson | Pit Master

We had the good fortune of connecting with James Thompson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi James, what are you inspired by?
My Brothers BBQ is inspired by family, Love and bbq. We take pride in what we do, how we serve, and how we give back to the community. My Brother’s BBQ strives to end generational curses and we empower ourselves with building generational wealth. My Brother’s BBQ was inspired by the hope and dreams that we are all one and that we can come together and enjoy a meal no matter the race or ethnic background.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
We would say what sets us apart is that we genuinely love what we do. It doesn’t seem like work or away to make ends meet because we LOVE what we do. I believe some would agree that you can definitely taste the love and passion in our food. We got to where we are today business wise by simply not giving up, staying consistent and believing in ourselves regardless of the days when we only had one order. We started from the garage of our home selling dinners (thankfully we didn’t get caught) and we did that consistently. With every penny we earned we starting purchasing items for the business. Advertising more and just keeping the dream alive. What excites us the most is the progression we have made. However, don’t get it confused none of It was easy. We struggled trying to make our dreams into a reality. The pitmaster himself worked 5 days a week in a county that was 1.5 hours one way. Then setting up in the garage every weekend focusing on his dream and trying to make it work. No days off and pushing almost 80 hours a week. When the pandemic happened that’s when things started to take a turn as we were just getting in the swing of things and doing events, catering jobs and finally starting to see a future. As we all know events closed, people were not gathering in groups anymore and parties were a thing of the past. What we were going to do then? Well….. giving up wasn’t an option so we took a leap of faith and moved from the side of the road into a SUNOCO GAS station. I know what you all are probably thinking. A gas station!!!!!!! Yes a gas station, your typical whole in the wall gas station at that. We were unsure if this would help us or harm us. Welp fast forward to grand opening day and the worst thing happens. As I’m hanging up the grand opening sign on a step stool my foot goes straight into the concrete and end up breaking the bone on the outside of my foot and cracking the ones on the top. With less than an hour before opening I stuck it up and walk on it for the remainder of the weekend before going to the hospital to have the cast put on. With family and friends we were able to continue to serve the community 🙌. We are so very thankful!!!! I hopped around and rolled around the kitchen the best that I could, not letting the broken foot stop me/us. We are now looking to relocate our business where we will be able tonsit 25 people and serve beer and wine. Honestly, this is just the beginning.!!! I would want the world to know that just because you come from nothing, or have a past doesn’t mean that your future can’t be bright. You just have to work hard, stay dedicated and make sacrifices that will benefit you in the future. I would also want everyone to know to cherish friends and family and those that honestly want to see you win and to not focus on those that don’t, even if they maybe family or friends. Life is too short so why spend your energy on those who don’t care when you are loved and cared by someone!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
To be honest my best friends are already here. My family is my best friend and we do everything together. We believe in creating memories that will last a lifetime. We do things like game night, with and without the kids. Beach days and taking family trips together. There is no place we’d rather be than with our family and those that care about us the most.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My Brother’s BBQ would first like to thank God. He has showed us time and time again that we must walk by faith and to not give up. He has helped motivate us when we were unmotivated and has taught us that everything will workout according to his plan. Next, we would like to thank our daughter who has been patient and the real M.V.P. of it all. She has watched us grow and she is our number fan. She takes pride in our business and she doesn’t hesitate to help pass out flyers, even if that means sneaking them in her backpack to hand out to her teachers at school. Lastly we would like to thank all of our family, friends and community who support us and believe in us. Those who share our post, work with us without compensation and always just a phone call away. We can’t thank you enough.

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