I'm joined this episode - as I will be for the foreseeable future - by my dad to talk about the special election in Fargo, our Pride of Dakota weekend in Bismarck and the madness going on in college football right now.
]]>This episode is also available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify - listen online here: https://audioboom.com/posts/8267036-march-madness
Zach hops on solo again to ramble about Aaron Rodgers, the World Baseball Classic and pulls back the curtain on the behind the scenes world of Big Deck Barbecue Co.
]]>To listen online: https://audioboom.com/posts/8229859-who-s-running-this-zoo
This episode is also available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify is coming soon - when new distribution comes, that announcement will be made!
Big Deck Barbecue Co. owner Zach Willis lays out what this podcast will be, talks about the backstory of Big Deck and details some struggles the company faced in 2022!
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I want to start this post by expressing the utmost appreciation for every single one of you that has purchased something from us - whether it be from the store or from here on bigdeckbbq.com. You are DIRECTLY supporting me and my family in our pursuit of our dreams and I consider you family for doing so. I can't thank you enough.
I'm so appreciative for every like, re-post, retweet, comment and share. We've added almost 2,000 new followers across Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter in the last year and that has very, very little to do with us. It has in large part to do with all of you spreading the good word and taking and running with us on this journey through what has been a pretty insane 365.
Lastly, I want to thank everyone who has told someone else about us. The number of people who have told us that they've heard of us, already have our product or only buy our stuff has been nothing short of surreal. Here's to you, if you've told a friend, bought it as a gift for a family member, or chose us as your contribution to the potluck. What may seem a very simple gesture to you and yours, means the world to us and ours.
Now, let's talk about 2022. I'm going to go month by month because that is the only way this brain of mine can even try to wrap itself around what has occurred over the last year.
I'm actually going to start with December 2021, hah. We were available for retail in around five locations, if I remember correctly. It was certainly very modest in perspective to what our reach has expanded to now, but we were pumped. It showed that there was an ember, that if we nurtured it the way we thought we needed to, could burst into a fire.
We haven't come out and publicly talked about it, because I don't think it was necessary to do so, but I think it's necessary now to tell the story of 2022 correctly. Around the time January rolled around, I took over the company from my dad - it still remains the greatest gift anyone has, or ever could give me and I'm eternally grateful to him for that.
With that situation being as it was, I quit my job selling advertising here in Fargo to run this thing full-time. I had no expectation of how or if I would even be able to afford to survive, but the continued support from my incredible fiance, Julia, allowed me to dive in head first. It was real now. It was all on me to see what I could do with this.
In January, we were lucky enough to add Home of Economy as a vendor - this basically doubled our number of stores. This was the first affirmation that I might be able to do it. We actually mobile-deposited that check and hung it on our wall because it was the first time we'd ever seen a check come in like that from work we were doing with Big Deck. Nevertheless, I knew that something else needed to happen for this operation to be financially viable (aka, staying alive).
February rolled on and we added a few new locations! Specifically, Scheels - Eden Prairie, pretty cool, we were expanding out of just Scheels - Fargo and Scheels Home & Hardware! Besides going to Disney World, which was pretty awesome personally, February came and went fairly uneventfully. I ended up paying $100 in overweight fees to fly the Hard Mountain Dew back home in my luggage, which wasn't very fun😬
In March, I hit my first stroke of good luck. We were put in contact with Tom & Mark at Bischof Distributing, and this sparked an incredibly fast acceleration of the company. The first order I received from them, I legitimately didn't know how we were going to produce. I didn't think we could, but we somehow found a way. It has been a complete blur since this moment. I owe a lot to Mark, Tom, Rick and their team for taking a chance, being flexible and believing in a 22-year old who had nothing but a good product. They could have laughed me out of that meeting, but I have so much gratitude for them for not doing so.
I knew immediately after seeing that first PO that things had to happen, and they needed to start happening soon. I began looking for commercial space for us to produce at, to no avail for a while, but we ended up finding one that I thought had some potential. I chose that one, it's been getting fit-up since then and we're hoping for a February grand opening this year for all of you to come visit. This space will be used for manufacturing, storage, business operations and retail! Exciting stuff!
In April, we officially hit store shelves. A very, very surreal moment for me to walk into Hornbacher's and see our product on the shelf. It was the first real validation of the work that we had been doing in the dark for SO long. We were in the spotlight now and that feeling was incredible. Bischof continued to order, we continued to make, and more and more stores ended up with it on their shelves. It felt like we were finally at the point we felt like we had earned. It was also the beginning of supply issues with our bottles, which parlayed into me looking for new packaging. The first of many issues we ran into with a 're-brand', hah.
There were issues with the packaging that were present that became highlighted because of the large scale distribution we were now experiencing. The nozzle clogged and broke, the bottles leaked and our labels weren't waterproof. It didn't exactly set us up for great presentation or usability. Something had to change, and it did (many thanks to my friend Darren for helping us find the answer). We switched to a flip cap with a wider spout while changing the shape of our squeeze bottles. I felt horrible putting something out in inferior packaging and had to fix it.
In May, I had samples of what our new packaging would look like in my hands for the first time. I was ecstatic. We stress tested them, threw them around, hot- filled them like we would be if they were the right fit, and everything showed that these were the ones, and that is now the bottle you receive in the mail if you order from us or you get from the store if you pick it up from there.
This also started the ball rolling in my head that we needed to 'spice' up our labels, pun intended. Our old label holds a very special place in my heart, but I don't think it fit the personality of the brand, so I made the change. I am a sucker for retro labels and my dog Frank - and our new label is the perfect collision of both of those things. I love how it looks on the shelf, and it would be something I would grab if I was shopping myself.
In June, we wrapped up our biggest month and orders yet, thanks to the help of some great friends who pushed us over the finish line. We were starting to see the fruits of our labor and fully believing that this was a viable option for me to pursue. We were one of the gifts the players got at the Carson Wentz AO1 game in June as well, which is always a cool event to take part in.
July marked the start of us beginning to renovate the shop, doing things we were actually capable of doing here and there. It was also the Hunt Expo at Scheels in Fargo, which, as it always is, was a great time to participate in.
In August, we picked up our new pup, Lenny. He's been a pain, but also the sweetest boy we could have ever asked for. We also got the new packaging in-hand for the first time. This ended the three month nightmare of not having bottles for product due to supply issues. As you have probably have inferred, it is difficult to make money selling barbecue sauce when you don't have bottles to put barbecue sauce in. I celebrated bottles showing up with a few Miller Lites - it was a joyous occasion.
We could finally work again. The shop was nowhere close to being done, we had just gotten bottles and in the midst of the chaos surrounding our operation, I figured this was as good a time as any to re-brand and switch over our labels to the aforementioned design - effectively delaying our ability to move product for another three weeks. There have been very few moments that I've felt like packing up shop this year, this was truly the strongest I've thought about it.
It wasn't until the end of September that we had finished packaging, new labels and product ready to go. For those keeping track at home, we went almost 4 months without moving any sauce. This called for tumultuous times. I didn't know if we'd make it. Constant panic attacks and worrying about us surviving this stretch consumed me, but with all of the continued support from all of you and my inner-circle, we forged ahead with our process that basically takes us to now. We had the incredible Pride of Dakota season come and go, holidays and now 2023.
I can't wait to unveil the cool things we have planned for 2023. A new shop for you guys to come see us as well as for us to make more sauce, a new marketing blitz that will pull back the curtain and allow us to show our personalities even more, charity and community support and so much more. We are pushing hard to move Big Deck to more stores, chains and states in the near future, and you all will be the first to know when that ball gets rolling. I couldn't be more excited.
I want to summarize what has been an incredibly stressful, gratifying and eye-opening year as simply as I can here: I want to reiterate, how thankful I am for each and every one of you, how excited I am for 2023 and beyond, and how grateful I am to be able to call this my job.
From our family to you, thank you.
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Deck Dirt
This one is short and sweet. Beef. Slap it on your burgers, steak, or roast. It adds the prefect compliment of seasoning to your beef and gives you a presentation that cannot be beat.
Badlands Rub
This one is the wild card. It's so versatile but much like our Medora sauce, it adds a kick to your dining experience.
One of my favorite ways to use it is on my Armadillo Eggs. Start your smoker or grill and get it up to about 225 degrees.
I start in the middle and work my way out. Mix a block of cream cheese, very crispy bacon (crumbled) and about 4 oz of shredded cheddar cheese. Add as much or as little as you want. There's no wrong way to do this. Then I core and seed my jalapeños. Take your cheesy deliciousness and stuff it all the way to the bottom of your jalapeños. From there, wrap each jalapeño with about a 1/4 inch of ground pork sausage. One nice touch I add at this point is to wrap the eggs in a single layer of thin bacon. I mean, bacon, right? Then add some Badlands Rub to the outside.
From here, place the eggs over the "cool" side of the grill to avoid direct heating. Heat until your internal temp is 165. Well, not YOUR temp. That would be very bad. The temp of the eggs. This can take up to two hours or 4 beers, depending on your mood. You can also brush on some of your favorite Big Deck BBQ sauce for the last 30 minutes for an amazing presentation. We suggest Medora.
These eggs are a crowd favorite and will leave your friends asking for more.
Fargocoa
What on earth do I do with this? Well here you go, friends.
I love to make shredded beef (barbacoa) or pork (carnitas) tacos. Fargocoa will be your huckleberry. I love to use a cast iron Dutch oven for this. I picked up a cheap one in the camping section and it rocks. Heat your Dutch oven with a little olive oil in it. Take a 3-5 lb. pork shoulder, trim the fat, and cube it into about 2"x2" cubes and sear the outside to develop a nice crust. Once all the sides have a nice sear, apply Fargocoa, one cut and squeezed orange, and 2-4 cups of low sodium beef broth.
Cover it and heat at about 400 degrees for about 2-3 hours until the meat reaches an internal temp of 195. At this point, the meat should pull apart easily. Serve on a tortilla with whatever toppings you like. I suggest chopped onions, fresh cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.
So there you go! I hope this helps you on your grilling/smoking journey and maybe you'll be able to knock your friends socks off along the way.
#LifesBetterOnABigDeck
]]>- 2 cups Corn Chex
- 2 cups Rice Chex
- 1 cup cocktail peanuts
- 1 cup pretzel sticks
- 1.5 cup Garlic Rye chips
- 8 tbsp of butter
- 3 tbsp of dry rub of your choice
- 2 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup Big Deck BBQ sauce of choice - we used OG!
Combine the cereal, peanuts, Rye chips and pretzels. Melt your butter and stir in your Big Deck Barbecue sauce, dry rub and Worcestershire. Pour your wet mix over the dry ingredients.
Pre-heat your smoker to 225 degrees and cook for an hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
After an hour, let cool and enjoy warm! If you’re storing it, make sure to add to an air-tight container or Ziploc!
We hope you enjoy the weekend - let us know if you try this tasty treat!
#LifesBetterOnABigDeck
]]>We stayed in a single-wide trailer that was rigged up with propane for heat and car batteries for the radio. We would bring an inappropriate number of adult beverages, which would lead to some late nights. Those late nights were followed up with very early mornings. We needed something to wake us up and the wonderful smell of those java beans would definitely ease the pain caused by the youthful indiscretions of the night before.
Coffee has long been a friend of mine. The flavor is bold and distinct and is unmatched when it comes to putting a spring in my step. This was the inspiration behind Wake Up Woodworth. Certain cuts of meat are meant to be enjoyed as God intended them, not merely as a vessel to inject sauce into our bellies. Take brisket for example. Beef has a bold flavor that can easily carry any meal. Rarely do I introduce a sauce to my beef, especially when it comes to brisket. But that’s where Wake Up Woodworth comes in. It looks brisket in the eye and says, “Bring it on”. The flavors complement each other and bring your mouth into blissful harmony.
I have long believed food is an experience, not merely a method of survival. Each dining experience can bring a wide range of emotions, good or bad, and it should be something we don’t forget.
I’ll never forget those long-gone days at The Shack. Those sunsets that took your breath away. Those snowy mornings that made you question your sanity. They are not just part of me. They are me. That’s who I am, and I could not be more blessed to have made many wonderful memories there.
#LifesBetterOnABigDeck
]]>When I turned 21, I was bringing Zach home with no idea what I was doing. I remember thinking, “I have to take care of this little human now?”. I may not have known what I was doing but I vowed to be the best father I could be.
A couple years after Zach was born, we welcomed Kenny. I still did not really know what I was doing at this point. I was still young and making many mistakes but through it all, I did what I thought was right, even if in hindsight, it was not.
I waited a few years to welcome the next additions. Chloe joined us and a couple years later, Layla sprang into our lives. What a crazy time. Our lives had many struggles but through it all, we loved each other and that is all we really remember.
So, Father’s Day, to me, is Children’s Day. It is a day for me to celebrate what great people my children have become, and it allows me to look back at everything we have been through and rejoice in all that hard work paying off.
Zach is a year from graduating college and nearing the finish of his Bison career. It was his dream as a little kid to play for NDSU. He worked his tail off and has become part of one of the best football programs in America. But more than that, he is a good person. He takes care of those around him and has a good head on his shoulders.
Kenny recently graduated from Sheyenne High School and is enrolled in the diesel tech program at NDSCS and has an apprenticeship with Titan Machinery. Ever since he was small, he loved working on things. If I ever needed an oil change, he gladly rolled up his sleeves and got messy, so I did not have to. But beyond that, Kenny would give you the shirt off his back and is one of the most selfless people I know.
Chloe is entering 7th grade this fall. You will not find a gentler soul than her. She is constantly trying to please those around her. She has a cat that she loves and one day wants to buy a cat shelter and keep all the cats. She also loves to spend time baking and has developed a line of jelly that we might roll out. Stay tuned.
Then we come to Layla. How do I describe her? Well, the first word that comes to mind is “sass”. But it is a good sass. She is fiery but is also one of the kindest people you will meet. She is the first one to offer standard breakfast in bed on the weekends followed up with an hour in bathroom making sure her makeup is right. She truly keeps me young at heart.
I have had the privilege of reading some of the notes you are dropping to your fathers for the upcoming weekend. I wear my heart on my sleeve and I am not afraid to admit, I got a tear in my eye with many of the notes. Showing your dad how much you mean to him means the world to me. Not in a business sense, but I love seeing the outpouring of love. Some of us dads may be a little rough around the edges, but it is things like that that mean the world to us.
Have a Happy Father’s Day!
Tyson
]]>So to introduce us, I'm Zach, currently going into my fourth year at NDSU, pursuing my bacherlor's degree in Marketing and playing on the football team. I'm pictured here with my dad Tyson, his wife and my stepmom Heidi, and my younger siblings Kenny, Chloe and Layla.
This is a picture of me and my amazing fiance Julia, the night we got engaged last November.
My dad has always cooked well and impressed guests and friends with his creations. He developed an unbreakable passion for cooking and finding what he could do in the kitchen. Thus, the dream of Big Deck Barbecue Co. was developed. The name comes from the deck that he built on the back of our humble little home. (He only built it because he bought a gazebo that was too large for the deck we had, and he was too stubborn to return it).
No matter how stressful our day was, we could always retreat to the deck and be treated to something that my dad thought up during the day. That deck is where the passion for all of this started and is where the name Big Deck Barbecue Co. originates.
As my dad ventured more and more into different types of food items, everybody that tasted his sauces knew that he needed to share them with the world. After a lot of experimentation with products, support from friends and family, and a few years, we're where we are now.
We believe in humble begginings and staying true to our roots. We are proud to be owned and operated in Fargo, North Dakota, which is where both of us were born and raised.That deck my dad built on the back of my childhood home gave us a path to dream about what we could do, and we make all of our products with that in mind.
We know this wouldn't be possible without you. Whether it's sharing our Facebook page, liking an Instagram post, or buying and recommending product to those that you know, we can't thank you enough for the outpouring of love you've shown. We love this community, and we couldn't be more excited to share the things that we create with you!
I want to take this last section to thank my family, the people that are making this thing run. First, my stepmom Heidi and my fiance Julia. You two are the backbone of all of this. From supporting me and dad, to helping us perfect our product and everything in between, you two are the biggest reasons we're here. Next, I want to thank my dad. You've been my best friend for as long as I can remember and you've given me more than I could ever return. I'm glad you've trusted me to help you make your dream a reality.
Finally, one more thank you to all of you who are seeing this right now. You drive us to share our amazing product and we can't wait until you get a bottle in your hands.
Always remember, Life's Better On A Big Deck!
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