City Barbeque
City Barbeque is a privately-held fast-casual chain founded in 1999, operating 66+ corporate-owned locations across 12 U.S. states. It sells competition-quality, slow-smoked barbecue via dine-in, carry-out, delivery, mobile app, catering, and a City Rewards loyalty program.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersDublin, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What City Barbeque does
City Barbeque is a privately-held, fast-casual barbecue restaurant chain founded in 1999 by Rick Malir and headquartered in Dublin, Ohio. The company operates 66+ corporate-owned locations across 12 U.S. states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Wisconsin), offering dine-in, carry-out, and delivery of slow-smoked barbecue meats and scratch-made sides. Its core production technology is a "smoker-to-table" methodology: each location runs three on-site smokers continuously (24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year) using local hickory wood, with competition-quality brisket smoked for up to 18 hours and carved to order. The menu features beef brisket, pulled pork, smoked turkey, St. Louis-cut ribs, bone-in chicken, and a proprietary Texas-style smoked sausage, complemented by housemade sides and five signature sauces (Original, Brush Fire, LowCo, Sweet City, Swine Wine).
The company generates revenue through multiple channels: in-restaurant dine-in and carry-out sales, online ordering via order.citybbq.com, a proprietary iOS/Android mobile app (built on Punchh), third-party delivery via DoorDash, and a dedicated catering operation offering staffed events, delivery and set-up, and self-service party packs for weddings, corporate events, and parties. A City Rewards loyalty program (1 point per $1 spent, 100 points = $5 reward) and a 20% fundraiser donation program for nonprofits support repeat traffic and community engagement. The customer base is broad and consumer-facing, with primary segments including individual/family consumers, event hosts and planners, business and corporate customers, and nonprofit/community organizations. The company holds no external institutional investors identified in the data beyond a 2016 Freeman Spogli investment, and is led by founder Rick Malir (President, CEO, and Co-Founder).
City Barbeque firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- City Barbeque
- Legal name
- City Barbeque and Catering
- Website
- https://citybbq.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- City Barbeque is a privately-held fast-casual chain founded in 1999, operating 66+ corporate-owned locations across 12 U.S. states. It sells competition-quality, slow-smoked barbecue via dine-in, carry-out, delivery, mobile app, catering, and a City Rewards loyalty program.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
City Barbeque industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Fast-Casual Barbecue Restaurants
- NAICS
- Limited-Service Restaurants (722513)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- BBQ & Smokehouse Fast Casual (THAFABAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- BBQ Sauce & Marinades Manufacturing (AFAKADAH)
Keywords
Where City Barbeque is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dublin
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
City Barbeque business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Restaurant Dine-In and Carry-Out Sales: Revenue from individual customer purchases at restaurant locations for dine-in meals and carry-out orders. Includes meat by the pound, sandwiches, plates, and sides.
- Catering Services: Full-service catering for events including staffed buffets, delivery and set-up, and party packs. They have been catering events for more than 25 years, serving weddings, corporate events, graduations, and parties.
- Online and App Ordering: Direct online ordering through order.citybbq.com and mobile app for pickup and delivery, earning loyalty points for qualifying purchases.
- DoorDash Third-Party Delivery: Catering delivery via DoorDash for customer convenience.
- Gift Cards and Merchandise: Sale of gift cards and merchandise including signature sauces, with customers able to check gift card balances online.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | City Rewards Loyalty Program |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels7 records
City Barbeque product offering
Product offeringCore offering
City Barbeque operates a fast-casual restaurant chain serving competition-quality, slow-smoked barbecue meats (brisket, pulled pork, ribs, turkey, sausage, chicken) prepared on on-site hickory smokers running 24/7, with housemade sides and signature sauces. The company sells these through dine-in, carry-out, and delivery at 66+ locations across 12 states, complemented by a mobile app, online ordering, full-service event catering, and a loyalty rewards program.
Product overview
City Barbeque operates as a barbecue restaurant chain and catering company offering competition-quality smoked meats. The core offering includes dine-in, carry-out, and delivery services across multiple locations, with an online ordering system and mobile app. The product portfolio centers on slow-smoked barbecue proteins (beef brisket, pulled pork, smoked turkey, sausage, chicken, and St. Louis ribs) complemented by housemade sides and five signature sauces. Additional offerings include Party Packs and Samplers for group dining, full-service event and wedding catering, a loyalty rewards program (City Rewards), and a mobile app for ordering. The company integrates with DoorDash for third-party delivery and maintains presence on Google Play and Apple App Store for its mobile applications.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Barbecue Restaurant Services Slow-smoked barbecue restaurant offering dine-in, carry-out, and delivery services featuring competition-quality meats including beef brisket (smoked up to 18 hours), pulled pork, smoked turkey, chicken, and St. Louis-cut ribs, along with housemade sides and signature sauces. Available at 66+ locations across 12 states.
- Event Catering Services Full-service catering for events including weddings, corporate events, graduations, and parties with staffed buffets, action stations, customizable menus, delivery, and setup options.
- Party Packs
Companies that use City Barbeque
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
City Barbeque technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature4 records
City Barbeque partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- DoorDashminorDoorDash is used as a delivery partner for City Barbeque catering orders, providing third-party delivery logistics for customers who prefer not to pick up their orders themselves. This partnership extends delivery coverage but is not an exclusive arrangement.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
City Barbeque competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Mission BBQ: Fast-growing BBQ chain with strong brand identity and community focus. Closely comparable to City Barbeque in positioning, dine-in/carry-out model, and emphasis on smoked meats.
- Smokey Bones: Casual dining BBQ and bar-focused chain offering smoked meats, full bar, and broader menu. Comparable in category but with stronger bar/alcohol positioning.
- Famous Dave's: National BBQ chain operating both company-owned and franchised restaurants focused on hickory-smoked meats. Most directly comparable to City Barbeque in menu, segment, and category.
- Dickey's Barbecue Pit: Large franchised BBQ chain competing in the same fast-casual BBQ space. Comparable on menu and customer base, but uses a franchise model whereas City Barbeque is company-owned.
- Woody's Bar-B-Q: Regional BBQ chain with dine-in, carry-out, and catering services. Comparable in menu and franchise model, though smaller footprint.
- Sonny's BBQ: Long-standing BBQ chain with company-owned and franchised locations. Directly comparable in menu offerings and group/family dining focus.
Broad incumbents
- Bonefish Grill: Casual dining chain (Darden-owned) with broader menu and broader geographic reach. Tangentially comparable in casual dining catering segment.
- Texas Roadhouse: Large publicly traded casual dining steakhouse chain. Overlaps with City Barbeque in family casual dining segment and group occasion use cases, with much broader scale.
- Cracker Barrel: National casual dining chain with Southern comfort food and breakfast focus. Comparable in family/casual dining and catering but with much broader menu and footprint.
- Arby's / Inspire Brands: Large multi-brand restaurant platform (parent of Arby's, Buffalo Wild Wings, Sonic). Comparable in restaurant scale and catering capabilities as a benchmark for at-scale fast-casual operators.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
City Barbeque social profiles
Digital presenceCity Barbeque financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
City Barbeque leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
City Barbeque funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
City Barbeque M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about City Barbeque
What does City Barbeque do?
City Barbeque operates a fast-casual restaurant chain serving competition-quality, slow-smoked barbecue meats (brisket, pulled pork, ribs, turkey, sausage, chicken) prepared on on-site hickory smokers running 24/7, with housemade sides and signature sauces. The company sells these through dine-in, carry-out, and delivery at 66+ locations across 12 states, complemented by a mobile app, online ordering, full-service event catering, and a loyalty rewards program.
Is City Barbeque a public or private company?
City Barbeque is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was City Barbeque founded?
City Barbeque was founded in 1999. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is City Barbeque based?
City Barbeque is headquartered in Dublin, United States, in the North America region.
How does City Barbeque make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Restaurant Dine-In and Carry-Out Sales are the primary driver. The others are catering Services, online and App Ordering, doorDash Third-Party Delivery and gift Cards and Merchandise.
Who are City Barbeque's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Mission BBQ, Smokey Bones, Famous Dave's, Dickey's Barbecue Pit, Woody's Bar-B-Q and Sonny's BBQ. Broad incumbents are Bonefish Grill, Texas Roadhouse, Cracker Barrel and Arby's / Inspire Brands.
Does City Barbeque have an API?
No public API is recorded for City Barbeque.
What industry is City Barbeque in?
City Barbeque's product category is Fast-Casual Barbecue Restaurants. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFABAH, BBQ & Smokehouse Fast Casual, with a secondary code of AFAKADAH, BBQ Sauce & Marinades Manufacturing. Its NAICS code is 722513 and its SIC code is 5810.