Operation BBQ Relief
Operation BBQ Relief is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that deploys volunteer pitmasters to disaster zones across 43+ U.S. states and select international locations to serve hot meals to survivors, first responders, and relief workers, supported by corporate sponsorships and year-round military and first responder programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersPeculiar, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Operation BBQ Relief does
Operation BBQ Relief (legal entity: Operation BBQ Relief, Inc.) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit disaster relief organization founded in 2011 in response to the EF5 Joplin, Missouri tornado. Headquartered in Peculiar, Missouri, the organization deploys trained volunteer pitmasters to disaster zones across 43 U.S. states and territories plus select international locations (e.g., Hawaii, Jamaica), providing hot meals to disaster survivors, first responders, and relief workers. Since founding it has served more than 13 million meals across 4,889 cumulative deployment days, including notable engagements such as 120,000 meals in 13 days during the original Joplin response and 865,000 meals in 38 days during Hurricane Ian relief in Port Charlotte, Florida.
The organization's core technology stack consists of the OBR Volunteers mobile application (available on iOS and Android) for registration, scheduling, and deployment coordination, paired with an SMS notification service for outreach and a web-based volunteer portal with third-party SSO (Facebook, Google, Apple, Microsoft, LinkedIn), payment processing, and background check integrations. Programs span Disaster Response (the core mission), Camp OBR (a retreat facility at Lake of the Ozarks for military, veterans, first responders, and families of fallen heroes, launched 2022), The Always Serving Project (a registered trademark year-round community-service initiative), Operation Restaurant Relief, and Disaster Preparedness training.
Operation BBQ Relief operates on a contribution-based revenue model funded entirely through individual donations, corporate sponsorships (Walmart is the flagship-tier partner, alongside Farmers Insurance, Blue Rhino, Ferrellgas, Prairie Fresh, National Beef, ThermoWorks, Carhartt, Lowe's, Yeti, Butterball, and Old Hickory Pits), employer matching gift programs, and fundraising events. All services are delivered free of charge to beneficiaries. Co-founders Stan Hays (CEO) and Will Cleaver lead a small paid staff of 11-50 alongside a large volunteer base, with strategic coordination through National VOAD and state VOAD networks.
Operation BBQ Relief firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Operation BBQ Relief
- Legal name
- Operation BBQ Relief, Inc.
- Website
- https://operationbbqrelief.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Operation BBQ Relief is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that deploys volunteer pitmasters to disaster zones across 43+ U.S. states and select international locations to serve hot meals to survivors, first responders, and relief workers, supported by corporate sponsorships and year-round military and first responder programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Operation BBQ Relief industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Disaster Relief Services
- NAICS
- Community Food Services (62421), Emergency and Other Relief Services (62423)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Food Assistance & Nutrition Relief (Emergency Feeding) (BPAGAAAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Disaster Recovery, Reconstruction & Resilience Programs (BPAGAAAK), Emergency Food Security & Nutrition in Humanitarian Crises (BPADAJAI)
Keywords
Where Operation BBQ Relief is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Peculiar
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Operation BBQ Relief business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: Tax-deductible charitable donations from individuals through the organization's website and donation portal.
- Corporate Sponsorships: Sponsorships and donations from corporate partners including Walmart, Farmers Insurance, Blue Rhino, Ferrellgas, Prairie Fresh, National Beef, Sunbelt, Thermoworks, Carhartt, Lowe's, Yeti, Butterball, and Old Hickory Pits. Includes both monetary contributions and in-kind product donations.
- Employer Matching Gifts: Corporate employee matching gift programs where employers match charitable donations made by their employees.
- Fundraising Events: Various fundraising initiatives including hosted fundraisers and community fundraising events.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Operation BBQ Relief product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Operation BBQ Relief deploys volunteer teams and mobile kitchen equipment to disaster sites across the United States to cook and distribute hot meals to communities impacted by hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, wildfires, and other natural disasters. Beyond emergency response, the organization runs year-round programs including Camp OBR retreats for military members, veterans, and first responders; The Always Serving Project for ongoing community service; Operation Restaurant Relief supporting food service workers in disasters; and Disaster Preparedness training.
Product overview
Operation BBQ Relief (OBR) is a nonprofit disaster relief organization that provides hot meals and hope to communities impacted by natural disasters. The organization operates a unified service model centered on its Disaster Response program, supported by complementary initiatives including Camp OBR (a retreat serving military and first responders), The Always Serving Project (year-round community service), Operation Restaurant Relief, and Disaster Preparedness training. OBR also offers digital tools including the OBR Volunteers mobile app (iOS/Android), a volunteer web portal for registration and deployment coordination, and an SMS-based text message service for volunteer communications. The organization has served over 13 million meals across 43 states and territories since its founding in 2011.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- The Always Serving Project: Program that serves military service members, veterans, first responders, and their families year-round through Days of Giving feedings
- Camp OBR
- Operation Restaurant Relief
- The One Hot Meal That Matters
Products and services
- Disaster Response Core mission program that deploys volunteer teams and mobile kitchen equipment to provide hot meals and comfort to communities impacted by hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, wildfires, and other natural disasters, free of charge to victims, first responders, and relief workers.
- Camp OBR Retreat facility at Lake of the Ozarks providing healing experiences, outdoor activities, and BBQ-themed gatherings for military service members, veterans, first responders, families of fallen heroes, and their loved ones.
- The Always Serving Project Year-round initiative empowering volunteers to serve military members, veterans, first responders, and their families through regular Days of Giving feeding events and community service activities.
- Operation Restaurant Relief Program supporting restaurant workers and food service businesses affected by natural disasters through feeding assistance and recovery support.
- Disaster Preparedness Training and preparedness program that prepares volunteers and partner communities for disaster response operations and readiness.
Quantifiable outcome
- Served 13,066,446+ meals since 2011
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Operation BBQ Relief
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Operation BBQ Relief technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration7 records
Feature3 records
Operation BBQ Relief partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
22 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and supporting.
- WalmartflagshipMajor corporate sponsor and disaster relief partner. Walmart provides financial support, in-kind donations, and coordinates disaster recovery units including mobile laundry, showers, hot meals, and charging stations. Walmart, Sam's Club, and the Walmart Foundation commit essential supplies during deployments.
- Farmers InsurancecoreCorporate sponsor providing financial support and community engagement through volunteer activities.
- Blue RhinocoreCorporate sponsor providing propane products essential for mobile cooking operations during deployments.
- FerrellgascoreCorporate sponsor providing propane fuel for cooking equipment during disaster relief operations.
- Prairie FreshcoreCorporate sponsor providing pork products for meal preparation. Featured in recipes and cooking demonstrations.
- National BeefcoreCorporate sponsor providing beef products for disaster relief meal operations.
- SunbeltsupportingCorporate sponsor supporting disaster relief operations.
- ThermoWorkscoreCorporate sponsor providing temperature measurement and monitoring equipment for food safety.
- CarharttcoreCorporate sponsor providing workwear and apparel for volunteers deployed to disaster areas.
- Lowe'scoreCorporate sponsor providing home improvement products and supplies for disaster relief operations.
- YeticoreCorporate sponsor providing coolers and storage equipment for food preservation during deployments.
- ButterballcoreCorporate sponsor providing turkey products for meal preparation.
- Old Hickory PitscoreCorporate sponsor providing professional-grade cooking equipment and smokers for deployments.
- Matthew 25: MinistriessupportingHumanitarian organization partnering with Walmart and Operation BBQ Relief for disaster recovery operations, such as the Oxford, Mississippi winter storm response.
- Procter & GamblesupportingCorporate partner providing personal care and cleaning products during disaster relief operations.
- AmazonsupportingAmazon is providing rapid response technology systems to nonprofit disaster relief partners including Operation BBQ Relief. The systems restore power, connectivity, or clean water in minutes using configurations including satellite-powered Wi-Fi, solar microgrids, and water purification.
- Churches of Scientology Disaster ResponsesupportingFaith-based disaster response organization that partnered with Operation BBQ Relief during Southern California wildfires deployment. Provided volunteers through National VOAD connection.
- National VOAD (National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster)coreNational organization connecting voluntary agencies active in disaster relief. Operation BBQ Relief serves as a member organization, coordinating with other disaster response groups.
- State VOADscoreState-level Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster chapters. Operation BBQ Relief volunteers serve as state leads and area coordinators working with local VOAD networks in Ohio, Indiana, and other states.
- Kansas City Barbeque SocietysupportingBarbecue competition organization whose members frequently volunteer with Operation BBQ Relief. Many volunteers discovered OBR through KCBS competitions.
- Sugar Beach Events CentersupportingLocal venue in Maui that served as base of operations for Operation BBQ Relief wildfire response, providing cooking facilities during the deployment.
- Fat Daddy's SmokehousesupportingRestaurant in Kihei, Hawaii owned by Chris Schobel that was used as cooking facility during Maui wildfire response. Chris shut down his restaurant to allow OBR to use facilities.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Operation BBQ Relief competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- American Red Cross: The American Red Cross is the largest U.S. disaster relief organization, providing shelter, food, and recovery services during emergencies. While OBR focuses narrowly on hot meals, the Red Cross is the dominant incumbent in the broader disaster response space OBR operates in.
- Samaritan's Purse: Samaritan's Purse operates disaster relief programs including mobile feeding and home rebuilding in the U.S. and internationally. It is comparable to OBR as a faith-based disaster response organization with substantial volunteer mobilization.
- Feeding America: Feeding America is the largest U.S. hunger-relief nonprofit, operating a national network of food banks. While primarily focused on chronic food insecurity rather than acute disaster response, it is comparable as a large-scale food distribution nonprofit serving vulnerable populations.
- Salvation Army: The Salvation Army operates one of the longest-running disaster feeding programs in the U.S., providing mobile canteens and hot meals during emergencies. It competes with OBR for agency partnerships and is a broad incumbent in disaster food services.
Direct peers
- All Hands and Hearts: All Hands and Hearts is a nonprofit that responds to natural disasters by providing immediate relief and long-term recovery support. It shares OBR's volunteer-driven model and U.S. disaster response footprint, though focused more on rebuilding than feeding.
- World Central Kitchen: Founded by chef José Andrés, World Central Kitchen is a nonprofit that provides meals in the wake of natural and humanitarian disasters. It is the closest direct competitor to Operation BBQ Relief, deploying professional cooking teams and volunteers to disaster zones worldwide with a similar "hot meal" model.
- Mercy Chefs: Mercy Chefs is a disaster relief nonprofit that deploys professional chefs and volunteers to serve hot meals to victims of hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and other disasters across the U.S. It mirrors Operation BBQ Relief's mobile-feeding, volunteer-driven model and is similarly faith-inspired.
- Convoy of Hope: Convoy of Hope is a nonprofit that responds to natural disasters and food insecurity in the U.S. and internationally, distributing meals and disaster relief supplies. It is a direct peer to OBR given its volunteer-driven disaster feeding mission and faith-based operations.
Emerging players
- Team Rubicon: Team Rubicon is a veteran-led disaster response nonprofit that organizes volunteer teams for emergency operations in the U.S. It overlaps with OBR on the veteran-mission axis (Camp OBR) and the disaster mobilization model, though it is more operations-focused than meal-focused.
- Matthew 25: Ministries: Matthew 25: Ministries is a faith-based humanitarian aid organization partnering with Walmart and OBR on disaster recovery. It is comparable as a disaster relief partner operating alongside OBR in coordinated response deployments.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Operation BBQ Relief social profiles
Digital presenceOperation BBQ Relief compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Operation BBQ Relief financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Operation BBQ Relief leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Operation BBQ Relief funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Operation BBQ Relief 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 Operation BBQ Relief
What does Operation BBQ Relief do?
Operation BBQ Relief deploys volunteer teams and mobile kitchen equipment to disaster sites across the United States to cook and distribute hot meals to communities impacted by hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, wildfires, and other natural disasters. Beyond emergency response, the organization runs year-round programs including Camp OBR retreats for military members, veterans, and first responders; The Always Serving Project for ongoing community service; Operation Restaurant Relief supporting food service workers in disasters; and Disaster Preparedness training.
Is Operation BBQ Relief a public or private company?
Operation BBQ Relief is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Operation BBQ Relief founded?
Operation BBQ Relief was founded in 2011. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Operation BBQ Relief based?
Operation BBQ Relief is headquartered in Peculiar, United States, in the North America region.
How does Operation BBQ Relief make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are corporate Sponsorships, employer Matching Gifts and fundraising Events.
Who are Operation BBQ Relief's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are American Red Cross, Samaritan's Purse, Feeding America and Salvation Army. Direct peers are All Hands and Hearts, World Central Kitchen, Mercy Chefs and Convoy of Hope. Emerging players are Team Rubicon and Matthew 25: Ministries.
Does Operation BBQ Relief have an API?
No public API is recorded for Operation BBQ Relief.
What industry is Operation BBQ Relief in?
Operation BBQ Relief's product category is Disaster Relief Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAAAD, Food Assistance & Nutrition Relief (Emergency Feeding), with a secondary code of BPAGAAAK, Disaster Recovery, Reconstruction & Resilience Programs. Its NAICS code is 62421.