Moe's Original Bar B Que
Moe's Original Bar B Que is a privately held fast-casual franchise chain serving Alabama-style slow-smoked BBQ across 40+ locations in 14 U.S. states, with dine-in, catering, retail merchandise, and online ordering serving families, corporate event buyers, college students, and tourists.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1988
- HeadquartersVail, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Moe's Original Bar B Que does
Moe's Original Bar B Que is a privately held fast-casual restaurant franchise chain serving Alabama-style BBQ, founded in 1988 by three University of Alabama alumni — Ben Gilbert, Mike Fernandez, and Jeff Kennedy — who learned their fire-roasting technique from Moses Day in Tuscaloosa. The company operates 40+ franchise and company-owned locations across 14 U.S. states (with Alabama accounting for roughly half), plus a corporate headquarters in Eagle, Colorado, and employs 501-1,000 people. The menu centers on slow-smoked pulled pork, chicken, turkey, and St. Louis-style spare ribs complemented by 60+ rotating Southern sides and house-made desserts, with the signature white sauce as the principal differentiator.
The business runs a franchise-led GTM motion with dine-in, takeout, and delivery across direct (ToastTab) and third-party (DoorDash, Uber Eats, Grubhub) digital channels. Revenue is generated through unit-level restaurant sales (transaction-based), full-service and pre-packaged catering for corporate events and weddings, branded retail merchandise (bottled sauces, apparel, accessories) sold via an online store, and physical/digital gift cards processed through CardFoundry. The technology stack is entirely third-party commodity — there is no proprietary platform, no app, and no disclosed AI capability — with ToastTab also powering the loyalty rewards program. Customer segments include families and individual diners (primary), corporate/event catering buyers (primary), college students near university-adjacent locations, and tourists in coastal and mountain destinations.
The company's competitive position rests on brand recognition (Top 10 BBQ Chain by USA Today and The Daily Meal; Top 10 Rib Joint by Relish), an authentic regional BBQ recipe set, and a franchise distribution model that has expanded capital-efficiently into multiple states. No external funding rounds, parent company, or M&A activity were identified in the source data; ownership remains with the founding partners and individual franchise operators.
Moe's Original Bar B Que firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Moe's Original Bar B Que
- Legal name
- Moe's Original BBQ
- Website
- https://moesoriginalbbq.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1988
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Moe's Original Bar B Que is a privately held fast-casual franchise chain serving Alabama-style slow-smoked BBQ across 40+ locations in 14 U.S. states, with dine-in, catering, retail merchandise, and online ordering serving families, corporate event buyers, college students, and tourists.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Moe's Original Bar B Que industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Casual Dining Restaurants
- NAICS
- Limited-Service Restaurants (722513)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- BBQ & Smokehouse Fast Casual (THAFABAH)
Keywords
Where Moe's Original Bar B Que is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Vail
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices49 records
Markets served
Moe's Original Bar B Que business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Restaurant Dining and Takeout: Core revenue from dine-in and takeout meals at restaurant locations, featuring smoked meats, sandwiches, platters, and Southern sides.
- Catering Services: Full-service and pre-packaged catering for events of all sizes, including corporate events, weddings, and private parties.
- Retail Merchandise: Sale of branded merchandise including bottled sauces, apparel (t-shirts, hats, hoodies), accessories (koozies, stickers), and gift cards.
- Gift Cards: Digital and physical gift cards redeemable at any Moe's Original BBQ location.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Retail merchandise pricing - bottled sauces, apparel, and accessories |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Bundle packages for retail merchandise |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Catering services - quote-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Moe's Original Bar B Que product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Moe's Original Bar B Que operates a fast-casual restaurant chain serving Alabama-style slow-smoked barbecue including pulled pork, smoked turkey, smoked chicken, and St. Louis-style spare ribs, paired with Southern sides and desserts. The chain operates through a franchise model with 40+ dine-in restaurant locations across 14 U.S. states, complemented by online ordering, third-party delivery, full-service and pre-packaged catering, and a retail merchandise program for branded sauces, apparel, and gift cards.
Product overview
Moe's Original Bar B Que operates as a fast-casual restaurant chain offering Alabama-style BBQ dining experiences. The core offering centers on slow-smoked meats (pulled pork, chicken, turkey, ribs) and Southern sides prepared fresh daily. The company provides three main service lines: dine-in restaurant services at over 40 locations across multiple states, online ordering through Toast Tab and third-party delivery platforms (DoorDash, Uber Eats, Grubhub), and full-service catering for events. A supplementary retail merchandise operation sells bottled sauces, branded apparel, and gift cards through an online store. The product portfolio is unified under the Moe's Original BBQ brand, with no modular platform architecture—the restaurant services and retail merchandise function as complementary revenue streams sharing the same brand identity and culinary focus.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Dine-In Restaurant Services Fast-casual restaurant dining experience featuring Alabama-style slow-smoked BBQ, Southern sides, and desserts served in a relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere with full bar options at many locations.
- Online Ordering Digital ordering platform enabling customers to place carryout and delivery orders through ToastTab, DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub integrations.
- Catering Services Full-service and pre-packaged catering for events ranging from intimate gatherings to large corporate events, featuring slow-smoked meats, Southern sides, and customizable menu options for corporate events, weddings, and private parties.
- Retail Merchandise Branded merchandise including bottled sauces, apparel (hats, t-shirts, tank tops, hoodies), koozies, stickers, and bundled gift sets available for purchase online.
- Moe's Original BBQ Bottled Red Sauce Signature spiced red BBQ sauce bottled for retail sale, 12 oz size with 18 month shelf life.
- Gift Cards Physical and digital gift cards redeemable at any Moe's location, available for purchase through CardFoundry platform.
- Alabama-Style BBQ Menu Signature Alabama-style slow-smoked BBQ featuring pulled pork, smoked chicken, smoked turkey, St. Louis style spare ribs, and signature white sauce.
Quantifiable outcome
- Award-winning BBQ recognized nationally by major publications
Companies that use Moe's Original Bar B Que
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Moe's Original Bar B Que technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
Moe's Original Bar B Que partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- ToastTabcoreToastTab provides the online ordering platform for Moe's Original BBQ, including dine-in, takeout, catering orders, and loyalty rewards program integration across all locations.
- DoorDashcoreDoorDash provides delivery services for Moe's Original BBQ locations, enabling customers to order food for home delivery through the DoorDash platform.
- Uber EatsminorUber Eats provides food delivery services for select Moe's Original BBQ locations.
- GrubhubminorGrubhub provides food delivery services for select Moe's Original BBQ locations.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves1 record
Expansion highlights6 records
Moe's Original Bar B Que competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Smokey Bones: Casual-dining BBQ chain known for fire-grilled and smoked meats, full bar service, and a family-friendly atmosphere; competes for the same casual BBQ diner as Moe's.
- Sonny's BBQ: Founded in Florida and now a multi-state franchise BBQ chain offering slow-smoked meats and Southern sides in a fast-casual format; highly comparable offering, especially in Moe's Southeast footprint.
- Dickey's Barbecue Pit: One of the largest BBQ franchise chains in the U.S. with hundreds of locations; competes in the same fast-casual BBQ segment as Moe's with a comparable dine-in, takeout, delivery, and catering model.
- Famous Dave's: Public BBQ casual-dining chain with a similar menu focus on slow-smoked meats, sides, and a family-friendly atmosphere — directly comparable category competitor to Moe's.
- Lucille's Smokehouse BBQ: Regional smokehouse BBQ chain with a Southern-food menu, scratch-made sides, and a family-friendly dine-in format closely aligned to the Moe's experience.
Broad incumbents
- Cracker Barrel Old Country Store: Large public casual-dining chain offering Southern comfort food including ribs and smoked items, plus a retail store; overlaps Moe's on Southern cuisine identity, family-friendly dining, and branded merchandise.
- Texas Roadhouse: Large public casual-dining chain specializing in steaks, ribs, and BBQ-adjacent items; not a pure BBQ concept but competes for family dining occasions in overlapping trade areas.
Emerging players
- Billy Sims BBQ: Emerging BBQ franchise concept built around smoked meats and sides, serving as a direct fast-casual BBQ comparable, especially in underpenetrated markets where Moe's could expand.
- Dinosaur Bar-B-Que: Regional BBQ chain with roots in upstate New York known for award-winning smoked meats; comparable smokehouse dining concept with a strong regional following similar to Moe's state-to-state model.
- Mission BBQ: Fast-growing BBQ franchise chain with strong brand identity around American themes; overlaps with Moe's on smoked meats, fast-casual dining, and franchise growth strategy.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Moe's Original Bar B Que social profiles
Digital presenceMoe's Original Bar B Que financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Moe's Original Bar B Que leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Moe's Original Bar B Que funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Moe's Original Bar B Que 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 Moe's Original Bar B Que
What does Moe's Original Bar B Que do?
Moe's Original Bar B Que operates a fast-casual restaurant chain serving Alabama-style slow-smoked barbecue including pulled pork, smoked turkey, smoked chicken, and St. Louis-style spare ribs, paired with Southern sides and desserts. The chain operates through a franchise model with 40+ dine-in restaurant locations across 14 U.S. states, complemented by online ordering, third-party delivery, full-service and pre-packaged catering, and a retail merchandise program for branded sauces, apparel, and gift cards.
Is Moe's Original Bar B Que a public or private company?
Moe's Original Bar B Que is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Moe's Original Bar B Que founded?
Moe's Original Bar B Que was founded in 1988. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Moe's Original Bar B Que based?
Moe's Original Bar B Que is headquartered in Vail, United States, in the North America region.
How does Moe's Original Bar B Que make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Restaurant Dining and Takeout is the primary driver. The others are catering Services, retail Merchandise and gift Cards.
Who are Moe's Original Bar B Que's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Smokey Bones, Sonny's BBQ, Dickey's Barbecue Pit, Famous Dave's and Lucille's Smokehouse BBQ. Broad incumbents are Cracker Barrel Old Country Store and Texas Roadhouse. Emerging players are Billy Sims BBQ, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que and Mission BBQ.
Does Moe's Original Bar B Que have an API?
No public API is recorded for Moe's Original Bar B Que.
What industry is Moe's Original Bar B Que in?
Moe's Original Bar B Que's product category is Casual Dining Restaurants. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFABAH, BBQ & Smokehouse Fast Casual. Its NAICS code is 722513 and its SIC code is 5810.