Bubba Que BBQ

What Bubba Que BBQ does

BubbaQue's BBQ is a privately held, regional Southern-style barbecue restaurant chain founded in 2008 in Levy County, Florida, with corporate headquarters in Brandon, Florida. The company operates approximately ten dine-in locations across Florida (with additional 'Coming Soon' sites in New Port Richey, FL and DeRidder, LA), serving pit-smoked pork, beef, and chicken prepared from family recipes that trace back to the 1950s gatherings of Ethel and Jed. The technology stack is intentionally low-tech: traditional pit smoking methods underpin the core product, and operations are supported by a third-party online ordering platform (AlohaOrderOnline), email marketing, and a basic customer rewards program.

Revenue is generated through a hybrid model combining direct restaurant sales (dine-in, online ordering, catering, and a branded merchandise shop) with a recently formalized franchise channel. Franchisees pay a $25,000 initial fee, 5% royalties on sales, and 2% advertising fees, with an estimated total initial investment of $151,250 to $277,500 per unit and a minimum liquid capital requirement of $70,000. Multi-unit development agreements allow franchisees to lock in additional territories with 50% of the total franchise fee due at signing. Customer segments span individual consumers and families, catering customers (corporate events, weddings, community gatherings), fundraising organizations (schools, sports teams), and 501(c)(3) nonprofits receiving in-kind donations.

The go-to-market relies on organic social media (Facebook, Instagram), email newsletter sign-ups, a loyalty/rewards program, and community engagement through fundraising events. The corporate organization is lean at approximately nine employees, consistent with a small franchisor that has not yet raised institutional capital or pursued acquisitions.

Name

Bubba Que BBQ

Legal name

BubbaQue's BBQ

Website

https://bubbaquesbbq.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

BubbaQue's BBQ is a privately held Florida-based regional barbecue restaurant chain operating about 10 locations across Florida (with Louisiana expansion underway), serving traditional pit-smoked pork, beef, and chicken to consumers, catering clients, and fundraising organizations via dine-in, online ordering, catering, and a developing franchise system.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Casual Dining Restaurants

SIC

Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

BBQ & Smokehouse Fast Casual (THAFABAH)

Keywords

• Southern BBQ restaurant
• Smoked meats catering
• BBQ franchise operations
• Casual dining chain
• Pit grilled barbecue

Headquarters

HQ city

Brandon

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Restaurant Dining: Revenue from customers dining in at BubbaQue's restaurant locations across Florida and Louisiana
2. Online Ordering: Revenue from online food orders placed through their AlohaOrderOnline platform
3. Catering Services: Revenue from catering events and large group orders
4. Retail Merchandise: Revenue from branded merchandise sold through their shop
5. Franchise Fees: Initial franchise fee of $25,000 plus royalties of 5% of sales from franchisees
6. Franchise Royalty and Advertising: Ongoing royalty fees (5% of sales) and advertising fees (2% of sales split between local and national efforts) from franchisees

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

BubbaQue's BBQ is a Southern-style barbecue restaurant chain founded in 2008 in Levy County, Florida, operating multiple dine-in restaurants that serve slow-smoked meats prepared using traditional pit-grilling methods. The chain extends beyond dine-in to offer catering services, online ordering, branded merchandise, a customer rewards program, fundraising packages, and franchise opportunities, monetizing both consumers and franchisees.

Product overview

BubbaQue's BBQ operates as a restaurant chain offering dine-in and catering services across multiple Florida and Louisiana locations. The core product is traditional Southern barbecue (smoked pork, beef, and chicken) served fresh daily. The business model includes a rewards/loyalty program, online ordering through a third-party platform, merchandise sales, and fundraising programs. The company also offers franchise opportunities for multi-unit development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Famous Dave's: National BBQ restaurant brand with dine-in, catering, and a franchised/licensed footprint; directly comparable to BubbaQue's on core product (smoked BBQ), dining format, and catering revenue stream.
• Sonny's BBQ: Florida-headquartered Southern BBQ chain with dine-in, catering, and franchising across the Southeast; directly comparable to BubbaQue's by category (BBQ), geography (Florida concentration), and business model (dine-in + franchise).
• Smokey Bones: Casual-dining BBQ-focused chain offering smoked ribs, brisket, and chicken alongside full bar service; comparable to BubbaQue's on BBQ-centric menu and dine-in restaurant model.
• Mission BBQ: Fast-growing American-themed BBQ chain with dine-in and catering; comparable to BubbaQue's in menu (smoked meats, Southern sides), franchise expansion model, and customer demographic.
• Dickey's Barbecue Pit: Largest BBQ franchise system in the U.S., with nationwide dine-in, catering, and franchise operations; directly comparable to BubbaQue's on BBQ category, franchise-led growth model, and catering revenue focus.
• Dinosaur BBQ: Regional BBQ restaurant group with strong heritage/brand and dine-in plus catering; comparable to BubbaQue's on authentic pit-smoking positioning, regional footprint, and catering business.
• Shane's Rib Shack: Petite national BBQ franchise chain with dine-in, catering, and franchise growth; closely comparable to BubbaQue's in category (BBQ), scale (regional-to-nationally franchising), and target customer (families, catering events).
• Woody's Bar-B-Q: Family-rooted Southern BBQ franchise offering dine-in, catering, and franchising; comparable to BubbaQue's on heritage narrative, BBQ specialty, and franchise expansion model.
• Porky's BBQ: Regional Southern-style BBQ chain offering dine-in and catering; comparable to BubbaQue's on menu style, Southern positioning, and mixed dine-in/catering revenue mix.

Broad incumbents

• Moe's Southwest Grill: Large fast-casual franchise system under a major QSR parent; comparable to BubbaQue's as a franchise-led fast-casual restaurant concept, though operating in a different cuisine category (Mexican).

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BubbaQues
• Instagraminstagram.com/bubbaquesbbq
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bubba-que-bbq

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bubba Que BBQ