Jack Cawthon's Bar B Que INC.

What Jack Cawthon's Bar B Que INC. does

Jack Cawthon's Bar B Que Inc. (D/B/A Jack's Bar-B-Que) is a privately held, family-owned barbecue company founded in Nashville in 1976 as Cawthon's Caterer, Inc. and transitioned to a restaurant concept in 1991. The company operates two remaining full-service, cafeteria-style barbecue restaurants in Nashville — Trinity Lane (opened 1992, near I-65) and Charlotte Avenue (opened 2013, at the foot of Capitol Hill with a drive-thru) — following the August 4, 2025 closure and sale of its Lower Broadway flagship to Roberts Western World. Its core offering is hickory-smoked meats (pork shoulder, beef brisket, turkey, ribs, smoked sausage, smoked chicken) with traditional Southern sides, served via dine-in, carry-out, bulk and catering channels.

The company runs a multi-channel monetization stack: (i) in-store and drive-thru sales at both restaurants; (ii) a proprietary iOS/Android mobile ordering app backed by Toast Tab and Smart Online Order, plus online ordering via jacksbarbque.com; (iii) third-party delivery partnerships with Uber Eats, DoorDash and Grubhub; (iv) full-service corporate and private catering under Cawthon's Caterer across Middle Tennessee; and (v) a direct-to-consumer e-commerce store (store.jacksbarbque.com) selling a nationally award-winning line of sauces and rubs (Texas Sweet Hot, Original Vinegar, Carolina Style, Kansas City Style, Music City White), apparel, hats, stickers and gift cards, shipped domestically and internationally via FedEx. Customer segments are predominantly individual diners and families, with a secondary catering segment for corporate events and a merchandise segment for out-of-market fans.

Operationally, the company maintains a small team (11-50 employees), a CFO-led finance function, a VP of Operations and a Catering Manager, and a stated policy of promoting from within. Following the Broadway divestiture, management is concentrating capital on the two surviving locations, catering, and the packaged goods and digital channels that extend the Jack's brand beyond its brick-and-mortar footprint.

Name

Jack Cawthon's Bar B Que INC.

Legal name

Jack Cawthon's Bar-B-Que Inc.

Website

https://jacksbarbque.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Jack Cawthon's Bar B Que Inc. operates two Nashville barbecue restaurants (Trinity Lane and Charlotte Avenue) plus catering, e-commerce sauces and rubs, and mobile ordering for individual diners, families and corporate catering clients across Middle Tennessee.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Barbecue Restaurants

NAICS

Limited-Service Restaurants (722513), Cafeterias, Grill Buffets, and Buffets (722514), Caterers (722320), Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812), Sausages & Other Prepared Meat Products (2013)

akta.pro primary industry

BBQ & Smokehouse Fast Casual (THAFABAH)

Keywords

• Bbq restaurant
• Hickory smoked meats
• Catering services
• Barbecue sauces
• Holiday meal packages

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Restaurant Dine-In and Carry-Out: Direct restaurant sales from two Nashville locations - Trinity Lane and Charlotte Ave. Customers order at cafeteria-style line, first come first served. Also accepts bulk orders for take-home meals.
2. Catering Services: Full-service catering for events across Middle Tennessee since 1976. Events range from intimate gatherings to large corporate functions. Catering managed by Cawthon's Caterer, Inc.
3. Merchandise and Sauces: E-commerce sales of sauces, rubs, apparel, hats, and merchandise through Jack's Store (store.jacksbarbque.com). Also ships products nationwide via FedEx.
4. Third-Party Delivery: Partnership with Uber Eats, DoorDash, and Grubhub for delivery services to customers ordering from their platforms.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Jack Cawthon's Bar-B-Que operates two Nashville barbecue restaurants (Trinity Lane and Charlotte Ave) offering hickory-smoked meats (pork shoulder, brisket, turkey, ribs, smoked sausage, smoked chicken) with traditional Southern sides in cafeteria-style dine-in and carry-out. The company also runs Cawthon's Caterer Inc. for event catering, an e-commerce store selling award-winning sauces, rubs, apparel, and branded merchandise, and a mobile app for online ordering.

Product overview

Jack Cawthon's Bar-B-Que is a barbecue restaurant chain operating two remaining locations in Nashville, TN (Charlotte Ave and Trinity Lane) plus catering services. The company offers two primary business lines: (1) restaurant dining and carry-out services featuring hickory-smoked meats (pork, brisket, turkey, ribs, sausage, chicken) with traditional sides, and (2) Cawthon's Caterer Inc. for event catering. Retail products include award-winning barbecue sauces and rubs (Jack's Original Vinegar, Texas Sweet Hot, Carolina Style, Kansas City Style, and Music City White sauces), plus branded merchandise (apparel, hats, stickers) sold through the Jack's Store. The company also offers seasonal holiday meal packages (July 4th, Easter) and a mobile ordering app.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Jack's Bar-B-Que Restaurant Services
• Cawthon's Caterer Inc. Catering Services
• Jack's Barbecue Sauces & Rubs
• Jack's Merchandise Store
• July 4th Holiday Packages
• Easter Holiday Meals

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Roberts Western WorldcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFriendly sale of Broadway building to Roberts Western World in 2025. Jack's will be available for their special events, and a collaboration featuring a Jack's brisket sandwich will be added to the Honkey Tonk Grill. The iconic flying pigs neon sign will be removed and refurbished.
• Uber EatscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party food delivery partnership allowing customers to order Jack's Bar-B-Que for delivery through the Uber Eats platform.
• DoorDashcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party food delivery partnership enabling delivery services for Jack's Bar-B-Que menu items.
• GrubhubcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party food delivery partnership for restaurant delivery services.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Mission BBQ: Fast-growing national BBQ chain founded in 2011 with 100+ locations across the eastern and central U.S. Comparable to Jack's on barbecue category and casual service model, but operates at much larger scale with corporate backing.

Broad incumbents

• Famous Dave's: Public BBQ restaurant chain (DAVE) with dine-in, catering, and a nationally distributed sauce and rub CPG line. Comparable to Jack's on the integrated restaurant-plus-condiment model and multi-revenue-stream approach.
• Dickey's Barbecue Pit: Large BBQ franchise chain founded in 1941 with 500+ locations nationwide, plus catering and retail products. Comparable to Jack's on BBQ category, family-operated heritage, and franchise-driven growth model.
• Sonny's BBQ: One of the largest BBQ franchise chains in the U.S. with locations across the Southeast and Midwest, plus a retail sauce line. Comparable to Jack's on BBQ menu, sauce CPG, and franchise growth model, though serving a broader geography.

Regional players

• Colonel's BBQ and Catering: Independent Nashville-area BBQ competitor offering dine-in, takeout, and catering. Comparable to Jack's on BBQ category, Middle Tennessee footprint, and catering-led operating model.
• Gates Bar-B-Q: Iconic Kansas City BBQ institution founded in 1946, famous for its brick-and-mortar locations and signature sauce line. Comparable to Jack's on heritage BBQ brand, multi-generational family business, and integrated sauce CPG.
• Whitt's Barbecue: Tennessee-based BBQ chain with locations across Middle Tennessee and surrounding states, founded in 1978. Comparable to Jack's on category, Tennessee heritage, and regional restaurant footprint.

Direct peers

• Martin's Bar-B-Que Joint: Direct Nashville BBQ competitor founded in 2006 by Pat Martin, operating multiple Nashville-area locations with whole-hog barbecue, catering, and a strong regional brand. Compares to Jack's on category, customer base, and Middle Tennessee footprint.
• Edley's Bar-B-Que: Nashville-based BBQ restaurant group with multiple locations across Middle Tennessee, offering dine-in, catering, and a small retail line. Closely comparable to Jack's on category, segment, and geographic focus.
• Peg Leg Porker: Chef-driven Nashville BBQ restaurant with a strong wine and craft beverage program, plus a dry rub retail line. Comparable to Jack's on BBQ category, Nashville footprint, and integrated restaurant-plus-retail model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/jacksbarbque
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jacksbarbque

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

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 Jack Cawthon's Bar B Que INC.