“This place is a slam dunk”
A black sign towers 30 feet high over the SoDo landscape. In white lettering, it boldly reads “Jack’s BBQ,” marking the establishment underneath as what founder/head chef/marketer and Microsoft alumnus Jack Timmons proclaims is going to be “a slam dunk.”
Armed with knowledge from Texas A&M’s Barbecue Summer Camp and an industrial Houston-made smoker that cooks 2,000 servings, he says he is ready to bring the distinctive flavor of central Texas brisket to the city of Seattle. His beliefs are founded on more than just smoke, however; over the past several months, he has been hosting “BBQ Raves” that utilize social media to give followers access to exclusive registration. His marketing techniques went viral.
“The first rave took a few weeks to sell all 150 spots,” he said. “The next one took a few days. This last one we had took 19 minutes. I was just blown away.”
Opening week
Jack’s BBQ recently opened first to members of the Seattle Brisket Experience then later to the general public. But even before the big reveal, Jack’s BBQ already had orders for catering.
The process involved commitment in the form of blood, sweat, and tears; quite a bit of blood, as an accident while renovating put Jack in the hospital just weeks before opening day.
But still, Jack points to his time at Microsoft as a major factor in both spreading awareness and understanding the necessary work to put the restaurant on the map. He cited his marketing role as critical to gaining experience telling a compelling story, and his time starting the now defunct Microsoft HOHM program as key in learning how to set goals.
“When you’re at Microsoft, obstacles never stop you. You learn to go over or around them, you’re always working towards your goal. You just got to push rocks uphill and eventually you get to that goal. Microsoft, if nothing else, made me tough,” he said.
Big flavor, big names
Word about Jack’s BBQ has been spreading thanks to some very high profile endorsements. Daniel Vaughn, now the Barbecue Editor for Texas Monthly and author of The Prophets of Smoked Meat (in case it wasn’t clear by now, the Texans take their barbecue VERY seriously), is a public supporter. Tom Douglas, owner of Serious Pie, Dahlia Lounge, and other popular Seattle restaurants, is a primary investor. Even Seattle native rapper Sir Mix-A-Lot tweeted: “that BBQ was the best I’ve ever had.” It turns out he likes big briskets, and he cannot lie.
As Jack perfects his cooking craft, he is constantly thinking of ways he can improve his business. He said the raves came about because he didn’t like the food truck model that a fair number of novelty foods invariably start with.
“Serving food through a hole, and then having the customers eat it in the rain—that just didn’t appeal to me. I wanted something more personal,” he said. “That’s why connecting with fans over social media and making them feel like they’re invited, that they’re wanted, seemed to make so much more sense to me.”
The future of the Seattle brisket scene
With 6,000 square feet of total space, including a VIP room and a stage, Jack is focused on creating an ambiance that is rivaled only by the flavor of his meat. He doesn’t want to stop at just a restaurant either. Currently, he is having another smoker built to travel with for catering purposes. According to Jack, brisket is the perfect food because it is scalable, keeps well, and—most importantly—is delicious.
“Central Texas style barbecue is all about getting the wood flavor into the meat. If it’s done right, it’s best without sauce. I can smoke 500 pounds at a time, and I can bring it anywhere,” he said. “People are starting to notice, too. They hear, they eat, they tweet; I just started getting famous and I wasn’t even trying.”
The restaurant’s location in Seattle’s SoDo district is out of necessity. Because the smoking process burns (a lot) of wood over a period of anywhere between 12 and 18 hours, he couldn’t have it in a residential area.
However, he said the space turned out to be a blessing. Its proximity to both Safeco and CenturyLink Fields makes it a prime space to park and shuttle to and from games.
Furthermore, as a largely industrial region, SoDo lacks eateries. Jack smiled when he thought of all the variety of patrons Jack’s BBQ was set to serve.
“We have the day workers who will want lunch, the families who will make it a destination, and the 350 pound Seahawk linemen who can just eat and eat,” he said. “Plain and simple, everyone likes barbecue.”