Struggling BBQ spot makes plea for more patronage with lease decision looming

Amid rising food costs, a Columbus-area barbeque eatery is asking its community for help to stay afloat.

On Sunday, SmokeOut BBQ owner Derek Johnson took to social media to share that his restaurant is struggling, and implored patrons to stop by the eatery in the coming weeks.

“Opening a business comes with risk, both personally and financially. I’ve missed kids’ events, left them at the sitters, and not been there as a Dad to try and make this restaurant work, but every week for several months, we just seem to lose money,” the statement reads.

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Johnson told 614Now that some of the eatery’s issues stem from rising protein costs, particularly with brisket.

“When prices are going through the roof like they are, it makes it hard to run a barbeque restaurant,” he said. “In a six week time span, it went from $3.80 per pound to $5.30 a pound, and we do 500-700 pounds every week. I had to revamp the menu and add a dollar to all those items, but that doesn’t exactly recoup the costs.”

Johnson, who opened SmokeOut’s first brick and mortar home in 2022 (after it began as a food truck in 2019), said his lease is up for renewal in eight months, and he currently feels the weight of that decision “hanging over [his] head.”

The local restaurant owner believes the current problem goes beyond just his Pickerington eatery, and is an issue across the industry.

“So many of us are struggling to keep up with rising costs and less business as folks tighten their wallets,” SmokeOut’s post reads. “Every day we get newsletters about more businesses closing. People who just wanted to make their dream into reality. If you can afford to come spend some of your hard earned money with us, please do. We would love to see you.”

SmokeOut BBQ is located at 1850 Winderly Ln.

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