Purdom's Barbecue LLC
Ryan Purdom
Owner
Region: Middle - Bedford County
Method of Sale: E Commerce, Foodservice Restaurant
Additional Information: My story starts as a humble dishwasher at 82 Market and diner in Bell Buckle. Purdom began working at the country diner right out of high school. He continued to work there while he put himself through college and later Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) school. Pur dom's original intention for working at the diner was solely a financial decision. He wanted to create a bit of cash flow for himself. However, when Ryan got a shot at holding the tongs himself, he wound up falling in love with the craft of preparing mouth-watering meals. More specifically, Purdom grew a knack for smoking meats to perfection. After completing school, Purdom went to work full-time in Rutherford County as an EMT. Howev er, he still had a desire to cook. Therefore, his next step towards honing his craft was participating in barbecue competitions. Purdom won all kinds of awards, includ ing a first-place title at Murfreesboro's BBQ Festival. Although Purdom was having a lot of fun competing, it became costly! Between the entry fees and the cost of meat, Purdom shared that he lost about $300 to $500 at each competition. He started cooking in bulk and selling what he made to help pay for the competitions. Orders started coming in so frequently and steadily that Purdom upgraded his setup to a food truck complete with two smoker trailers. Thus, Purdom's BBQ was officially born. Purdom shared that he and his wife Karen's short-term goal for the barbecue business is to find a permanent location for their truck. A long-term dream would be purchasing multiple trucks to create a fleet and opening up a brick-and-mortar location. Ryan expressed, "I don't know if we'll ever get there, but I never knew we'd get to where we are now." Most recently, the couple has been hired to serve their barbecue at many different events including more than 20 weddings this year alone. They are proud of the growth of their business and have no plans to slow down.
Available: Spices Dried Herbs Dry Rubs Seasonings