We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Colin Soper a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Colin , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?
I’m assuming this is where I share my story.
My story is the story of my son, his passing, and what me and my incredibly supportive wife have done since.
I had a small bbq catering company with a friend in its infancy just prior to Bobby being born. Bobby was born in early May 2018, less than two week after he was born we were being sent to the pediatric oncology floor at Johns Hopkins Childrens Center. Bobby spent most of the summer there before passing away in late August 2018 at just under 4 months old.
Shortly thereafter Bobby O’s BBQ was born. It’s BBQ with a purpose. Almost exclusively charity work, community support, 501c(3) fundraising, pediatric oncology research support, etc. etc.
Colin , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Curiosity and organic growth is what originally got me into the industry. Playing with fire, grilling, normal bbq stuff. When we moved to the county I bought a larger 26” grill which was big enough for a pork shoulder or a couple racks or a bunch of wings.
Soon enough I was cooking a big ol pork shoulder for a party and people liked it. So I did it again, and again, and again. Tweaking the rub and process to my liking until the idea sparked to try and sell this stuff on the side.
That was all before Bobby. After Bobby, I had a greater sense of why. That why has carried me through from then to now and beyond.
My goal is to help others. It’s Texas style bbq, catering and pop ups. A percentage of all net sales goes to Johns Hopkins Childrens Center. Successfully raising over $10,000 from bbq alone for pediatric oncology research.
When COVID happened another layer was added and a new added focus was on area hospital staff. I had the mother of another child at Johns Hopkins Childrens Center reach out wanting to know what it would take to feed the staff on 10S (the pediatric oncology floor). Being unfortunately very familiar with 10S with Bobby I told her we’d figure it out. I started a process through social media to “sponsor” a meal and before long enough money was raised to cover the entire cook. It was so successful there was money left over. From there, I moved to Mercy and fed four units, followed by another four units at UMMC and four at St Joe’s in Towson. Bringing in more area bbq joints we were able to rinse and repeat, providing meals to the entire Johns Hopkins Childrens Center staff on Christmas Eve 2021 and another full staff cook for Mercy this past spring. I would say I’m most proud of my work during the pandemic to continue to find ways to help others in those unprecedented times.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
I, along with so many other saw the need to pivot due to the pandemic. I.e. from a catering perspective no one was having parties of any kind. The shift came in the way of doing “a la carte” catered events where people would order from a set menu for quick pick up. We still referred to them as “events” because there was a specific cause behind them. Whether it was raising money for a family with multiple children in the hospital to offset medical bills or raise money for Johns Hopkins Childrens Center.
Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?
I have used a very lean agile approach to growing my business. I purchased my smoker with my own money. I keep my inventory low outside of supplies and only cook what I need which helps keep liabilities for a minimum.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bobbyqonline.com
- Instagram: @bobby_os_bbq
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BobbyOs0502