Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Langston Majette. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Langston, thanks for joining us today. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea
Having been a fan of preparing food for my family from the comforts of my backyard, I’d always proudly share pictures of my barbecued fare on social media. The responses I’d receive often included various comments along the lines of “when can I get a plate?”…”got any leftovers?’…”how much for a slab of ribs?”. With this response repeatedly happening, I began to realize that I might just have something special to look into. And I did just that. I started out small, from the comforts of my backyard. I distinctly remember that first Saturday where I finally got the wheels turning. I said “ok…who really wants some ribs?” With no advanced planning or preparation, I sold 8 slabs of ribs…which was a lot to me at the time. That first feeling of success was intoxicating. Weekend after weekend, I began selling and offering more and more smoked meats. The signs of opportunity were staring me in the face during the height of the pandemic. It was time to start “JetSet BBQ”.
I spent countless hours researching various rules and regulations, as I was new to the food service industry. Food Service Manager certification…local health department regulations…procuring space in a licensed food service facility. This all seemed daunting, but with time time and patience, JetSet BBQ was established in Spring of 2021. The business immediately began to gain more momentum. Weekend after weekend, I’d serve up bbq platters featuring some of my most popular items such as beef brisket, smoked spare ribs, and whole chickens. Eventually I established an online ordering system on my website to help keep track. As 2021 progressed, I began receiving inquiries for catering. My small scale operation was cranking out batches of bbq by the pan for my customers to enjoy at their functions. Heading into the holiday season of 2021, I remember thinking to myself “wow…this is cool. But its gotta be bigger than this. What’s my next step here? Is THIS what I want the business to be? How can I take this to the next level?” Back to the drawing board I went.
2021 showed me that I needed to increase capacity, efficiency, and mobility. To fulfill these objectives, I invested in a custom-built smoker/trailer. After a month or so for my new equipment to be built, I drove to Georgia to pick it up and begin the next chapter of JetSet BBQ. My new trailer allowed me to quadruple my cooking capacity AND provide mobile services. This investment was a game changer for JetSet BBQ. I was now able to offer “pitmaster services”…where I show up and handle all of the grilling/smoking/bbq’ing for customer’s events. By mid-May of 2022, my weekends for the entire summer were booked! This was so crazy to me! I was also blessed with an opportunity for “residency” at a local high school on Saturdays to serve my bbq at the Southern Maryland Youth Flag Football games. This opportunity provided exposure, and the ability to perfect my operation when serving large crowds. In the wake of this, I have successfully catered private events for 150+ people, and public festivals with THOUSANDS in attendance.
A lot of sleepless nights have been spent researching and planning to ensure this business continues to successfully operate. The logistics of running this business has been no small task. Cooking good food is literally the easiest part. There are so many behind-the-scenes processes and decisions that I have to take into consideration…in addition to my full-time career of 19 years. Despite serving up my bbq on a part-time basis, I quickly realized that in order to be successful, it’s a full time commitment.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I really delved into this business out of a love for grilling food! My family & I lived in a condo for over a decade. With that, there were numerous rules and regulations for where we lived…one of which was “no outdoor food preparation or cooking”. I didn’t realize how big of a deal this was for me until I started to get older. Whenever we went to someone’s house for a function, I was always happy when asked to cook on the grill. In 2020, we purchased our home which came with a nice backyard. The previous owners also left a grill behind!! I swear I was out there grilling every day that summer! Within months, I purchased my first smoker. That’s all it took!
Digging even deeper, I guess you can say my liking for bbq traces back to visiting my grandparents in Halifax, NC. We’d spend the summers down there and their friends would often host “whole hog” bbqs for the 4th of July. I liked ALL foods but something about an NC chopped bbq sandwich was just special. However, my true LOVE and appreciation for the craft of bbq really kicked in when my professional career began involving travelling to the central region of the US. To be specific…Kansas City (KS & MO), Oklahoma City, OK, and Fort Worth, TX. Beef barbecue absolutely blew my mind. In my backyard, my goal was to recreate those culinary experiences.
The value that my business provides is the ability to provide sensational craft bbq to those who may not have the time or expertise to do it themselves. Beef brisket, one of my specialties, is a FULL commitment. From meat selection, meat prep, specific seasoning techniques, and a laborious cooking process to include maintaining a fire for the low & slow cooking process. It is a lot! I’ve spent countless hours perfecting my process for my smoked meats (and my family has spent countless hours taste testing lol). My ability and experience in doing this is where the value kicks in. My attention to detail in all steps of the cooking process is something that I highly value. I am most proud of my ability to maintain that high level of care and quality, providing all of my customers with the pleasurable same experience.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
A lesson I had to learn/unlearn was undervaluing myself and my service. Self-doubt is a real barrier that I faced in the beginning stages of my operation. “I’m new to this…people aren’t going to want to pay ME!” “I need to keep my prices as low as possible so people will buy from me.” “If I raise my prices, customers won’t return.” These were all issues that I struggled with until I realized none of it was true. If your service is great, and your product is great, you will fare just fine. Personally, when I realized that I was/am putting out a product that few others could, that’s when I felt reassured in making necessary business decisions. There were a few instances where I’d work myself for days in prep for an event, and end up with $200 profit due to undercharging for the above-stated reasons.
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
My most effective strategies for growing clientele have been a combination of “word of mouth” advertising and self-promotion on social media. From my experience, good food gets sold before it’s ever even tasted. You see it, you smell it, or you hear about it…all of which leads you to tasting it. Before things really began to pick up for my business, I relied strictly on social media posts to promote my smoked meats. The pictures & videos eventually lead to someone saying “I gotta try that”. This potentially leads to “I ordered the beef brisket from JetSet BBQ and it was amazing! YOU need to try it!” Quite often while serving at events, people see my operation, smell & taste my food and they’re hooked. Client referrals have been instrumental in my clientele growth. Naturally, I am always seeking opportunities to increase exposure to continue the growth of my customer base.
Contact Info:
- Website: jetsetbbq.com
- Instagram: @jetsetbbq
- Facebook: facebook.com/jetsetbbq
- Twitter: @bbqjet