We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Peter Hengst. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Peter below.

Alright, Peter thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start big picture – what are some of biggest trends you are seeing in your industry?

The food service industry has changed dramatically since the dawn of the age of social media. No longer are individuals just seeking a meal that fulfills their immediate craving. Rather, folks are seeking an experience and a story with their food. People want to know why you make this kind of food and why they should care. It used to be that when you wanted to know some information about a restaurant, then you would either go eat there, ask someone who has already been, or read the little story of the restaurant’s creation on the bottom of the back of the menu. Nowadays, you can simply google a place and check reviews online. There are tons of options for a place to eat and even more opinions about these places to consider. This has produced a climate where customers have raised their expectations to a point where they want a better reason to buy your product than the simple fact that you are there. That is where apps like Facebook, Instagram, X, and Tik-Tok come into play. A successful food startup will have to maintain an online image as well as be prepared to tell the whole story of your business. What made you decide to open a pop-up BBQ concept in Imperial Beach, California? How did you decide on the name BBQUSION? Who is Peter and why should eat his food? These questions can be answered online or in person, but either way, customers want to know. I created this business because my community is in dire need of a BBQ restaurant and I haven’t the means to provide them with a brick-and-mortar version. The name came about because we are a fusion of KC style BBQ and BAJA flavors and spices. BBQ+fusion= BBQUSION. My food is both unique to my culinary style, and unique to the available ingredients from the SW region of the US. I source everything I can locally and absolutely everything we serve is made from scratch by us other than the tortillas which we buy from a small tortilleria in Imperial Beach called “La Posta.” I have had my share of adversity including surviving cancer as a youth with a year of chemo and several months of radiation therapy. There is not much that could stop my mission to provide delicious BBQ to the amazing community of Imperial Beach and other areas in San Diego County.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Peter Hengst. I grew up in Portland, OR. After 25 years in the Pacific Northwest, I decided I had seen enough rain and it was time to seek a sunnier existence. Landing on San Diego as a destination was easy because much of my immediate family had already relocated here to be closer to my eldest brother Paul who was in the Navy and stationed in Coronado. I have been a food service worker ever since my first job which was working the drive-thru at a Burger King. Although that job was a horrible experience, I quickly realized that there was a lot of money to be made in food. I moved on to become a server at Applebee’s, a trainer at Red Robin, and a bartender/manager at a place called Fox Sports Grill. All of these jobs were actually really hard work, but I was hooked anyway because I prefer having something to do over being bored. Once I realized that there are very few places to get good BBQ in San Diego, especially in the South Bay where I live, I knew I had to do something. So, in 2018 my former business partner and I created BBQUSION. It started as a simple sauce company because the stores out here don’t have great BBQ sauce options. Then, it turned into a mobile food concept so that we could test our menu and see how the public responded. The customers loved our food and we knew we had to get into a local market so that we could be available more often. The pandemic nearly closed us down for good and sadly, my partner decided to pursue a different career right before the shutdowns started. I was forced to find an audience online so that my story could continue. I posted about my sauces and had a few online sales. I had to go back to bartending for over half a year so I could pay bills and buy groceries. Finally, I hit the pavement hard and went to every market I could and asked for a vendor booth space. My weekly market is now in North Park on Thursdays from 3pm to 7:30pm. In between those markets I serve my amazing food at concerts, festivals, and catered events.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I knew right away how important setting up a good business page on social media would be. Facebook would allow my older friends and family members to support me online and inquire about BBQ sauce purchases. Instagram would tell my customers and followers where I will be for my next event so they can come out and get good BBQ. There was one social media that you cannot master by trading likes for likes and follows for follows. That is Tik-Tok. You actually have to produce decent content for followers to want to view and like your posts. This was new to me because I was used to just posting a nice close-up of some brisket or a burnt ends sandwich and waiting to get 10-20 likes. Tik-Tok is way more than this. It is a place where you can tell your story through short videos. I had to make a big change and decided to start recording a lot more videos of my food. I have only just started to see the results, but I know this is the best path to success online. Nevermind the feeling I always had that I am too old to be on these applications and they are just for teenagers. Social media is a place to tell your story and I learned that from a great BBQ business owner and a great influencer by the name of Shawn Walchef (owner of Cali BBQ and Cali BBQ Media).

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Every business has ups and downs. For my company, it has typically been a struggle financially. Without an investor, or any money of my own, I have relied solely on my sales to pay for everything thus far. I have never ended a year in the red, but that doesn’t mean I have been able to expand much. It has been nearly five years since this all began and I don’t plan on stopping until I have a successful brick-and-mortar BBQ restaurant in the South Bay of San Diego. No pandemic, loss of partner, market closure, cross-border pollution (MX sewage crisis in the Ocean), or financial setback will slow down my determination. I feel as though I am the one who is meant to bring good BBQ to IB (Imperial Beach). I have manifested everything up to this point. No reason to quit now.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.bbqusion.com
• Instagram: @bbqusion
• Facebook: bbqusion
• Linkedin: Peter Hengst
• Twitter: PeterHengst2
• Yelp: BBQUSION
• TikTok: BBQUSION

Image Credits
Ashley Hengst Joel and Anna Hengst Aaron Stillwell Rachel Hengst Shawn P. Walchef Jamie Lucker