Mike and Jo Robinson
Jo and Mike run Ballinluig American BBQ Nights, a weekly Saturday evening event serving American-style smoked meats as an all-you-can-eat buffet, with live music and line dancing.
When did you first start your business and why?
Although we have a background in catering, when we acquired the BBQ in 2024 we had no very clear idea of what to do with it! But we were then able to start the business this year, as we secured a premises to trade from at the incredible Nae Limits in Ballinluig, which turned out to be the perfect space, with everything we wanted.
It’s been fantastic for us to be able to collaborate with another local business in this way.
How has your business grown or evolved over time?
It is only early days for us, but it all started as just a basic food truck idea and now we are hosting large events with entertainment! We feel we’re also making lots of improvements as we go, refining the menu, introducing new sides, and we’re currently working on getting an even better kitchen set up at the venue.
What support did GrowBiz provide?
We received great support from Daniel regarding licensing requirements, which really helped get us over the line in actually launching.
It has been so great to have reliable advice and suggestions to get our business started. It gave us the confidence to take the leap and make the idea go from planning to implementation far quicker than we would have unaided.
We also feel there is somewhere to go for advice as we navigate the future growth of our business, which gives us more confidence we can succeed.
Are you incorporating any sustainable practices or net zero goals into your business?
Yes! We only use recycled disposables, and we fuel our BBQ on used whisky barrels, therefore reducing the impact on forests. We’re also delighted that Nae Limits provides Wasted Degrees beer on tap during our events, as they have great sustainable practices too.
Do you have a top tip to pass on to other small businesses or self-employed people?
Phone GrowBiz sooner!
What’s next for you and your business (big or small)?
We plan to reach out to coach trips to make us a destination for tour groups, and we’re also looking into doing event catering.
And of course, we have the goal to make sure that the tickets for each event are sold out!