I got to spend a lunch break with Ian Russell, the chef, and co-owner of Smoke and Donuts BBQ focusing on savory smoked barbecue and sweet handmade donuts harnessing smoking techniques and seasoning profiles from the top BBQ regions around the country.
I spoke to Ian about him and his wife Juliana Peña coming up with the concept (Juliana wanted a donut shop, and Ian wanted a BBQ joint). I spoke to Ian about how they started, how they built their business from a pop-up tent to a food trailer to opening up 2 locations (UCF and the Milk District). We spoke about his journey from culinary school to getting into BBQ. We talked about building their brand and how he started it with both of them having full-time jobs. We talked about the time-consuming process of smoking meats and BBQ. We also talked about how they started with UCF and worked onto opening a location there, as well as their newest location in the Milk District.
Lunch with Biggie is a podcast about small business and creatives sharing their stories and inspiring you to pursue your passion, with some sandwich talk on the side. Created, edited, and produced in Orlando, FL by Biggie- the owner of the sandwich-themed clothing brand- Deli Fresh Threads.
Smoke & Donuts Social:
Smoke & Donuts IG: https://www.instagram.com/smokeanddonuts/
Smoke & Donuts website: https://www.smokeanddonuts.com/
Smoke & Donuts Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smokeanddonuts
Smoke & Donuts Twitter: https://twitter.com/smokeanddonuts