Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrew Chambers.
Hi Andrew, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Pink’s Barbecue was started in a parking lot with a smoker purchased on Craigslist. Since those weekend gigs, we’ve grown into a diverse brand founded in wood, fire, and flavor. We arrived to where we are and continued our journey at Saturday farmers markets and pop-ups, catered private events, and activated experiences featuring a curated Chef’s dinner. You can also cook at home with our line of Pink’s Barbecue prepared meats, sauces, and rubs. We are building our brand based on what we know and where we came from, and that includes authenticity, community, global inspiration/local experience, and family. We take pride in our core values and continue to set our tables and serve our customers with these pillars.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I am a first-generation Jamaican American and grew up in New Jersey. I moved to Atlanta in 2006 and graduated from Georgia State University where I was passionately involved in their Entrepreneurship and Innovation Institute. After graduation, I began my career in institutional food services and worked for a large healthcare system. In 2014, my wife and I started Pink’s Barbecue as a weekend business with some friends. We popped up in neighborhoods and communities – mostly on the south side of Atlanta – preparing and serving good food from our smoker and sides from our kitchen – and slowly but surely grew a loyal Pink’s Barbecue following. What happened next is what I refer to as “Seasons of Life.” We recognized that our business partner’s interests were more recreational, and ours was more enterprising. On the best of terms, we mutually disbanded, and Pink’s Barbecue was put on the ‘back burner.’ Life continued but my wife and I thought about Pink’s every single day. We finally took that leap of faith and agreed to commit, plan, and relaunch the brand. In the fall of 2021, we officially announced that Pink’s Barbecue was back! I left my full-time job and gave fully to the business. It was an exciting time, and we worked on adrenaline and the passion to do what we have always loved – serving people. But someone had a different plan for us, and a series of events unfolded. First, a key team member stepped away from the business unexpectedly. Next, my mother-in-law passed away followed by the loss of both my father and my brother. Then the pandemic hit, and I personally fought Covid for an extended period. This was our season of struggle, but like many, we persevered as you somehow can in the most trying of times. We came out on the other side both stronger, wiser, and very grateful.
I represent the third generation of entrepreneurs on both sides of my family. Like many small business owners, we share similar struggles across team building, brand building, financing, marketing, and scaling. We are based out of a working kitchen in Newnan, Georgia, which is located 40 miles southwest of Atlanta. We do not have a brick-and-mortar presence and that is always a challenge when building a business, but we’ve learned to accommodate with creativity, innovative resources, and discipline.
A favorite quote from an anonymous source: “Some of us are building from scratch. No inheritance, no connections, no backups. Just blood, sweat, and skills.”
As you know, we’re big fans of Pink’s Barbecue. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
We believe what sets Pink’s Barbecue apart is not only our approach to how we prepare our food but also educating our customers about barbecue. First and foremost, cooking over an open fire is the oldest form of food preparation. It dates to the days when fire was discovered. That was a long time ago. Second, we define barbecue as a way to prepare food and not as the actual food item or what’s on the menu. Barbecue is beyond burgers, ribs, and pulled pork. We prepare that too, but we also offer smoked mushrooms, for example. Currently, we are smoking Lions Mane mushrooms and sourcing them from a local Georgia farmer. The taste and the texture are hearty and flavorful. Also, that varietal is packed with bioactive benefits for your brain, heart, and gut. Lastly, we are Pink’s Barbecue for a reason. A pink hue in your meat when preparing it over an open flame – and at the correct temperature – is the perfect way to enjoy it. The flavor, texture, heat, and taste are at its optimum. We are known for our good food and an unexpected level of customer service.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
Everyone is invited to come out and meet us on Saturdays throughout Metro Atlanta and South Georgia at our active community farmers’ markets. This is also where we are currently selling our smoked Lion’s Mane mushrooms which you can purchase frozen to take home and prepare to your liking. We are launching a series of activated Chef Dinner events so more people can experience the Pink’s Barbecue difference. We love to collaborate, and we are always open for conversations about good food and good intentions. For all the details, follow us at @pinks_barbecue and visit us at https://www.eatpinksbarbecue.com
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.eatpinksbarbecue.com
- Instagram: @pinks_barbecue
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PinksBarbecue/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-chambers-149b7051/
- Youtube: https://youtu.be/838jjYQdAzc?si=51iNHY5DKIRr8Hs-
Image Credits
Pink’s Barbecue
