Franchise Opportunities

Welcome to Smokey Mo's

BBQ is resilient through economic downturns.

Fast Casual BBQ is not a saturated market.

Smokey Mo's model is complementary to other concepts, with minimal non-compete issues.

One million pounds of brisket a year says it all.

The Pit is Lit

Average Investment $600k

prototypical footprint 2,250-2,750 sq ft

corporate store average sales

average gross sales per guest check

sales to investment ratio 2:1

fast casual is one of the fastest growing segments in the industry

the pit's been lit since 2000.

The first Smokey Mo’s BBQ opened in 2000 in Cedar Park, Texas, and was the quintessential small, family business. With a lot of hard work, the model gained traction, and within 7 years, the first franchise was born in San Antonio. If you’re not keeping score, that gives us over 21 years of successful corporate operations and 14 solid years of franchising partnerships. Just saying, this ain’t our first rodeo.

What’s made the Smokey Mo’s BBQ concept so successful? We start with a small footprint to limit overhead. We offer a product with a naturally high ticket and perceived value. But what’s really kept our fire going is our commitment to quality, freshness, and real Texas BBQ. All Smokey Mo’s meats are smoked in-house, daily. Not every BBQ chain can say that — we’ve all seen those big BBQ commissary delivery trucks on the road. You’ll also be glad to know that our spice rub and sauces are proprietary. Every now and then, we get requests to ship them all over the country. How do we maintain a local, neighborhood feel? Well, each Smokey Mo’s BBQ roots itself in their surrounding community, supporting causes like schools, teachers, kid’s sports, libraries and neighbors in need.

There's a lot to be said for timing

The BBQ restaurant segment has remained resilient through economic downturns as well as the global pandemic.

It’s comfort food, it travels well, and there’s something for everyone.

Fast Casual BBQ is not a saturated segment, which means prime markets are widely available.

Looking to diversify? Great. Smokey Mo’s model is complementary to other restaurant concepts, and has minimal non-compete issues.

The Smokey Mo's BBQ Culture

Smokey Mo's BBQ is a real-life American dream.

It all started with one small, family-run store in Cedar Park, Texas. So, as we grow, we think it's important to stay true to our roots and bring along the best of that heritage- our friendly, warm Texas atmosphere, freshly smoked meats, honest work, and our commitment to the communities around us. It is our hope that the "regulars" at every future Smokey Mo's will always be greeted by name. That's just the Smokey Mo's Way.

Vision

To be the best neighborhood BBQ in Texas

Mission

To serve great tasting BBQ in a friendly way that keeps 'em coming back

Core Values

Excellence: Be excellent. Own your results. Learn from mistakes. Take pride in our great food, our unrivaled hospitality and the cleanliness of our stores.

Teamwork: Be a team player. Show up for each other, have fun and act with empathy. We always work together to deliver a flawless guest experience.

Community: Be genuine and friendly. Smokey Mo’s strives to be a good neighbor and make a positive difference in our communities.

Promises to our guests

Clean • Friendly • Quality • Accurate • Fast

Our current franchisee family has been a part of Smokey Mo’s for years, and each has enjoyed a great deal of success. Here’s what they have to say:

"Smokey Mo's BBQ has become a grand part of my family's life. The opportunity to become Franchisees has been one of the greatest decisions we have ever made. I am proud to represent and be a part of something we will continue to build."

Bob Saldivar, Franchisee

"I knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur, but was never sure how I was going to make that happen. I started working for Smokey Mo's while in college and fell in love with the concept. Great neighborhood barbeque with an emphasis on being involved in the community. After being with the company for 5 years there was no question I wanted to be a franchise owner. Quality ingredients, great processes, and being a part of an amazing team has proven again and again that Smokey Mo's was the perfect choice for me and my family."

Nathan Page, Franchisee

"I grew up in restaurants--watching my father manage them--so restaurants are my passion. Smokey Mo’s dedication to quality and service is what drew me to the brand. We smoke our meats onsite everyday to ensure we have the best quality BBQ for our guests. And we have the ability to serve our communities, whether it’s by making the day better for guests, or being able to help local schools and organizations. We are part of a brand and a business that we can be proud of."

Roger Harris, Franchisee

How we support our franchise owners

The Smokey Mo's Way

Once you qualify and join the Smokey Mo's team, we'll teach you everything you need to know about The Smokey Mo's Way. Since your success is our success, we'll be committed to you every step of the way. Our proven system of operation created from years of experience is the key to a thriving Smokey Mo's.

Site Selection and Lease Negotiations

We’ve had a great deal of professional research done so we can provide you with data-driven assistance in identifying ideal Smokey Mo’s BBQ locations.

Restaurant Design and Construction

Complete sets of custom floor plans are developed for each new Smokey Mo’s BBQ location. They will be based on our prototype and everything we’ve learned over the years to prioritize proper guest traffic flow and seating and maximizing efficiency in work areas as well as storage.

Training and Operations Manual

After our multi-week, in-person, on-site training, you’ll know everything we know, and finally be the Pitmaster you’ve always dreamt of becoming.

What are you waiting for? Join the Smokey Mo’s family.

Smokey Mo's Ideal Candidate

Financially qualified (minimum $600,000 investment capability with a minimum of $200K liquid assets per location).

Minimum commitment of 3 locations in new target markets and minimum of 5 in new markets outside Texas; single locations in fill-in markets (with 5+ locations) and opportunistic developments.

Minimum of 3 years of direct restaurant management experience (GM and above) with P&L responsibility in restaurants with a minimum of $1 million annual sales.

For Multi-Unit Commitment: Minimum of 2 years of multi-unit restaurant management experience with P&L responsibility.

For Multi-Unit Commitment: Must have experience building/developing new locations.

Demonstrated ability to operate a business successfully (other business, business career, systems implementation).

No interest in a competing business (BBQ style dishes equaling no more than 10% of total sales).

Experience managing and developing hourly wage team members successfully.

Match with Smokey Mo’s BBQ’s Mission, Values, Strategy and Philosophy.

Ready to saddle up?

The Smokey Mo's BBQ Qualification Process

Once you’ve got the thumbs up to become a Smokey Mo’s BBQ franchisee, we’ll give you our all to teach you the Smokey Mo’s Way of doing things. Like we said before, your success is our success and we’ll be right there with you every step of the way. You can hang your hat on it.

As much as we wish this was as simple as a handshake, it’s business, so all potential franchisees will go through our qualification process.

Application

  • Initial phone conversation with our Qualification Specialist will get the ball rolling.
  • Candidate completes and returns Franchise Application.
  • Documentation must be enclosed with the Franchise Application to support the following:
    • Candidate must have a minimum of $200,000 in liquid assets per location.
    • Candidate must have $600,000 Investment Capability.
    • Please include statements (bank, stock, 401K) of the liquid $200K.
  • Qualification Specialist completes financial review of candidate’s Franchise Application and conducts background investigation.

Franchise Disclosure Document

  • Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) and Decision-Making Checklist mailed to candidate (Acknowledgement of Receipt page must be returned before proceeding to the next step).
  • Smokey Mo’s BBQ Franchise Recruiter contacts candidate to discuss FDD and Decision-Making Checklist and schedules a face-to-face meeting. This is where the good old-fashioned handshake will come in.

Observation

  • Candidate meets face-to-face with Smokey Mo’s BBQ Franchise Recruiter.
  • Candidate observes operating system in a Smokey Mo’s for a 1 day. Sure hope you like brisket.
  • Candidate completes and returns their Business Plan to Franchise Recruiter.

Review

  • The Approval Committee reviews the candidate’s file for the appropriate market.
  • Welcome to Smokey Mo’s! Candidate is invited to Orientation for the following:
    • Signing of the Franchise Agreement
    • Payment of Franchise Fee
    • Discussion of pre-opening timeline
    • Set up initial training (Did somebody say, “Pitmaster”?)

Contact Us

Call 512.202.5764