See also: Georgia Boys BBQ now open in Longmont
Nick Reckinger and Matt Alexander, the pair behind Georgia Boys, originally started out making barbecue as a fast-cash business, delivering sack lunches around Boulder. That operation grew quicker than they ever imagined it could, into two locations and a growing crowd of fans who rave about finding their slow-smoked brisket and authentic Kansas-style burnt ends in the Rockies."We're seeing some great support," co-founder Reckinger says of the Frederick spot. "We've been filling up a lot of the nights."
When they bought the place in Frederick, Reckinger and Alexander had ideas for doing something with the back of the property, which borders a public park. Now they want to get their expansion plan moving as soon as possible. They have the contractors lined up to work on the project, which will include adding garage doors and a patio. There's only one problem: funding it.
That's why Georgia Boys BBQ is following masses of other small businesses (and that one guy making potato salad) by turning to crowd-funding and asking the the community for donations to pay for the project. In return, donors can receive rewards including T-shirts, Beer Club memberships and even a specially catered BBQ event for the most generous givers.
The Community Funded page details the budget and outline of the plan: $25,000 for a new concrete patio along with tables and chairs for the 40 extra seats it will provide the restaurant, custom railing, and sliding garage doors to connect the patio to the current space. The campaign, with approximately $5,000 already funded, will end on July 25.
The pair opened up the Smokehouse in Frederick in part because of the community they found there, and now they want to get that community even more involved in their restaurant through crowd funding. "We wanted to help the town revitalize itself," Reckinger says. The people who chip in to fund the patio are "bringing something back to the community as well," he adds.
The new patio is billed as family-friendly; the location by a public park will allow kids to play while their parents enjoy themselves a little longer and catch up with neighbors at the restaurant. And that's part of the goal stated on the fundraising page: creating "a homey haven packed with good service and great food where you can catch a few moments of slow, Southern satisfaction."
However, the Georgia Boys owners know that Southern satisfaction and good BBQ don't always come easy; Reckinger has plans to go ahead even the expansion isn't fully funded.
"If we don't meet the original goal, we will break it down into smaller parts," he says. Those garage doors will be part of the first part, so the restaurant can take advantage of 300 days of Colorado sunshine; the patio will come next.
For more details, go to the Georgia Boys BBQ Community Funded page to read more about the campaign, rewards, and to donate.
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