Meet Peter Hengst | CEO of BBQUSION

We had the good fortune of connecting with Peter Hengst and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Peter, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
After living in Imperial Beach, CA for a few years, I was in search of a place near me to get some good BBQ. I realized that this type of place I was searching for does not exist. Considering the fact that BBQ is my personal favorite type of food, I knew that I would have to become a master in order to supply myself. I began experimenting with smoked meats and homemade BBQ sauce. I quickly noticed that I was exceptionally good at making BBQ. My friends and family were always commenting how I should start my own restaurant. Since I had almost no startup funds, I decided to try my hand at the mobile food vendor game. It took me several months to get all my permits and certifications, but eventually I was able to fill an empty spot at our local Farmer’s Market. Things were going great until the pandemic. The Farmer’s Market in Imperial Beach closed down for good just as I was getting ready to open a brick-and-mortar restaurant. My company was put on hold while I navigated the difficult business world during the Covid lockdowns. My dream is still the same. I want to open a real BBQ restaurant in Imperial Beach so that I may serve this wonderful community the delicious BBQ they deserve.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
There is a special reason why BBQUSION stands out against other BBQ companies. We make absolutely everything completely from scratch. There are never any cut corners when it comes to our food. All our sides, entrees, dressings, garnishes, and sauces are made by us. The recipes are all my own, and the sauce starts with real tomato sauce. BBQUSION BBQ sauce is made with almost all local ingredients and takes 8 hours to produce. We do not use any third party company of any kind. This means we make the sauce, the labels, the graphics, and we even bottle it ourselves. I have had to learn everything I know about business through trial and error. I mastered the corporate paperwork, perfected the the menu, and modified every aspect of the company to accommodate a mobile food service experience. I do the advertising, made the website, created the uniforms, track the sales and purchases, cook all the food, serve all the food, and control the inventory. Running a small business by myself has had its challenges, but I am able to be certain that things are done right. It has not been an easy road, especially because of the pandemic. Things were going great right before Covid hit. Then I basically had to completely start over and simply hope that life would resume the way it did before the lockdowns. I have learned to be very patient and not to expect anything to come easily. I want the world to know that I have the best line-up of 3 BBQ sauces on the planet. My original sweet and smoky sauce is perfect for any BBQ, my Spicy BBQ has just the right amount of kick, and my Mustard-Q is dangerously addictive! All of them are gluten free and vegan.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My favorite place to show anyone from out of town is Balboa Park. It is such a tranquil and peaceful place. With amazing museums, phenomenal architecture, and local food vendors lining the walkways, this is the perfect way to show what San Diego is all about. For breakfast, I would take a visitor to Coronado for a breakfast burrito from Clayton’s, or a bacon sandwich and a pastry from Tartine. For lunch, we would go to Hodad’s for a Blu-Jay burger or The Portside Pier Brigantine for some clam chowder. Finally, for dinner we would eat at Miguel’s in Coronado or Shakespeare’s Pub near downtown. After all that, I would take my friend for drinks at the Tipsy Crow or Bub’s. Obviously it is hard to beat the amazing times one can have at SeaWorld, the San Diego Zoo, and the Safari Park. Additionally, I absolutely love to bring visitors to the USS Midway museum. This stunning piece of American Military history is an all day excursion into a retired air craft carrier complete with planes and jets on top that range from the 40s to modern day. Nothing expresses the importance of the United States Navy to the city of San Diego quite like this does. For a day trip to the beach, it has to be Pacific Beach. Bars and tattoo shops line the streets and the night life is unbeatable. For a different water experience, La Jolla is the place to go. Snorkeling is an option there, and if all else fails, you can watch the Sea Lions sun bathing on the rocks. On the final day of my visitor’s trip, I would take them to Old Town and then to the Point Loma Lighthouse and Tide Pools. Both places are very important to the history of America’s Finest City.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are several people I must mention in regards to any success I have found with my small business. The first is my wife Ashley Hengst. She has always been so incredibly supportive of my dream of opening a BBQ restaurant even though many sacrifices have been made during this journey. She is a loving and caring mother to our 3 children and also works her tail off at a job each and every day. Next, is my former business partner Aaron Stillwell. Without him, I would never have even considered creating the business I run today. He showed me everything I know about Kansas City style BBQ and worked closely with me for a couple of years while we started the business. Finally, my amazing family which includes my Mother who always supports me through various online portals and social media applications, my sister Rachel who creates a new fancy menu board for me for each event I do, my brother James who has worked alongside me at events, my Father who always offers to lend a hand, and all my siblings/aunts/uncles/cousins/friends who have showed up to support me wherever I go. I would like to also mention a fellow BBQ business owner who has inspired me more than he will ever know: Shawn Walchef. He is the owner of Cali BBQ and Cali BBQ Media. He is a highly decorated BBQ restaurateur with a motivated staff behind him. I intend to follow in his footsteps and am hopeful that I may accomplish even a fraction of the success he has seen.

Website: www.bbqusion.com

Instagram: @bbqusion

Facebook: bbqusion

Yelp: BBQusion

Other: Tik-Tok: @bbqusion

Image Credits
All images were taken by myself.