Get Bee’s Barbecue Open!

For those of you who don't know me, my name is Brendan Hague (Bee) . I started Bee’s Barbecue over three years ago. Some of you will remember our epic pop-ups hosted by then, Dutch’s Larder. Those Sundays became very special to us and gave our supporters something to look forward too. Little did I know that what was happening would propel my passion for not only good food, but the love for hospitality even further.

As a seasoned Cincinnati bar and restaurant alumni, I've had the pleasure of working with some of the very best in the business. These experiences and these people are what and who have helped me grow into the person and professional I am today. For that I am forever grateful. Approaching what will be my fourth year at MadTree Brewing Co., I have made and solidified so many friendships on both sides of the bar and as many of you know the original target date to open Bee's Barbecue was last March. (yikes)

2020 was very difficult on the service industry. And we are still struggling to connect all the dots back to some sort of normalcy.  A difficult time indeed, not only for existing operations but extremely challenging for those of us who haven't opened yet and still continue to pay rent.

I have taken this project as far as I can personally. The idea of hard work, determination, patient family and friends, and a little 'bootstrapping' has brought me here.  I will be completely transparent when I say I am new to this. I have never asked for much of anything, especially in this capacity. I have struggled with the idea for months now. What makes it a little easier is the decision I made a while back. I cannot and will not give up on this. I owe it to so many people to see this project through. All the people that would wait in line at pop-ups.  All of the families I've ever catered for. All the friends and family that at a drop of a hat would donate their time to help me bring a dream to reality. My wife for dealing with me essentially running a restaurant out of our house. Haha but seriously, it was a bit ridiculous.  I will not give up on this.

So what I am asking for is help. The red tape surrounding opening this place has become encompassing.  The money I raise will help pay the rest of the permit fees and the licensing; it will pay for picnic tables that will be available for outdoor seating once it warms up; it will cover some general operating costs and initial purchasing, and will help us stay afloat until we get the place up and running.

I plan to share more frequently the process and progress via social media so we all have something to look forward to.  The New Year’s Eve raffle was such a great success and helped pay for the new sign which looks AMAZING! It helped pay for our new (new to us) gas range and also the hood cleaning at the shop!

I will roll out a tiered incentive list with some pretty cool things involved so stay tuned for that in the near future. Time is very valuable as we all know. The sooner this project is finalized, the better. With that said, I sincerely appreciate YOUR time and I appreciate any support you have offered now or in the past.