Bbq Cookbook Business

3 Bbq Cookbook Business Success Stories [2024]

Pat Walls

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Updated: October 8th, 2024

Have a passion for BBQ and a knack for culinary creativity? Consider starting a BBQ cookbook business. This venture revolves around creating a specialized cookbook filled with unique BBQ recipes, tips, and techniques that cater to both beginners and seasoned grill masters.

Developing a BBQ cookbook involves thorough recipe testing, writing clear instructions, and capturing high-quality photos to make your book engaging. Partnering with chefs or BBQ enthusiasts can add authenticity and variety to your content. There’s also the necessity of understanding your target audience to tailor recipes that meet their preferences, whether they’re into traditional American BBQ or experimenting with global flavors.

Once your cookbook is ready, you’ll need to navigate publishing options—self-publishing gives you more control, while traditional publishing may offer wider distribution. Marketing through social media, engaging food bloggers, and hosting live cooking demos can boost your book’s visibility. If you’re ready to combine your love for BBQ with the rewarding challenge of publishing, this business idea might be your perfect recipe.

In this list, you'll find real-world BBQ cookbook business success stories and very profitable examples of starting a BBQ cookbook business that makes money.

1. Nourishing Brands ($7.2M/year)

Jeremy Hendon, co-founder of Nourishing Brands, came up with the idea for the business after experiencing the benefits of a low carb Paleo diet. He noticed the rising popularity of the keto diet and decided to create the Keto Summit, a digital event featuring top experts. The success of the summit led to the company's shift towards cookbooks, courses, and meal plans, and they have since sold over 300,000 cookbooks in 2020 alone.

How much money it makes: $7.2M/year
How much did it cost to start: $500
How many people on the team: 10

How We Started A $600K/Month Business Selling Keto Cookbooks And Mealplans

Nourishing Brands is a direct-to-consumer media company that generates more than $600k per month and sold over 300,000 cookbooks in 2020 through their popular health websites like KetoSummit.com by transitioning from digital events to cookbooks, evergreen courses, and paid media.

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2. GrillBlazer LLC ($2.1M/year)

Bob Healey came up with the idea for the GrillGun while cooking steaks on his charcoal grill in cold weather. After realizing the need for a high-power propane torch to easily and safely light charcoal grills, he began developing a prototype and conducting research on manufacturing costs and financing options. He ultimately decided to use crowdfunding to raise the necessary funds and successfully launched the GrillGun in February 2020, generating an average of $2.5 million in annual sales.

How much money it makes: $2.1M/year
How much did it cost to start: $500K
How many people on the team: 3

How I Invented A Grill Gun And Did $2.5M In Annual Sales Since Our Launch In 2020

GrillBlazer LLC invented the GrillGun, a high-power propane torch that looks like an awesome slide-action pistol, yielding an average of $2.5 million in product sales since its launch three years ago, primarily using online marketing strategies to reach its niche affluent male target demographic aged between 25 to 55.

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3. Heritage Cookbook ($744K/year)

and a way to make a positive impact in the world. I spent months searching for the right tech team, reaching out to different development agencies and interviewing potential candidates. Finally, I found a team that understood my vision and had the expertise to help me relaunch and grow the business. I also took a leap of faith and borrowed $40,000 from my retirement savings to buy my sister's shares. It was a big risk, but I believed in the potential of the business and knew that I needed full control to turn it around. With the new tech team in place, we worked tirelessly to rebrand the business, improve the user experience, and implement SEO strategies to regain our rankings in Google. We also started investing in marketing initiatives, running targeted Facebook and Instagram ads, and collaborating with food bloggers and influencers to spread the word about Heritage Cookbook. The turnaround was slow at first, but gradually we started seeing an increase in traffic and sales. Our efforts paid off, and within a year, we were back on track, surpassing our previous sales records and reaching new customers worldwide. It hasn't been an easy journey, but I'm incredibly proud of what we've accomplished. Heritage Cookbook is now a thriving business, generating $744,000 in annual revenue and counting. I'm excited to continue growing the company, expanding our reach, and helping more people share their food stories through our custom cookbooks.

How much money it makes: $744K/year
How much did it cost to start: $10K
How many people on the team: 1

I Reinvented Our Family Legacy & Built A $744K/Year Cookbook Business

Heritage Cookbook, an online website for custom cookbooks started by a mother roughly 20 years ago, now makes $744k a year and is about to undergo a relaunch after drastic improvements in design, templates, products and technology, with an aim to become the top site for recipe preservation.

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