Libertyville entrepreneur sees future in BBQ
Food is one thing. Barbecue is another.
"It is serious business, that's for sure," says Eddie Moore, a culinary school grad who is taking a big step at an uncertain time.
Moore, a waiter turned entrepreneur, hopes his personalized take on regional barbecue will fill the seats at his Main Street Smokehouse in downtown Libertyville.
With a cheery outlook amid waves of bad economic news and armed with self-created specialties like Carolina-style barbecue with apple cider ale sauce, Moore wants to convert pork into profit.
"I think people kind of respect the art or the craft of barbecue," says the 29-year-old Round Lake Beach resident. "Hopefully, my passion will come through in my food and hospitality."
It is a risky venture. Nearly two-thirds of restaurant operators reported lower sales in December, the seventh consecutive month, according to information released Friday by the National Restaurant Association.
Operators also are more pessimistic than they have been about growth, with less than one in five anticipating higher sales in the next six months compared to the same period in 2008. Nearly half expect business to drop during that time.
But Moore is confident the location and relative lack of competitors will work in his favor. He also thinks public taste for unique regional barbecue recipes and sides like blueberry peach cobbler will allow him to buck the trend.
"We'll serve everything dry, that's a great way to show off true barbecue," he says. "You have to let the meat speak for itself."
A native of Bloomington-Normal, Moore graduated from the Florida Culinary Institute in 2003. Seeking a kitchen management position, he landed at Wildfire, a Lettuce Entertain You restaurant in Lincolnshire, where he worked as a server until last fall.
The management post didn't materialize but in the interim, Moore says he polished his people skills. Through friends and contacts, he fashioned a second career as a chef and caterer.
"I cook for a couple of NBA players and some North Shore bigwigs, you might say," says Moore. "It's an incredible job but it's inconsistent."
Buoyed by compliments at summer events, Moore began concentrating on barbecue and has been tinkering with recipes. The result will include Texas-style brisket with a blend of telicherry, a Middle Eastern pepper, and lemon and Chicago-style baby back ribs with maple chipotle sauce.
Over the past few years, Moore said he wrote dozens of business plans for his own restaurant but never followed through. Last October, he began converting a former juice place at 536 N. Milwaukee Ave.
"I figured this was an immediate opportunity in terms of location and demographics," says Moore.
Delays have pushed the planned opening to the end of February but the heavy-duty details, such as framing and upgraded electric and plumbing, are in place.
With downtown vacancies becoming more apparent, it is hoped that new arrivals like Moore's restaurant and Egg Harbor Cafe, which opened last week after a lengthy delay involving the building owner, will bring customers of all types.
"I'm hopeful this will extend our hours so our retailers can take advantage of the foot traffic," said Randy Nelson, head of MainStreet Libertyville, a revitalization group.
Overall, sales in all categories in Libertyville for July, August and September plummeted to about $6.9 million from nearly $8 million during the same period in 2007 - a drop of nearly 14 percent, according to the Illinois Department of Revenue.
As a separate category, drinking and eating places were one of few bright spots, increasing about 11 percent during the third quarter to nearly $681,000, according to state figures.