Huntley BBQ sauce company supports veterans through products
A Huntley barbecue sauce company benefiting veterans is raising funds to help produce new barbecue rubs.
Veterans Barbecue Inc., which earned national recognition for its Veterans Q Barbecue Sauce and won two awards for its barbecue rubs, hopes to raise $5,000 through a Kickstarter campaign ending Tuesday. So far, over $4,000 has been collected.
All profits from barbecue sauce sales go toward local veterans organizations, said Steve Lulofs, 38, of Algonquin, company president and an Army veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Lulofs, who works as an immigration analyst for the U.S. Department of Labor, got into barbecuing nearly three years ago after winning $300 in a March Madness pool from friends.
"I've always liked barbecue food," he said. "I just bought a barbecue pit with it ... and that's how it started."
He went from backyard grilling using his homemade barbecue sauce recipe to entering local competitions. After rave reviews from friends and family members, Lulofs formed his sauce company in February. He started the business with $1,500.
"We ended up selling our first order of 750 bottles in a month and a half," Lulofs said.
To date, Lulofs has sold nearly 5,000 bottles of his original sauce. Prices vary, and it sells for $3.69 per bottle at Woodman's and $10.99 on Amazon.
"I run it out of my home right now," Lulofs said. "It was just a hobby. ... Now I would like to make a business of it. I would love to be in every single grocery store in every state. That is our 10-year plan."
Lulofs' Veterans Q Original Barbecue Sauce was named among National Barbecue News' "2017's Sauces of Honor" and Maxim Magazine's "15 Best Damn Barbecue Sauces in America" in 2017. The sauce is available at 21 Woodman's stores throughout Illinois and in Beloit, Wisconsin; at local grocers in Sycamore and Bloomington; and through his website and on Amazon.
"Now because it is taking off, I felt like I could do something more with it," Lulofs said.
Upon Woodman's request, Lulofs has expanded his product line. He created two barbecue rubs that were named among National Barbecue News' "2017 Rubs of Honor." His Veterans Q Beef Rub ranked first and his Veterans Q Chicken & Pork Rub scored seventh.
The Kickstarter campaign will help launch the two award-winning barbecue rubs and two new barbecue sauces - Veterans Q Sweet Heat (spicy) and Veterans Q Carolina Gold (mustard). All products will be manufactured and bottled in Union, Illinois, Lulofs said.
Campaign donors could receive a bottle of Lulofs' original barbecue sauce, or an in-home private barbecue class, or sponsor Veterans Q's competitive barbecue team.
So far, Lulofs has donated about $5,000 to national veterans organizations - A Warrior's Mind based in Huntley, Operation Warrior Wishes based in St. Charles and the Oscar Mike Foundation based in Poplar Grove. He plans to donate additional profits by year's end.
"The goal is to be able to raise as much money as possible for veterans," Lulofs said.