This Delicious BBQ Rub Also Raises Money for Charity
RITISBBQ is hosting a campaign to raise money for charity through its BBQ rub.
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With many Americans facing tough challenges this year in the face of the pandemic and continued economic uncertainty, one thing that hasn't changed is the BBQ community's willingness to help. Whether it's Operation BBQ Relief or local charities, many organizations have offered a lifeline to feed people in need.
Another person that deserves praise for his charitable work is Evan Burrows, the man behind New Jersey-based Rub It Til It Smokes BBQ (RITISBBQ). This operation makes and serves barbecue at events, but it always incorporates charitable giving into the equation. Burrows founded RITISBBQ in 2015 and always finds a way to donate proceeds to support various local and national charities whenever RITISBBQ does just about anything.
Burrows' latest project is Rubstarter, a play on crowdfunding site Kickstarter. The Rubstarter campaign encourages people to pledge money in exchange for BBQ rubs, t-shirts, and a chance to win an expensive pellet grill. If enough of the pledge goal is met, people will receive their items and a significant part of the proceeds will go to charitable organizations focused on hunger relief and assistance for firefighters and veterans.
I spoke with Burrows about the RITISBBQ operation and his clever new Rubstarter campaign, which I would highly recommend you support.
Evan Burrows (left) and Roberto Marquez of RITISBBQ serve up ribs at Rib King NYC in 2019.
Sean Ludwig (NYC BBQ): Tell us a little more about the genesis of RITISBBQ. When did you form the operation and what did you set out to accomplish?
Evan Burrows: In 2015 I was invited to participate in the Rockland County Annual Charity Barbecue Festival by friends and organizers who knew about my passion for barbecue. I needed a team and a name, so immediately I called my friend Roberto to brainstorm some ideas. A few minutes later, Rub It Til It Smokes, aka RITISBBQ, was born. This first event jump-started and helped define our mission to give back to the individuals and organizations we believe in, through all things barbecue.
SL: A major part of your operation has been to support charitable causes through making barbecue. What charities have you supported since your founding?
EB: RITISBBQ is proud to have supported various organizations through BBQ events and fundraisers since our establishment in 2015 including Friends of Firefighters, No Kid Hungry, Food Bank for NYC, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, No-Shave November, People to People Food Pantry, Community Awareness Network For A Drug-Free Life And Environment (CANDLE), United Hospice of Rockland County NY, Veterans Benefit BBQ Bash, The Valley Hospital Foundation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Westchester Medical Center Health Network, and Saint Peter’s University Hospital.
The Rubstarter campaign has lots of items you can get including BBQ rub, t-shirts, and a chance to win a Pellet Cooker.
SL: The Rubstarter campaign, your latest, is a great idea. Where did the idea come from and what will the money that is raised go toward?
EB: Since the pandemic began, it's been challenging to contribute at face-to-face fundraising events. At the start of it, I ran a PSA campaign to raise money to buy PPE for area hospitals. I created COVID-19 influenced social distance phrases like, “Don’t Risk It, Keep Apart Six Briskets” and “Get Off My Grill” and had them printed on shirts, which we sold to raise money.
I still want to do what I can to contribute to our community and this situation isn't going away anytime soon, so I came up with the idea of raising money for organizations I believe in while trying to sell our award-winning original rub. I’ve never run a crowdfunding campaign and quickly learned the limitations of existing models. You can either raise money to launch a product (Kickstarter) or raise money for a cause (GoFundMe), but not both together. I wanted to do a combination, so I created Rubstarter.
Money that is raised will go toward production and fulfillment, future R&D, marketing, administrative costs, and the remaining money will be donated to community-based charitable organizations, including Friends of Firefighters, hunger relief, and veteran-support organizations.
SL: You had New York hip hop pioneer Doug E Fresh record a rhyme for the Rubstarter campaign, which is admittedly very cool. How did he get involved?
EB: His involvement was actually a paid promotional engagement. Rubstarter lacks the built-in social/viral promotion aspect of Kickstarter-like platforms, so I needed to explore other ways to boost awareness. I checked out Cameo for the first time and found one of my childhood hip-hop icons, Doug E Fresh, on the platform. He took a few suggestions and ran with them to record the Rubstarter rhyme. I remixed sound bytes and still images to create additional promotional content.
SL: As of this writing, about $5,000 has been pledged so far for your $15,000 goal. What is the deadline for people to pledge to the campaign?
EB: The deadline for the Rubstarter campaign is December 31. We offer various pledge levels beyond just our rub, including stickers and four different RITISBBQ shirts. Since starting the campaign, we’ve added another option, a smoker raffle thanks to the generosity of Recteq, which donated a $900 Wood Pellet Grill to the campaign. For every $15 pledge, backers get one raffle entry.
These pulled pork tacos from RITISBBQ use their delicious rub that you can get from Rubstarter.
SL: If the campaign does not meet the $15,000 mark, what happens then?
EB: My initial calculations required this high funding goal in order to produce and distribute rub, while still being able to donate a significant amount back to the community. Throughout the campaign, I’ve been looking at contingency plans and ways that I can still deliver charitable donations and get rub delivered to our supporters. My plan B will not require such a high goal but still allow us to still make a generous donation.
SL: Outside of the Rubstarter campaign, do you have any plans for RITIS BBQ in 2021?
EB: It’s unknown what 2021 will bring and while I wished our rub had a more efficacious impact toward curing COVID-19, that’s just not reality! Maybe we’ll launch another rub, perhaps a new PSA, or possibly a local socially distanced campaign? We were looking forward to participating in Brisket King NYC prior to the pandemic and still want to do so when it’s safe again. This event allows us to showcase our amazing brisket while supporting Friends of Firefighters, an organization near and dear to our hearts, as they were founded with a mission to support the FDNY in the wake of 9/11, the day we lost my brother-in-law. ... We are always evolving and open to new ideas, collaborations, and partnership opportunities. We’d like to keep growing and giving, so please reach out to us to discuss, and we welcome the conversation to contribute.
The Rubstarter campaign has raised more than $5,000 so far but still needs your pledges.
Thanks to Evan for the conversation and for doing his part to support charities during this challenging time. As someone who has tried RITISBBQ’s food and thoroughly enjoyed it, I can’t recommend backing this campaign enough.
Sean Ludwig
Founder, NYC BBQ
EAT ALL ABOUT IT
Barbecue joints including Hill Country Barbecue Market are serving up holiday packages including prime rib.
Here are the top BBQ and related food news stories you need to know about this week:
If you are planning to have a socially distancing gathering or a small family dinner for the holidays, now is that time to get your food pre-orders in from top NYC barbecue joints. Orders must be placed before December 20th at most restaurants. Some of the best holiday package pre-order options include:
Matt Abdoo of Pig Beach spoke frankly with Food Karma Projects about the challenges Pig Beach and many other restaurants have faced during the pandemic. “Now that it’s winter, things are really scary,” Abdoo said. “With this looming threat of indoor dining being taken away yet again, it’s just gonna gut the entire restaurant industry.” (Note: This is your weekly reminder to please keep supporting your local restaurants.)
Retired New York Jets defensive end Marvin Washington was interviewed recently on a new radio show and revealed his pick for the best barbecue in all of New York: Morgan’s Brooklyn Barbecue. “I always say: Morgan’s Barbecue is the best barbecue, bar none, east of the Mississippi. I would put it against anything — and it’s best by far here in New York City,” Washington said.
The publication Curbed recently compiled a list of 500 businesses that have closed in New York in 2020 due to the pandemic, many of them classic restaurants. The list includes the closures of barbecue joints including the Flatiron location of Blue Smoke, Ducks Eatery in the East Village, and Randall’s Barbecue on the Lower East Side.
Long Valley, NJ-based barbecue joint Pulled Fork BBQ has been honored by Patch as a “business of the year.” Pulled Fork opened in September 2019 and has valiantly carried on through the pandemic.
Curtis Tuff, who ran Curtis’ BBQ in Putney, Vermont for more than 50 years, has died. Tuff “was an icon in southern Vermont, standing over his open-pit smoker and talking with anyone who was waiting for their food to be served,” VPR wrote in a remembrance of the local pitmaster.
Legal Swine BBQ in Saugerties, NY has decided to stay open, despite the passing of owner Desmond "Desi" Dutcher. Desi died at the age of 46 from heart complications on Nov. 26. The popular restaurant will operate only on weekends for now. A GoFundMe has been set up to raise money toward the unexpected funeral and family expenses.
IRL BBQ EVENTS
The Great Queens Chicken Wing Hunt is happening now, where you can take part in trying the best wings in Queens, including these wings from Bridie's Bar & Grill in Rego Park.
November 8, 2020 - February 8, 2021: Throughout November, December, and January, The Great Queens Chicken Wing Hunt is being hosted around Queens. Until December 26, you can pick up a “Wing Hunting Season Pass” at Tap House / Acey Ducey's in Forest Hills and then visit great bars/joints around Queens to try wings. At each participating location, you’ll get four jumbo wings. Buy tickets here.
April 21, 2021: If you love brisket, you won’t want to miss Brisket King 2021. More than 15 chefs and pitmasters will be there serving up their takes on brisket and pastrami. Read more about the 2019 edition of Brisket King or about the importance of Brisket King to the BBQ community. Buy tickets here.
NOTE: Due to COVID-19, information concerning events in NYC is subject to change, and events may be rescheduled. CHECK OUT THE FULL EVENTS CALENDAR HERE.
SAY HELLO
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