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Building Texas BusinessAuthor: BoyarMiller
BoyarMiller Chairman Chris Hanslik interviews industry thought leaders and organizational visionaries in a discussion rife with leading edge information, the latest trends, case studies, and news. Business inspiration, growth, challenges, corporate culture and mentorship will be on the agenda. Enjoy the banter and glean valuable insight as the conversation unfolds. Language: en-us Genres: Business, Entrepreneurship, Management Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Ep117: Building a Barbecue Brand on People and Process with Craig Haley
Episode 117
Wednesday, 16 September, 2026
In this episode of Building Texas Business, Chris Hanslik sits down with Craig Haley, CEO of Smokey Mo’s Texas Barbecue, for a conversation about what it takes to run a growing restaurant brand while keeping the feel of a neighborhood joint.Craig shares how a college job at a College Station sports bar turned a computer science major into a lifelong restaurant operator, and how more than 30 years in the industry led him to a Central Texas barbecue brand founded in 2001. He explains what makes Smokey Mo’s different, from its smaller footprint and community roots to hiring general managers from inside the neighborhoods it serves, and why great food paired with genuinely friendly service remains the whole strategy.The conversation covers the operational work behind the scenes, including standardizing kitchen flow across locations, modernizing the look and feel of the restaurants, consolidating four point of sale systems into one, and building loyalty and guest feedback tools that actually move the business. Craig also offers a candid look at rising beef costs, why brisket yield testing matters so much to a barbecue operator’s margins, and the deliberate decision to hold prices down for guests even when costs climb.Chris and Craig also talk about leadership lessons, including hiring for traits you cannot teach, having the courage to let go of people who are not a culture fit, communicating strategy so every team member knows where they fit, and getting to the root cause of a problem rather than patching the surface. Craig closes with advice for anyone considering franchising or entrepreneurship, starting with the reminder that passion and hustle matter more than the promise of easy money.If you are a business owner, operator, or leader interested in restaurant operations, culture building, cost management, and scaling a brand without losing what made it work, this episode offers practical insight and a good deal of Texas barbecue along the way.LINKSShow NotesPrevious EpisodesAbout BoyarMillerAbout Smokey Mo's
