BBQ Cleaning Biz Gets Your Grill Ready to Go

In this Salute to American Success, we’re taking a look at Bar-B-Clean and its founder and CEO Bryan Weinstein. This company’s main focus is on deep-cleaning personal grills and smokers, and Weinstein got things rolling in 2011 after he saw how dirty his own backyard grill had become.

“I did an Internet search for barbecue cleaning services,” said Weinstein. “I saw only one other company doing the service, so instead of calling that guy, I decided to start my own business."

According to a study by the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association (HPBA), 80% of households own an outdoor barbecue, grill or smoker, 60% of grill owners use their grills year-round, 97% of grill owners used their grill in the past year and nearly half of grill purchasers bought a replacement grill.

Weinstein said one of his company’s goals is to change the barbecue industry by reducing the amount of grills people have to replace.

“Barbecue tanks will last forever if they are taken care of,” he said. “The real problem is all the harmful stuff underneath everything where you can’t see it and there are no real reminders of it.”

The company uses a steam cleaning process to get rid of grease and other grime from all parts of grills and smokers, including the most important components of the units.

“Burners will get clogged over time by corrosion or rust or grease drippings,” Weinstein said. “We [Bar-B-Clean] scrape away the caked on stuff, then go in with the steamer. We open up the holes, which helps the units cook more evenly and burn better.”

According to Weinstein, there are many reasons why grills and smokers should be cleaned regularly.

“Rodents could get in if you don’t clean in the past six months,” he said. “The health risks associated are huge… harmful carcinogens by old food and rat droppings are dangerous.”

In addition to cleaning, Bar-B-Clean also offers part replacements and stone rejuvenation services, if a customer’s unit sits on an island or is an outdoor kitchen, according to Weinstein, who said the company may also expand to other barbecue and backyard/spring cleaning-related services.

In 2013, Weinstein decided to begin franchising the business, and recently awarded a 20th territory. Currently, the company operates in seven states, mainly in the southern portion of the United States, and has plans to expand to additional areas across the country.

“Southern states are always going to be the best and the hot bed for the business because you can do it [grill] 12 months out of the year,” Weinstein said. “More people have barbecues in that region because of the climate.”

Another area Bar-B-Clean prides itself on is hiring veterans.

“Our highest performing franchisees are veterans,” Weinstein said. “Franchising and my company are a great place for vets to thrive. We give franchises a system/mission/task/goal and tell them to make it happen. Vets are used to that. We give veterans a 30% discount on franchise fees.”