BBQ SEASON is here - Let’s OWN the bbq lane THIS BBQ SEASON!

EXECUTIVE MESSAGE

Greetings Team City Barbeque,

It is hard to believe we have crossed the midway point of the year. As they say, time flies when you’re having fun!

You should all be immensely proud of the momentum you have created in our business. So many things are going so well, and I thank you for that. As we enter the second half of 2026, it is time for every team and every leader to take a hard look at where we stand against our annual goals. This is a wonderful opportunity to assess results, celebrate wins, and identify any shortfalls that need course correction. Most importantly, it is a chance to realign around the work that will have the greatest impact during the second half of the year.

Momentum, when harnessed properly, creates even more momentum. That does, however, require candid assessment, decisiveness, and most importantly – action. I encourage each of you to dig in and understand the root causes behind successes and challenges. When obstacles arise, no band aids are allowed, only permanent solutions. Being the best and delivering competition-quality results requires disciplined execution and unwavering accountability. Remarkable results do not happen by accident; they are the product of intentional actions taken by committed teams.

There is nothing this team cannot accomplish when we put our shoulders behind a common goal. We have tremendous momentum, a talented team, and a culture that is second to none.

Let’s finish 2026 strong!

Mike

~ Mike Muldoon, Chief Executive Officer

Four Pillars

TEAM

Thank you to everyone who participated in our 2026 Full Engagement Survey this past March. Your feedback is invaluable and helps us better understand what's working well and where we can continue to improve. We achieved an overall participation rate of 61%, with strong results of 79% in Employee Engagement and 82% in Employee Experience.

We would also like to recognize locations with outstanding participation and engagement results. Rochester Rd led the way with 100% survey participation, followed by Westerville (90%), and Johns Creek and Madison West (both at 89%). In Employee Engagement, Catering Findlay/Toledo, Hurstbourne, and Florence each achieved an impressive 100% engagement score, with Rochester Rd close behind at 99%. Thank you all for your commitment, honesty, and support in helping make our workplace a great place to work.

~ Amanda Beebe, Human Resource Generalist

Guest

Every week, Jennifer Murray’s Guests Count Report gives us a clear view of how many new guests are walking through our doors. Behind those numbers are real people making a choice, maybe their first visit, maybe their first in a long time. That moment matters more than we often realize. 

At City Barbeque, hospitality has never been about transactions. It’s about how someone feels when they walk in, how we guide them through their first experience, and the impression we leave behind. For new guests especially, we only get one chance to introduce ourselves. That means slowing down just enough to be present, offering a genuine welcome, helping them navigate the menu, and serving every plate with care and pride. 

When guests come back, they’re telling us we’ve earned something worth building on. Our role is to meet that trust with consistency and warmth every single time—whether it’s their second visit or their tenth. Loyalty isn’t defined by a program; it’s defined by how people feel when they choose to return. 

The weekly report isn’t just a scoreboard. It’s a reminder of the responsibility we carry in every interaction. What matters most isn’t just how many new guests we see, but how many feel a connection strong enough to come back. That’s what turns a first visit into a habit, and a guest into part of our community. 

This has always been at the heart of City Barbeque—treating guests like family, and yes, like royalty. Not as a tactic, but as a reflection of who we are. If we stay true to that, the results will follow. More importantly, we’ll build something that lasts: trust, connection, and a reason for guests to choose us again and again.

~ Melanie Barichivich, Chief Marketing Officer 

Process

In Q2, teams really focused on making day-to-day processes simpler and more consistent in the joints. One of the biggest wins was improving curbside setup and visibility—clearer signage, better use of parking spots, and smoother handoffs so guests can easily find us and get their food without confusion. 

We also doubled down on the basics—strong line checks, solid pre-shift routines, and consistent bag checks. Making sure every order is built right, sauces are included, and nothing gets missed has made a noticeable difference during busy shifts. 

Ovation feedback helped point us in the right direction. We’ve continued to see a lot of insights around order accuracy and curbside experience, and teams have been quick to act—keeping response times under 2 hours and holding strong in the 80%+ positive feedback range. Those quick responses are also helping drive better recovery when something does go wrong. 

Overall, teams are doing a great job turning these process tweaks into habits. The result: fewer mistakes, smoother off-premise execution, and a more consistent experience for our guests as we head into the second half of the year.

~ Dave Skerl, Director of Strategic Implementation

Financial

Happy summer from the Accounting & Finance Teams! 

We hope everyone had a busy, safe, and enjoyable Fourth of July. Thanks to your hard work, we celebrated strong Mother's Day and Father's Day sales, along with continued momentum in our catering business. Time and again, families, businesses, and communities have chosen City Barbeque to be part of their gatherings and celebrations. With a strong start to the summer, we are well positioned to carry this momentum through the fall and holiday seasons and finish the year with solid year-over-year growth. 

As backyard barbeques and summer gatherings continue, we're proud to help position City Barbeque as the go-to destination for great food and genuine backyard hospitality. Thank you for creating the experiences that keep guests coming back and choosing us for their celebrations.  

Behind the scenes, the Accounting & Finance Teams are focused on helping our operators run their businesses as effectively as possible by providing meaningful insights, identifying trends, and finding opportunities to improve margins. Together, we can continue delivering value to our guests while navigating macroeconomic challenges and investing in our people, our joints, and our future. 

We're also excited to share that our Accounts Payable Automation initiative is coming soon! This project will streamline processes, improve efficiency, and provide greater visibility across our payables operations, allowing us to better support our teams and continue building a stronger business. 

Thank you for everything you do each day. We appreciate your hard work and look forward to a great second half of the year!

~ Tadd Christensen, Director of Finance 

RDo reflections

Our mission is to be the “mayor” of our communities—building genuine relationships that create meaningful sales opportunities through unforgettable backyard‑style hospitality. I want to share a powerful comment we recently heard from one of our loyal guests.

At a recent event, a guest shared that he had been visiting our Centerville joint for eight years. He affectionately referred to it as Sally’s Restaurant, in honor of our GM, Sally Fitzgibbon. He told us he is a veteran, and that only two places consistently make him feel truly good: the VA Hospital and “Sally’s Joint.” He spoke passionately about how Sally takes care of him, how she makes him feel seen, and how she turned him into a raving fan.

He wanted us to know that what we do matters—that our work brings happiness to people and strengthens the communities we serve.

Hearing stories like this reminds us why we do what we do. We strive to create memorable, WOW‑worthy dining experiences that stay with our guests long after they leave. Every visit is an opportunity to deliver unmatched hospitality: treat first‑time guests like regulars, and treat regulars like royalty. Create WOW moments through genuine connection and unforgettable service.

This is service hospitality at its best—being a positive force in our community and owning our sales by creating SMOKN guest experiences

Thanks!

~Tim Zombek, Regional Director of Operations

BBQ BRAVOS - Shoutouts

TEAMMATE SPOTLIGHT

Dylan Bunn | Boards Teammate, Wendell Falls

What is your current role at City BBQ? 

Boards but I help in other areas. Kind of like a Jack of all trades.

What aspect of your role do you enjoy the most?

Being around people who are like family.

What three words would you use to describe City Barbeque? 

Fresh, Clean, Family Friendly

What three words would you use to describe yourself? 

Fun, Musical, Comedian

If you could switch jobs with anyone else in the company, whose job would you want and why?

I would switch with Paul Lowe because I would enjoy traveling to other joints, meeting new people, and bringing happiness.

Do you have any hobbies or belong to any groups outside of work? 

Spending time with my daughter, Singing Karaoke, Playing Guitar/Piano

If you could learn to do anything, what would it be?

I would love to learn about stocks/bitcoin/investing.

Do you have a favorite family tradition or one that you want to start? 

My mom makes a Shepards Pie once a year and it is always on my birthday.

What is the most important thing you have learned in life?

After hitting rock bottom there is only way back up.

Everyone’s Favorite Recipe of yours or your favorite recipe –

It would be my mom’s Shepards Pie and nobody knows her recipe.

Renee Schueler | Front of house Teammate, Blue ash

What is your current role at City BBQ? 

My current role at City BBQ is Front of house but, that does not stop me from stepping in anywhere needed.

What aspect of your role do you enjoy the most?

The best aspect of my role is the connections I get to make. Not only do I have an awesome group of coworkers, the customers do sure make me giggle sometimes too.

What three words would you use to describe City Barbeque? 

Three words to encapsulate City are supportive, flexible, and fun. There is not a day that goes by at city that none of these are present.

What three words would you use to describe yourself? 

Three words to describe myself are adventurous, creative, and honest. There are many scenarios which all these come in handy for the surprises thrown our way daily.

If you could switch jobs with anyone else in the company, whose job would you want and why?

No hesitation, our prep lady from Blue Ash, Tracy. While me and Tracy usually need separated for talking, I would adore her position! Tracy is able to work independent and make decisions that literally keep the day to day business afloat and doesn’t bat an eye at it! Always has the work to be done because everyone that comes in loves her sides.

Do you have any hobbies or belong to any groups outside of work? 

I am big into crafts, golf, and music. I do adore spending time with my family, but my favorite time of the year is music festival season, more specifically Sonic Temple in Columbus every year.

If you could learn to do anything, what would it be?

I want to learn to skydive, how awesome would your evening plans be to jump out of a plane???

Do you have a favorite family tradition or one that you want to start? 

Well we did do the traditional “punch buggy” and “Tweety” while driving down the roads we had a bit of an odd tradition and I never realized until my childhood best friend did it outside of my family but, here we go. Anytime someone should “excuse themselves” from a burp or toot we instead must put a thumb on our forehead and whoever does it last, “eats it.” While it brings nothing more than giggles to see the whole family react in such a manner it has even gotten to the serious point of “left or right hand.” We are overly OVERLY competitive between my 3 siblings and I if you couldn’t tell.

What is the most important thing you have learned in life?

The most important lesson I have learned in life has been to adjust. Just “adjust” as my dad used to say while I played softball. Adjust to the world around you and don’t let it knock you down regardless of what is to come after because again, we can adjust to what is next.

Everyone’s Favorite Recipe of yours or your favorite recipe –

While I am not a cook here it doesn’t stop me from making delicious food or working on a food truck! Some food that may even need to be brought back to the menu like fried chicken. Easy leg thigh and dip into some pickle juice and some batter… ooweeee!

Rick’s Backyard hospitality spotlight

Atlanta Catering

City Barbecue hosted our annual Family Reunion this weekend and came out smoke n. I loved the chicken and pulled pork. I wish I had gotten a chance to try the vegan dishes, but that was limited to our vegetarian family members. Jimil and Kisha represented your company with world class customer service and we really appreciated their kind and understanding hearts ! Thank you Jimil and Kisha. You did a magnificent job serving our family!!!

Ballantyne

Quinn is an absolute superstar! It was my first time visiting this location and he definitely made it a special experience. He walked me through all of the sides and different meat options. He gave me samples of some of his favorites and I was just blown away by how kind and personable he was! Definitely someone you would want rocking the front counter of the restaurant, I'm definitely going to be back and I'll tell you what, it's going to be soon!

Beachwood

My first time visiting this location. I wish there were more employees like the ones who work here. Especially the cashier they call momma. I hope everyone can have the pleasure of being taken care of by her. She was the highlight to my city BBQ experience. She genuinely seems to love her job and it shows. She has the best customer service I have had probably ever.

Chester Road

Great food and staff. Tony, who constantly walks around talking to customers and getting what they need is an amazing human being. He makes the restaurant a better experience with his help and kindness.

Greenwood

I had a great experience at City Barbeque. The food was fresh, flavorful, and served quickly. What really stood out was the excellent customer service from Drew. He was friendly, professional, and went above and beyond to make sure everything was perfect. Its rare to find someone who genuinely cares about the customer experience, and Drew definitely made a positive impression. Thanks to him and the team for making my visit enjoyable.

Harrodsburg

Aaliyah was very helpful, patient and willing to answer all my questions in ordering a large meal for 5 adult takeout on Mother's Day. She was willing to show me all the sizes of the containers and made valuable suggestions for our choices as she knew the menu well. Also was sweet, very personable and is a good choice to have in front of customers!

Highland Heights

I have been eating lunch here with my best friend, twice a week, for a long time. The morning manager, Pauline, is the absolute best. She knows my name and order and has it good to go when I walk in. Very friendly people and great food. 10/10 would recommend.

Indianapolis Catering

 The was a mix up and I thought I ordered banana pudding, but it wasn't on the order. Crystal made a call, set up the food, drove back to Lafayette, and brought us banana pudding! Talk about going above and beyond! Everything was perfect as usual!

Johnson City

Our experience at the Johnson City City BBQ was FABULOUS! The manager on duty, Bri, was one of the nicest, friendliest, most helpful food service managers we've met! We have a big family and as we were visiting the area and staying in a local hotel, getting the right food for everyone, and dietary needs, and eating in a hotel room, was quite difficult. Bri set us up with exactly what we needed! She made sure we had all of the utensils, plates, and napkins we needed. She made our experience pretty great! On a very important side note, the food was DANG GOOD!

Kettering

I was given the best service everyone was supper friendly and was very intentive and Brennan was the one that took my order and made sure everything was taken care of properly and did it with a smile I would recommend to anybody who is looking for good barbecue to come here

Louisville/Lexington Catering

I will say the lady we worked with to get this order, Antonia Hansford, was absolutely amazing to work with. I cannot say enough good things about her. She was very responsive, helpful, and was the main reason we went with City BBQ. She made me feel as if I could truly trust this company to complete everything needed for the day. She took a lot of stress of the bride when it came to figuring out the details of catering and for that I cannot thank her enough. Planning a wedding is stressful enough but fully trusting the food was taken care of was a huge help. She truly was amazing! Thank you so much for your help and all you did for us. Our day wouldn't have been complete without you!

Memorial Parkway

Tonight Oliver H. Was particularly friendly and asked if he could do anything and asked if we were happy with everything. It is wonderful to see a young man working with dedication and giving great customer service with a cheerful voice and sincerity.

Richmond Road

Steve (Steven) truly went above and beyond! From the moment we walked in, he made sure everything was just right and took such great care of us. The service was friendly, attentive, and you can tell he genuinely cares about his customers.

QUEMMUNITY

aS kEVIN bENNETT STATED: Remember, a major key to our success in 2024 was the notion that sales are a controllable. 

We do that by being the Mayor in our Town.  We take every opportunity to get out in our community and show them what City BBQ is all about. 

I’ve seen some amazing pictures and heard some awesome stories so far this year. 

If you are not out in your community, ask for help

We have the answers!

Quarter 1 COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES

BE A POSITIVE MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY!

Have you participated in any community or charity event/drive, or volunteered for any cause, either as a team or individually, at work, home, church? Please send your information and any photos you can provide to hr@citybbq.com, with Quemmunity in the subject line. We’d love to publish them in a future newsletter under this feature! We want to “share the wealth in a sustainable fashion!”

How do you win the community? Win the hearts of the competition, get them to mention you in their posts. It takes someone to understand how hard we all work to be the best on the block to congratulate them when they are beaten, but then have the courage to step back up and do the next one.

Aletha’s INSIGHT

Staying True: Celebrating Our Annual Leadership Conference

Staying True to Who We Are

This year’s Annual Leadership Conference was an all-out celebration of Staying True — true to who we are as a brand, true to what makes City Barbeque special, and true to the purpose that guides us every day: to serve and create happiness.

Throughout the conference, leaders were reminded that staying true is more than a theme. It is how we show up for our teammates, our guests, our communities, and our business. It is how we bring our mission — to set the standards others follow — to life through our actions, decisions, and daily leadership.

Staying True to Our Teams

At the heart of our brand is the belief that everyone deserves a positive work environment to be successful. Our purpose connects this to providing teammates with the right tools, training, and authority, while welcoming open and candid communication.

That message came through strongly during the conference. Leaders shared how they are building stronger teams by investing in relationships, creating trust, developing others, and leading with integrity, fairness, and respect — one of our core values.

Staying true to our teams means creating an environment where people feel supported, challenged, heard, and empowered to grow. It means remembering that leadership is not only about results — it is about helping people become successful while staying connected to who we are.

Staying True to Our Guests

Our purpose comes to life most clearly in the way we care for our guests. The SMOK’N Hospitality guiding behaviors remind us to create “WOW” experiences, treat first-time guests like regulars, treat regulars like royalty, and view everything through the eyes of the guest.

Conference conversations reinforced that every guest interaction is an opportunity to serve and create happiness. Whether through hospitality, order accuracy, food quality, or guest recovery, our leaders were challenged to stay focused on the details that create trust and loyalty. The conference materials also highlighted SMOK’N Great Hospitality, including connecting, WOW experiences, hospitality impact, and applying feedback.

Staying true to our guests means delivering more than barbeque. It means delivering care, consistency, and backyard hospitality — every plate, every order, every time.

Staying True to Our Communities

A powerful part of the conference showcased leaders who have built meaningful relationships in their communities and within their teams. The community session emphasized trust, consistency, relationships, active participation, giving back, and long-term commitment as key parts of building community connections.

Our purpose also reminds us to contribute positively to the community by sharing resources sustainably through community partnerships.

These stories showed that community involvement is not simply marketing. It is one of the ways we serve and create happiness beyond our four walls. When leaders show up consistently for schools, churches, first responders, nonprofit partners, fundraisers, and local organizations, they build trust and goodwill that strengthens both the community and the brand.

One question from the community session captured the challenge perfectly:

“If your joint disappeared tomorrow, would anyone notice?”

Staying true to our communities means making sure the answer is yes — because we have built real relationships, created real impact, and shown people that City Barbeque is here to serve.

Staying True to Our Standards

Our values remind us to put Safety First, Treat Others with Integrity, Fairness and Respect, Deliver Quality Without Sacrifice, and Produce Profit and Cash Flow for Long-Term Value.

Those values showed up throughout the conference in conversations about hospitality, food quality, operational excellence, community building, and leadership accountability. The Day 2 conference materials included breakout topics focused on food quality, reducing complaints, the guest/employee experience, SMOK’N Great Hospitality, crafting food quality, off-premises execution, and building community.

Staying true to our standards means we do not take shortcuts. We “score a 9, every time,” and when something does not meet our standards, we figure it out and make it right.

Taking the Message Home

As our leaders return to their teams, joints, markets, and communities, the challenge is simple: turn the message into action.

Stay True To:

• Our Purpose — Serve and create happiness in every interaction.

• Our Mission — Set the standards others follow through consistent leadership and execution.

• Our Teams — Build trust, develop people, and create positive work environments.

• Our Guests — Deliver SMOK’N Hospitality and create WOW experiences.

• Our Communities — Show up, give back, and build lasting partnerships.

• Our Standards — Deliver quality without sacrifice, every day.

Thank You

Thank you to every leader who showed up, shared, learned, and helped bring this year’s conference theme to life. The stories, conversations, and examples shared throughout the conference reminded us that Staying True is not something we say — it is something we do.

When we stay true to our purpose, our people, our guests, our communities, and our standards, we continue building a brand that serves, creates happiness, and sets the standards others follow.

Staying True to the ‘Que. Staying True to Our Purpose. Staying True to Each Other. 🔥

Thanks

~ Aletha Dawson, Senior Director of Training and Recruiting