Today we’d like to introduce you to Regan Wickes
Hi Regan, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My story began like many BBQ joints do. It all started in my backyard. But thinking
back, my passion for cooking outdoors came at around the age of 10. I took an old
propane grill (not working) and stripped it down so I could teach myself how to cook
with charcoal and real fire. After that, I knew I was hooked. Throughout high school and
college, when hanging out with friends and family or at big sporting events, I always
wanted to cook and have people over to eat. I realized then that I would love to do this for
a living one day. At that time, it seemed as unrealistic as winning the lottery. I was
planning to become a dentist like my dad had been. Unfortunately, I lost my dad to heart
disease when I was 8 years old. As the years went on, I was dead set on following in my
father’s footsteps. One day when I was about 13, my mom came to me and asked me,
“Other than wanting to do what your father did, why do you want to be a dentist?” I
didn’t have any other reason. I just felt that it was what I should do, because I thought
that would make him proud of me. My mom waited until I was old enough to understand
and told me that my dad never had the passion for being a dentist. He did it because his
father did it and it would provide a financially secure life for us. My mom said, “Your
dad always wanted to be a Texas Game & Wildlife Warden or a Texas Ranger because he
loved the outdoors so much. I guess that explains why we had cows and hunted and
fished, spending most all of our time outdoors. I realized then that my dad had never
chased his dream and that the field of dentistry was not for me. My mom said, “If you
want to make your dad proud, go do something in life that makes you happy, whatever
that is.” At that moment I didn’t know what my passion was going to be or what dream I
would chase. I just knew then that if there was ever an opportunity to chase a dream of
mine, I would do it. As BBQ became a passion in my life, I knew what I had to do, for
myself and my family. I knew it was my responsibility to make sure my three little girls
know to chase their dreams, no matter what. I wanted to teach them that even if you fail,
do not live life with regret. So, my BBQ journey began. It took a lot of cooking bad BBQ
to get to the delicious BBQ I am cooking today. The one thing that kept me working
toward being better was the passion and challenge behind it all. I kept at it in the
backyard and tried to master my craft as best I could. The main reason behind how I got
to where I am today is nothing short of God blessing me with an opportunity I wasn’t
even looking for or in a position in my life at the time to take on. My wife has been a
long-time teacher for 25+ years. She had a colleague who knew I loved cooking BBQ.
During the summer of 2021, my wife’s colleague was getting her room ready for the
upcoming school year and mentioned this to her husband. Being the go-getter he was, he
walked right down the hall to my wife and asked her about my love for creating delicious
BBQ. After a few meetings together and catching a glimpse into my passion for BBQ,
we became partners in July 2021. Wicked 3D Craft BBQ was born. Now, how did we
come up with the name? Well, Wicked follows my last name slightly, Wickes. The 3D is
after my three daughters; Delaney, Delyla, and Delorey. And there we have it – Wicked
3D Craft BBQ. As August and September approached, I was just getting my feet wet
with cooking and running a new business. I was still working full time for J.B. Hunt
Transportation as an Operations Manager. In 2022, I was extremely nervous about the
idea of going full time into BBQ, but after a full year of running the operation for special
events and catering, I knew, “Full Time BBQ”, was just around the corner. With a good
team around me and a very supportive family at home, on April 1st, 2023, I made the
jump into BBQ full time. It was a very scary process, but I had the support I needed. In
the summer of 2024, my business partner at the time had to step away from the business.
I was able to purchase and become the sole owner of, what is now, Wicked 3D BBQ.
We’re still cooking the same “CRAFT” BBQ as before, but it was necessary to tweak the
name a bit after I became the sole owner. I am happy to report that I am going strong into
the last quarter of 2024 doing some great events for the Dallas Cowboys and growing
new customers every day.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It was most certainly not a smooth road. I mean, I have never met anyone who has owned
a business that ran smooth, especially in the food industry. With food being one of, if not
the hardest industry to be successful in, the challenges were waiting for me. Since I was
the one in the previous partnership with food cost, budgeting, pricing, and catering
experience, I had to have the dedication to ensure this business was profitable. My
partner at the time was amazing from the beginning. He always made sure I had the right
equipment, funds to purchase the top-quality meats, and a great truck and BBQ trailer to
get this business off and running. The challenges were what I would think everyone goes
through. How much are we spending? What are our profit margins going to look like?
Are we in a good location? Are we getting enough catering booked? And so on. The
one thing that no one can prepare you for, is the amount of actual work you will have to
put into this to make it have a fighting chance. For me, it was a reality check. I certainly
was not afraid of hard work, but no job prepares you for the BBQ business of low and
slow cooking. On average, I was and still am putting in about 100 hours a week. A
normal day for me before we open the for next day is up at 7 am to help get my three
girls ready and off to school. Once they are off to school, I check emails, check stock to
make sure all my orders are right, and then food prep begins. I will cook all night and
maintain a fire in my smoker until the sun comes up. Then again, I help my wife get our
girls up, ready, and off to school. I then will tow my BBQ trailer to our location in
Pantego, TX, which is about 10 minutes from my house, and sell BBQ from 12 pm-9 pm
or sold out. On average, I am awake for about 40 hours straight over two days. I do this
twice a week. There are the normal challenges that come with owning a business as well,
that are similar to most businesses. But when it comes to BBQ, and the way I want to
cook it, no one can come close to explaining how hard it is mentally to put out your best day in and day out.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Before I got into the BBQ business, for almost 10 years, I was a PGA Professional. Now, not a Professional Golfer, but a Golf Professional. on’t get me wrong. I cashed a few small checks from playing golf competitively, but barely enough to fill the gas tank in my
truck these days. After meeting my wife on the golf course, we got married and started
having kids. The golf industry is not exactly family-friendly, so I decided to walk away
from that and find a more stable job. Now, I know what you are thinking, “Oh, you work
in the food industry”, which is not really a family-friendly industry either, but the huge
difference was my passion for BBQ, which my wife supported me in. She is the reason
why this opportunity was even possible because of her co-worker’s husband. She knew I
wanted to take a shot at this and was very supportive and still is to this day. I would like
to say I specialize in BBQ, but I hope I am best known for how I treat people and my
customers. I feel that is what truly sets me apart from others. I truly care about people. I
just use BBQ as a platform to impact people’s lives. Food is always around. It is around
good times and bad times. I just want to play a small part in someone’s life, whether it’s
to celebrate a wedding or a newborn child or distract them from a moment of grief from
losing a loved one. I use my passion for BBQ to reach people and for them to
experience, hopefully, the best BBQ and food they have ever had.
Pricing:
- $32 per LB for Sliced Brisket
- $28 per LB on Sliced Smoked Turkey Breast
- $30 per LB on Bacon Burnt Ends
- $15 for a DOUBLE Wicked Brisket Smashburger
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.wicked3dbbq.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wicked3dbbq/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Wicked3DBBQ/
- Other: https://linktr.ee/wicked3dbbq
Image Credits
Dallas Cowboys
AT&T Stadium
