Today we’d like to introduce you to Doug Pickering.
Doug, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Seven years ago, Doug Pickering left behind the world of Wall Street to pursue his passion for Texas barbecue. Since that time, the BBQ Pit-master has become a serious player in the Texas BBQ scene racking up honors, including Best Chef in Dallas, Best New Restaurant in Dallas and one of the Top 10 New BBQ Restaurants in Texas.
After an 11-year stint as Head Trader for a Dallas-based Hedge Fund, Pickering left to start DWP BBQ, a catering and BBQ school in Dallas. He became well-known for teaching locals how to sharpen their grill skills with full tutorials on the art of great BBQ.Â. He then served as Head Pit-master for WORK Bar and Grill in Deep Ellum and then Headed Pit-master and Catering Manager for NL Group/Headington Companies where he managed large-scale catering programs for Dallas-area hotels.
Pickering, born and raised in Highland Park, TX, graduated from Southern Methodist University with a Bachelor of Arts in Financial Economics and a Minor in Spanish. Pickering is the Co-Founder of Ferris Wheelers Backyard & BBQ, the over-the-top Design District hot spot that serves up the best BBQ in town in the shadow of a 50-foot running Ferris wheel. He may appear to be an overnight sensation, but he’ spent years perfecting the craft that keeps Ferris Wheeler’s on every best BBQ list in the state.
Most recently, Pickering has stepped away from the day to day operations at Ferris Wheelers to spend time with his newborn son. He continues to offer catering services in the DFW area alongside Private BBQ classes. Rest assured, there will be another exciting announcement coming early 2020!
Great, 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?
A smooth road in the BBQ business is very rare. I spent six years just developing recipes and a menu before opening up my first storefront (Ferris Wheelers). With a background in finance, I had no prior culinary training before taking the leap out of the corporate world and pursuing my true passion of making great BBQ. I had plans solidified to open up a second concept earlier this year, then of course, COVID happened. We had to pull away from that but are still very actively pursuing 2 locations in the heart of Dallas.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about DWP BBQ – what should we know?
DWP BBQ specializes in a vast number of BBQ services in the DFW metroplex. Our core business was founded upon catering office lunches, family gatherings, and larger-scale full-service catering events such as weddings, concerts, and fundraisers.
In addition to catering, we also teach BBQ classes around the country. We offer privacy options that are taught in the customer’s home, virtual classes online, as well as large scale ticketed events in the DFW area. We have also travel outside Texas, (Chicago, Southern CA, and England) to teach those who desire to learn the craft. After developing a solid customer base, we decided to dive into the restaurant world and have worked on over a half dozen concepts in Dallas. We have consulted on multiple projects as well as taken ownership and launched our first concept. Ferris Wheelers in October of 2017.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
No matter what bumps lie in the road, don’t ever give up and as I said in the BBQ world, there are many bumps along the way.
Contact Info:
- Address: 3827 N Versailles Ave
Dallas TX 75209 (home office) - Website: https://www.dallastexasbbq.com
- Phone: 2146684807
- Email: dwp@dwpbbq.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dwpbbq
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dwpbbq
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/dwpbbq
- Other: https://dwp-bbq.square.site
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