In Midway, the weekend comes with something worth looking forward to: slow-smoked barbecue, a generous helping of Dallas Mac and Cheese, and a reason to gather around the table. For Cameron and Liz, the entrepreneurs behind SmokeDay BBQ, that is the experience they want to share. Good food brings people in. Hospitality gives them a reason to come back.

Cameron’s path to the pit began after years in the corporate world. Having lived in the South and spent time in Texas, he developed an appreciation for barbecue that takes patience, care, and plenty of time over the fire. SmokeDay BBQ grew from that passion, bringing Texas-style barbecue to Utah’s Heber Valley.

But turning a love of barbecue into a business took more than perfecting the brisket. Cameron and Liz needed a way for customers to find them, place orders, and bring SmokeDay to their own gatherings. They also needed tools they could confidently use themselves.

That brought them to Utah State University Extension’s E-Commerce Accelerator (ECA).

“Next to making good food, we are quite sure that nothing was more important than getting the right website in the right form, with the right tools for our business,” they shared.

Working with ECA consultants StacyAnn Maxwell and Jacob Webb, Cameron and Liz built an online home for SmokeDay BBQ that carries the same personality as the business itself. Customers can explore the menu, preorder favorites for Friday or Saturday pickup at Midway Market, and submit catering requests for occasions that call for feeding a crowd.

The website development process also helped Cameron and Liz bring their vision for the business into focus.

“The website was absolutely necessary for us to coalesce our vision into a business plan that we hope will be successful long term,” they said.

With that foundation in place, the possibilities became easier to see.

“It is so much easier to understand how we might grow and implement our vision for expansion, new dishes, products, and ideas,” they shared.

Learning to manage the website themselves was an important part of the experience. When asked what part of the ECA process was most helpful, their answer was clear: “Probably the training to do things ourselves and to be the masters of our own destiny in the website and tools.”

That learning took place with the patient, personal support of the ECA team.

“StacyAnn and Jacob are just top-notch in every way. We could not have worked with a more patient team to help us through all the needs of our business plan and website needs. Thanks 1,000 times over,” shared the SmokeDay BBQ team.

           

Within a few months of starting online preorders, SmokeDay BBQ has become a staple in Midway and the Heber Valley. Cowboy Brisket is the most popular item, followed by Texan Pulled Pork, with Dallas Mac and Cheese taking third. Together, they offer a good introduction to what SmokeDay is all about: slow-smoked meats, comforting sides, and food made for sharing.

With support from the E-Commerce Accelerator, SmokeDay BBQ now has a place online where its food, personality, and plans come together. Cameron and Liz can keep developing new menu items while giving customers an easier way to make SmokeDay BBQ a part of their weekend. With support from the E-Commerce Accelerator, Cameron and Liz have built a website they can manage themselves, with tools for online preorders and catering requests. For SmokeDay BBQ, that means a clearer path for growth and an easier way to connect with the community gathering around their food.

Visit SmokeDayBBQ.com to preorder for Friday or Saturday pickup at Midway Market or explore catering for your next gathering. Come hungry.