Personally, Rudy’s BBQ is my favorite barbecue spot. It’s consistent, the service is friendly, and the extra moist brisket makes my mouth water. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Ken Schiller, the co-founder of Rudy’s BBQ and Mighty Fine Burgers at Concordia University to dish on his restaurant success.
In The Kitchen With Ken Schiller of Rudy’s BBQ
First of all, I have to thank you so much for making Rudy’s BBQ so consistent. I hate waiting in line for hours and end up getting served a plate of dry and cold barbecue.
I almost wish that Rudy’s wasn’t so consistent. Restaurants in Austin are notorious for being inconsistent. It’s like you have to be weird in order to fit in. It’s the Austin-y thing to do.
Let’s talk off the menu. What are your favorite activities in Austin?
Unique, out of the box events like F1, benchmarking restaurants, and driving high performance cars.
Austin is home to some really awesome barbeque restaurants, where does Rudy’s fall into that?
Rudy’s delivers consistent, Texas barbecue that is smoked and served the way it was done 50 years ago in old-style meat markets all over Texas. It is an original Texas landmark that features a country store, gas station, smoked meat served by weight, and three different traditional cuts of brisket.
What is your recipe for success?
Operational excellence is the primary driver of our success. At Rudy’s we focus on delighting each guest that walks through our doors by consistently providing guests barbecue that is made of high-quality, fresh ingredients, delivered quickly and accurately by friendly people in an extremely clean environment.
Any new restaurant concepts?
In 2007 K&N Management created Mighty Fine Burgers, Fries and Shakes and successfully transferred operational excellence to our newest concept.
I have to ask, what is the secret to your creamed corn?
Parmesan cheese.
Thank you for the hospitality Concordia University. Concordia University Texas is a private, Lutheran, undergraduate, coeducational, liberal arts university in Austin, TX. Nestled in Austin’s beautiful Hill Country, the university houses 28 archeological sites and protects eight federally listed endangered species.
