How barbecue chain Soulman’s survived based on ‘grit and determination’
Soulman’s Bar-B-Que got its start in 1974 and has been intentionally conservative on growth, aiming for a 50-unit footprint in the next 6-8 years.
In 1974, Texas-based Soulman’s Bar-B-Que got its start thanks to some “American grit and determination.” That’s the theme Brett Randle comes back to time and time again when talking about the brand he has led as CEO for the past 16 years.
That grit and determination started with Don Hallett, who ran a carpet business in the early ’70s but decided to give the restaurant business a shot after being talked into it by a friend named Lee. They met riding motorcycles and became really good friends, Randle recalls. On rainy days, Hallett would close his carpet shop, and the two would cook ribs for everyone.