Que The Mic

In this week's episode we have some fun banter about Randy's BBQ brand and  Darren's ADVENTURE to this BBQ competition in Georgia. We also have a guest appearance from Derek and Jeff of Shiggin' and Grinnin' so you know that there's going to be a little bit of chaos involved. 

Emma unboxes Canadian treats while Darren recaps the American Royal barbecue competition and Randy shares what's going on in his world. The crew also talks restaurant operations, from AI-powered tools and bread pudding to a health inspection and a surprisingly costly hot-water problem. Add whole-hog catering, harvest-season safety, and plenty of friendly banter, and this episode is packed with stories from every direction.

This week we share barbecue contest stories, food truck insights, and how they’re using AI to make smarter business decisions. Along the way, they celebrate a family milestone and trade updates on farming, food, and life on the BBQ circuit. It’s a lively mix of practical advice, big wins, and the kind of laughs that happen when good friends get together.

We always said this was a podcast about BBQ, Business, and MORE but really that more is what's going on in today's tech world. So of course in this week's episode we get back in to the world of AI, new social media subscriptions, business hacks, and of course what's going on in the guy's BBQ businesses. 

In this week's episode we just do our regular catching up! What is going on in Darren's BBQ world, what is going on in Randy's BBQ world, and Emma getting worked up about at least one weird thing that the guys say. It is a great episode with a little bit of Darren's current BBQ Competition plans, Randy gives us a little insight on cooking a whole hog, and Emma is along for the ride.

In this week's episode we get in Darren's recent issues with all things technology. From getting a new phone, to his TV falling down to his wifi not working it's surprising we even recorded this episode. We also talked about Randy's catering challenges, cooking more whole-hogs, and managing the busy season like the boss he is. And of course we had to shout-out the recent Que The Mic milestone - 50,000 downloads! We appreciate all the love and support you guys give our little hobby project. We couldn't do it without you guys! 

In this week's episode you'll get a little bit of Darren in a cramped Boise bedroom, a broken phone, a cooler on the fritz, and a summer heatwave that has everybody (Emma) short-tempered - this episode turns a simple catch-up into a fast, funny, brutally honest hangout. If you like barbecue, vending war stories, and unfiltered banter between people who actually know each other well, you’re in the right place.

In this week's episode Darren explains how a last-minute menu problem turned into an AI-generated fix for new chocolate chip cookies and Benny Bites at It's My Jam, while Emma pushes back hard on what "authentic" really looks like when AI starts designing your brand. Randy adds the kind of on-the-fly business perspective only a barbecue operator can bring, including why some shortcuts make sense and where the line is between efficient and just plain lazy. As always, there's a lot of good laughs and other fun things in there too. 

This episode is a lively, funny mix of restaurant talk, state fair complaints, and a deep dive into how AI is helping the guys run their businesses more efficiently. We riff on pork rinds, barbecue seasonings, and fair food trends while also debating pricing, vendor costs, and what people actually pay for at events. A big chunk of the conversation focuses on Darren’s AI agent “Timmy,” which he uses to pull data, automate tasks, and make smarter business decisions. Overall, it feels like a casual behind-the-scenes hangout where food, business, and technology all collide.

In this week's episode, Darren joins us from a truck stop in Massachusetts while on the road after a major barbecue week. The episode covers competition barbecue, a memorable charity auction, travel mishaps, Emma’s married life, and a practical farm and food-service update from Randy.