Barbecue tech startup fires up sales in Kansas City
April 19, 2016 | Kat Hungerford
Kansas City is firing up the grills for its favorite season.
And no, it isn’t springtime or summertime. It’s barbecue time.
This barbecue season, Kansas City food tech startup Tappecue has cooked up a new online platform to complement its existing meat thermometer. The platform — launched last week — is called SessionBook, which allows grill- and smoke-masters to digitally perfect their barbecue recipes.
With the platform, users can review their cook session data to test and fine-tune recipes to create award-winning foods, said Jacob Bourret, marketing vice president of Innovating Solutions, owner of the Tappecue brand.
The Tappecue thermometer sends real-time temperature data to its phone app, enabling cooks to keep an eye on dinner while away from their grill, smoker or slow-cooker. With the addition of SessionBook, users can upload play-by-play Tappecue thermometer data, along with images, notes, recipes and more to track and perfect their barbecue processes.
Bourret sees Kansas City, with its barbecue-centric culture, as the optimal place to test and launch Tappecue products.
“We couldn’t ask for a better city to launch Tappecue,” said Bourret. “When we first launched, we were bootstrapping so we didn’t have an excess of cash flowing in to market and advertise (the product) — which means we had to get creative. Fortunately, KC has many barbecue competitions yearly.”
The company gained permission from the Kansas City Barbecue Society to hand out flyers and talk to competition participants at the society’s events. Grassroots marketing efforts like these were, and continue to be, the root of the company’s success, according to Bourret.
“People (at the competitions) got to meet the inventors and see our passion and enthusiasm for the product,” he said. “Now, our customers share that same enthusiasm and spread the word for us – from the heart of KC to the rest of the world.”
Since its July 2013 launch, Tappecue has doubled in revenue every year, with a total of 2,000 units sold to 1,700 customers. The company expects to again double those numbers by the end of 2016, according to Bourret.
2016 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Google Fiber names local duo as digital inclusion leaders
After a successful first year, Google Fiber — in partnership with the Nonprofit Technology Network — has announced its second round of Digital Inclusion Fellows. As part of the program, fellows will create and lead digital literacy efforts in the 11 metro areas with Google Fiber, including Kansas City. Initiatives include assisting adults with high…
Can downtowners ditch the Dodge? Zipcar expands in Kansas City
Downtown Kansas City residents have another compelling reason to become car-less converts. The on-demand car rental service Zipcar is expanding its area presence to Kansas City’s downtown, providing its growing population another flexible transportation option. The international car-sharing service is beefing up local offerings — which already includes two cars at Kansas City International Airport…
Plexpod Westport Commons exhumes obscured mural of Kansas City
For an update on this piece, click here. Amid the dust and drilling at the yet-to-be-open Plexpod Westport Commons is a little-known artistic gem for Kansas City. At the heart of a project that marries history and innovation, the colossal coworking facility that was formerly Westport Junior High features a vibrant — albeit deteriorating —…
GUILDit feeds starving artists with tools to monetize their crafts
If good entrepreneurs are money-motivated, great ones know that it’s going to take more than that to be successful. In contrast, artists oftentimes develop a “love-hate relationship” with money. As anyone who has seen a “starving artists” moving van can attest, an artist’s passion doesn’t always lead to food on the table. For artists whose…